However, all this diligence has a price, and one which is potentially terminal for the big N. And the price is time. In a recent, devastating press announcement Nintendo told the world that both the GBA and the Dolphin, their next console, had had their release dates pushed back until the third quarter of 2001. At first thought, this may not be as bad as it seems: well, as long as they get it right surely it does not matter how long they take? Uh-uh. The advantage of a timely release can be seen from the recent Sega Dreamcast launch. Despite meeting a tepid reaction from, well, almost everyone actually, as it was first in shops during a fallow period for other systems it sold very well. But as I said before, this presents a huge problem replete with gold chains and a t-shirt saying "large and in charge. It's great to be a problem". And here are the reasons why:
· And going straight into the charts at one, Bob, we have a little beastie called PlayStation 2. This machine has aroused huge interest all over the world (see my previous article for information) and by the time Dolphin has come along it may have such a dominant market position that nothing else can compete. · At 2, up four places from last week, we have yet another new console, the X-Box (which I have also written about before). If this project goes ahead, it could pose a serious threat to the traditional console order. Being able to call on a back catalogue of, let's see, every PC game ever made would be a boost, and the advantage for programmers of being able to write exactly the same (even the much vaunted PS2 system requires significant code changes) programmes for a PC and a console would prove irresistible. The consortium that is rumoured to be backing it is also rumoured to be headed by a certain W.H. Gates, which adds credibility....
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