Japanese Launch of Game Cube Relatively Low-Key

The cold reception has been attributed to the recent events taking place in the U.S., which continues to dominate media attention. Long lines were expected at many retailers, as was the case with the PS2 and Game Boy Advance launches, however, no more than a dozen people were reported to be waiting at most stores to pay up to $210 for the new system. Nonetheless, demand for the Game Cube, which is set to debut in the United States on November 18, has been strong in Japan with pre-orders over the last month being relatively high. The three launch titles for the new system are Luigi’s Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm and Super Monkey Ball. Nintendo shipped approximately 500,000 units for the Japanese launch of the Game Cube, and pre-orders for the console began at a variety of Japanese retailers last month. Nintendo aims to keep shelves stocked with Game Cubes through the winter holiday season, and said it expected no problem in meeting its target of shipping 1.4 million consoles in Japan by the end of December.