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"Nintendo development kits delayed."

I heard that nintendo have failed to release their devlopment kits to all there GC developers which could cause serious effects for the release of the GC in Japan and USA. Im not sure if it will affect Europe that much.
This means we may only see nintendo games at the launch, which is not a bad thing but for those who expect more you may be a little disapointed.

As long as Nintendo concentrates on its games, Rarewares games and Lucasarts StarWars game then I dont care.

Details of the shortage.


http://www.gamesradar.com/ news/game_news_2162.html

This may just be an indication of the demand fr Gamecube de kits remember, not that Nintendo can't make more than one a week.

Considering the spec of the Gamecube was only finalised 6 weeks agom I fail to see how those Dev Kits could have been running at full capacity. The processor speed was increased to 485 mhz from 405 and the flipper was reduced to 165mhz.

There was also some changes to the ability of the flipper, most notably a new anti-aliasing technology to help with the hit on performance anti-aliasing caused in the original design. which ATI now have a patent pending on.

And as for the number, that number could easily have been swallowed up by Rare, EA, Sega, Lucas Arts, Retro and Nintendo themselves. Have you seen how many games these companies have in simultaneous production?

I heard exactly the same as you FM.

Yeah I read that too, but I don't think they were finalised versions. Just enought to get the companies started. I think its only the third parties who may have not recieved the final versions.

I'm looking at a webpage right now that says they've shipped over 500 kits and that was back in December last year. Here, look:

"Development Kits for the Holidays

Nintendo ships 500+ GameCube development kits to software houses around the world.

December 19, 2000

has learned that Nintendo has now shipped more than 500 GameCube development kits to interested parties around the world. Great news for Nintendo loyalists to be sure, but it only gets better. We're told that unlike PS2's first batch of development hardware that was running at half-speed, the GameCube kits are working at full capacity with complete hardware.
The company has allegedly been shipping its development kit units just as quickly as graphics hardware designer ATI/ArtX can add the finishing touches to them. The first wave of hardware went out to software makers as far back as two months ago, with more units slipping out consistently ever since. We can see proof of this in recent news that Electronic Arts Canada had received its first GameCube development kits one month ago and had already started in on benchmark testing.

It is believed that as few as 50 and as many as 150 of the first GameCube development kits shipped directly to Nintendo Japan's internal studios EAD, headed by Shigeru Miyamoto and including divisions R&D1 through R&D4. Many of Japan's big-name studios also received hardware early on.

The next big wave of GameCube development hardware is scheduled to hit in late January and early February, whereby a slew of smaller publishers and game creators will finally be able to get their hands on the hot commodity.

More soon."

Source: World Wide Webby

I read it on a few web sites and in a couple of magazines. Its a rumour so it may be true or false.

This is true. Most of the major developers have recieved dev kits, but many smaller or non-japanese developers have been left in the lurch by Nintendo.

Nintendo will only be releasing further Dev Kits to publishers, therefore forcing companies to agree a publishing deal before they can begin to make a game for the Gamecube. Nintendo will also be offering a limited support for their devkits through these publishers only, so most developers will have no contact with Nintendo when it comes to releasing games for the system.

Nintendo, as far as I can see anyway, are keeping the Gamecube for themselves and heir close friends. Sega, Lucas Arts, Rare, Retro and EA are a few of the developers with Dev Kits, but for anyone else wanting in on the act, having something out in time for the European launch will be difficult.

Your source? Where did you come by this information?
Or am I going to have to trawl the web all by myself looking for it?

I heard that nintendo have failed to release their devlopment kits to all there GC developers which could cause serious effects for the release of the GC in Japan and USA. Im not sure if it will affect Europe that much.
This means we may only see nintendo games at the launch, which is not a bad thing but for those who expect more you may be a little disapointed.