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Nintendo GameCube Discs Were Small For A Reason
engadget.com • • technology
Key Points:
- Nintendo's GameCube used proprietary miniDVD discs, smaller than standard DVDs, which helped reduce piracy, avoid licensing fees, and enabled a more compact, affordable console design.
- These miniDVDs had a capacity of under 1.5GB, significantly less than modern discs, yet allowed impressive game development like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
- The smaller discs contributed to faster loading times and a lightweight console with a distinctive handle, making the GameCube highly portable compared to competitors like the Xbox.
- Despite these advantages, the GameCube sold fewer units (21.74 million) than the Xbox and PlayStation 2, partly because it lacked DVD playback and had limited third-party game support.
- Nintendo's choice prioritized gaming performance and anti-piracy over multimedia functionality, which likely impacted sales but maintained the GameCube's unique identity in the sixth-generation console market.
