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Will Gamecube controllers become rare?

Guy Legend

Guy Legend

Member
I've been wodering if Nintendo will keep Gamecube controllers available at stores since they are required for backwards compatibility play. Although I don't own a Wii yet, I imagine I would want to pick up a Wavebird when and if I eventually do. Also, finding a replacement in case one's original controller goes bad would be handy. Looking online, wavebirds seem very tough to find without paying above the original retail value.

Manufacturing of Gamecube hardware has stopped, but will Nintendo keep Gamecube controllers and possibly memory cards semi available since they plug into the Wii?
 
That's a great question. I still see GC controllers on the shelf of major retailers like Best Buy, but I notice that they're not in the Wii section, but rather in the diminishing GC section.

If Nintendo does eventually decide it's too much effort to continue manufacturing GC controllers, I imagine they could make a patch for the Wii for it to use the Wii Classic controller.
 
I could see it becoming a problem.

What I actually see happening is Wii driving up the price of GC games as well. Right now, most Wii owners probably were GC owners. the GC sold well, but I think the Wii will sell MUCH better.. and alot of people may want to grab a game that wasnt produced to match a userbase the size of the wii.

Especially rare GC titles.
 
Rare as in 25+ million controllers rare?

Mmhh.. Yes. Actually, I haven't seen them in any store at all anymore. Except for game shops of course.
 
Since the Wii basically turns into a GC when it's in GC mode, they will most likely need to release some type of IR receiver to plug into a cube slot so the CC can then emulate the cube controller. I'd love a situation like that since I absolutely loathe the cube controller, and the CC looks amazingly comfortable.
 
Nintendo is continuing to provide wired GameCube controllers to retail, but Wavebird has already been discontinued - that's why the online prices are higher than retail. If you want a wavebird, get on now.

I've got a mint one saved against the day my 2002 wavebird finally dies.
 
I work at retail and GC wave birds are relly hard to find, we cant get new wired controllers. The store sells about a dozen wired ocntrollers a week.
 
AgentOtaku said:
thats weird...

wife got me a wavebird from local Walmart awhile back....no problem at all finding them up here in alaska...
Click to expand...
:lol

I don't know if it was meant to be funny, but fuck it - I'm laughing anyway.
 
Bamihap said:
There is no digital clicky on the triggers... NOOOOOZ!!!
Click to expand...
Non funny joke post? There *is* click in the CC triggers.

Emulating the GC on Wii is like emulating Amiga 500 games on a A1200 or GameBoy on GBC. IE not very hard at all.
If Nintendo put a bit of brains to it, they could do it. They would be able to ditch the controller slots and leave only a single memcard reader slot (for copying files to Wii memory) and save money and space.

They could either put some extra code into the existing solution for reading the wiimote, or they could make a real channel/emulator for GC games.
 
There's just not one single official GameCube controller in Spain, and people are buying these crappy GAMEWARE pads instead.

045584.jpg


You read it here first.
 
Fucking bizarre.
I was thinking about this just 2 days ago!
I searched on game.co.uk and they are all out of stock.
 
So long as there is Wii, the controllers will continue to be made. Now, where the hell is my refreshed Wavebird with rumble?
 
Chao said:
There's just not one single official GameCube controller in Spain, and people are buying these crappy GAMEWARE pads instead.

045584.jpg


You read it here first.
Click to expand...


i ended up getting a white Gamestop one.I shy away from crappy 3rd party controllers, but Its actually not bad. It was cheap, works well and matches the white console.
 
Chao said:
There's just not one single official GameCube controller in Spain, and people are buying these crappy GAMEWARE pads instead.

045584.jpg


You read it here first.
Click to expand...

Same in New Zealand actually. The vultures selling second hand Gamecubes cannibalise the controllers and replace them with cheap third party ones as they can make more money selling the official controllers seperately (an official controller goes for $55-60 second hand while a second hand Gamecube only goes for $15-20 more).
 
Nintendo should reintroduce GameCube controllers and memory cards that match the white on Wii. With appropriate Wii branding (i.e. VC, SSBB) of course.
 
Squeak said:
Non funny joke post? There *is* click in the CC triggers.

Emulating the GC on Wii is like emulating Amiga 500 games on a A1200 or GameBoy on GBC. IE not very hard at all.
If Nintendo put a bit of brains to it, they could do it. They would be able to ditch the controller slots and leave only a single memcard reader slot (for copying files to Wii memory) and save money and space.

They could either put some extra code into the existing solution for reading the wiimote, or they could make a real channel/emulator for GC games.
Click to expand...

Yeah, GC games not supporting classic controllers is all down to Nintendo's sloppiness, rather than it being some great unattainable task. I really wish they'd sack the idiots who work on the Wii interface/firmware, it's letting the team down. I mean, Microsoft have kicked their asses as far as interface goes. Microsoft.
 
i wonder if smash bros brawl will drum up more interest in gamecube controllers (i'd think its a possibility) and make them.. even tougher to find. Honestly, regular gamecube controllers are a bit tough to find depending on the area (At least, you can't just walk in any store and expect something better than 3rd party)
granted, smash bros fans who want to stick with the cube controller probably already own one, but.. they break. I've considered stockpiling regular controllers in anticipation of some crazy ebay rush postbrawl
 
cvxfreak said:
Nintendo should reintroduce GameCube controllers and memory cards that match the white on Wii. With appropriate Wii branding (i.e. VC, SSBB) of course.
Click to expand...

I've seen lots of third party clones, like these:

c4e5_12.jpg


58110401_o.jpg


I hope Nintendo has their own solution for this - ie keep Gamecube controllers available or update the console to allow classic controller use for Gamecube games.
 
I bought 4 gamecubes recently that were discontinued items from a local electronics retailer for $25 each(Australian) so I have a stockpile of controllers :D
 
Hmm, maybe I should buy another Wavebird. I still see them in Gamestops and such off and on, and still retailing for their damn original price.
 
Polari said:
Yeah, GC games not supporting classic controllers is all down to Nintendo's sloppiness, rather than it being some great unattainable task. I really wish they'd sack the idiots who work on the Wii interface/firmware, it's letting the team down. I mean, Microsoft have kicked their asses as far as interface goes. Microsoft.
Click to expand...
Wrong, theb basic Wii interface with channels, zooming GUI, and sharp differentiation between settings, software and tools is much better than either what PS3 or 360 has to offer.
It's build on sound, generally accepted GUI design rules.
 
I think it will get harder and harder for them to get retailers to stock the controllers, but I would expect Nintendo to support them through their website for a long time

They were still providing NES and SNES controllers up until a few years back (of course they are discontinued completely now), and they're still offering N64 controllers and some accessories, so the GC probably has a while until they completely pull support for controllers (though as others mentioned, as far as the Wavebird specifically, I believe that is done for).
 
Squeak said:
Wrong, theb basic Wii interface with channels, zooming GUI, and sharp differentiation between settings, software and tools is much better than either what PS3 or 360 has to offer.
It's build on sound, generally accepted GUI design rules.
Click to expand...

Hahaha, "generally accepted GUI design rules"? Do these rules include fonts and widgets that are completely inconsistent system-wide? The Wii's interface is a usability disaster. Show me consistent interfaces between the channels and then we'll talk.
 
I think I got one of the last ones in my city. I looked everywhere for one a couple of weeks ago. I need one for Brawl since a lot of my cube controllers are busted.
 
One really annoying thing about the Wii/GC stuff, is that the Wii basically turns into a GC when you put in a GC disk.... except for the fact that there is a health and safety warning that you need to use the Wiimote to get through. I've been foiled in playing GC games on my Wii before because I had no batteries to put in the Wii controller.
 
it was a bitch finding a wave bird in Albuquerque. I called everywhere and finally found a used one after a 2 month search. It is so hard to go back to wired controllers when the 360/ps3/wii have spoiled you with wireless.
 
FitzOfRage said:
I think it will get harder and harder for them to get retailers to stock the controllers, but I would expect Nintendo to support them through their website for a long time

They were still providing NES and SNES controllers up until a few years back (of course they are discontinued completely now), and they're still offering N64 controllers and some accessories, so the GC probably has a while until they completely pull support for controllers (though as others mentioned, as far as the Wavebird specifically, I believe that is done for).
Click to expand...

Right, they've already delisted Wavebirds but they still sell N64 controllers, and we all know how relevant that old thing is now that the Wii can emulate it better than it ever was.
 
The Classic Controller has everything the Cube controller had, so they're probably making GC games playable with the CC sometime in the future - problem solved.
 
Polari said:
Yeah, GC games not supporting classic controllers is all down to Nintendo's sloppiness, rather than it being some great unattainable task. I really wish they'd sack the idiots who work on the Wii interface/firmware, it's letting the team down. I mean, Microsoft have kicked their asses as far as interface goes. Microsoft.
Click to expand...

CC support for GameCube games is unattainable on the Wii hardware. Deliberate pre-production design decisions on the hardware side prevent this functionality. Do not blame the software people for 'sloppiness' because they can't implement this. Blame the product design decisions made with respect to the Wii's hardware.

Haunted One said:
The Classic Controller has everything the Cube controller had, so they're probably making GC games playable with the CC sometime in the future - problem solved.
Click to expand...

This more or less can't happen. When the Wii is in GameCube mode, all of its chips are used in being a GameCube. There's nothing available to run any sort of translation that would map the wireless communications with the remote to the GC control input. As things stand now you can't even use the remote to turn the system off when it's in GC mode. If you check you'll see that the remote is in 'no communications' mode, where it just blinks the battery level on the connection lights.
 
TwinIonEngines said:
CC support for GameCube games is unattainable on the Wii hardware. Deliberate pre-production design decisions on the hardware side prevent this functionality. Do not blame the software people for 'sloppiness' because they can't implement this. Blame the product design decisions made with respect to the Wii's hardware.



This more or less can't happen. When the Wii is in GameCube mode, all of its chips are used in being a GameCube. There's nothing available to run any sort of translation that would map the wireless communications with the remote to the GC control input. As things stand now you can't even use the remote to turn the system off when it's in GC mode. If you check you'll see that the remote is in 'no communications' mode, where it just blinks the battery level on the connection lights.
Click to expand...

Why can't they virtualise the Gamecube hardware?
 
Polari said:
Hahaha, "generally accepted GUI design rules"? Do these rules include fonts and widgets that are completely inconsistent system-wide? The Wii's interface is a usability disaster. Show me consistent interfaces between the channels and then we'll talk.
Click to expand...
Fonts has little to do with usability, it's not something I have noticed so I can't say if it really is true. And inconsistent widgets? Give me a few examples.

The channels is a simple ZUI interface (generally accepted to be the eventual successor to the WIMP interface) and there is a strong differentiation between system stuff and user stuff.

If you have something to show don't hide it in folders and sub folders just for the sake of it. Get it out in the open so people can use their visual and spatial memory to navigate.
The Wii interface works on this principle, unlike the other two.

I'm not saying it's perfect, just a lot better than the joke of an interface on the 360.
 
Haunted One said:
The Classic Controller has everything the Cube controller had, so they're probably making GC games playable with the CC sometime in the future - problem solved.
Click to expand...


Well I'm pretty surprised they didn't do that in the first place. I mean why include 2 analog sticks if they were not going to support the only Nintendo system with 2 analog sticks?

So they must have had the GC in mind at some point during the design of the Classic Controller.

The only issue to me would be whether they they try to milk people for some sort of adapter that plugs into the controller ports.
 
Squeak said:
Fonts has little to do with usability, it's not something I have noticed so I can't say if it really is true. And inconsistent widgets? Give me a few examples.

The channels is a simple ZUI interface (generally accepted to be the eventual successor to the WIMP interface) and there is a strong differentiation between system stuff and user stuff.

If you have something to show don't hide it in folders and sub folders just for the sake of it. Get it out in the open so people can use their visual and spatial memory to navigate.
The Wii interface works on this principle, unlike the other two.

I'm not saying it's perfect, just a lot better than the joke of an interface on the 360.
Click to expand...

The interfaces between the News, Weather, Shop, Everybody Votes Channels etc. are all completely inconsistent. One example is dragging: moving channels, which is done with A+B, while shifting the globe in News and Weather channels is done with A alone. It took me a while to discover only A alone sufficed for the globe. That they're visually inconsistent doesn't need any elaborating.
 
TwinIonEngines said:
CC support for GameCube games is unattainable on the Wii hardware. Deliberate pre-production design decisions on the hardware side prevent this functionality. Do not blame the software people for 'sloppiness' because they can't implement this. Blame the product design decisions made with respect to the Wii's hardware.



This more or less can't happen. When the Wii is in GameCube mode, all of its chips are used in being a GameCube. There's nothing available to run any sort of translation that would map the wireless communications with the remote to the GC control input.
Click to expand...
Where do you have this info from, are you a dev?
Even if you can't use the GC mode for anything other than the raw BC. it has to be possible to make the vast majority of software run on a simple emu in wii mode.

It could be made very transparent to the end user, like just blinking a message that says "needs org. Gamecube controller" or something like that for the games that don't work in the emulator.
 
Polari said:
The interfaces between the News, Weather, Shop, Everybody Votes Channels etc. are all completely inconsistent. One example is dragging: moving channels, which is done with A+B, while shifting the globe in News and Weather channels is done with A alone. It took me a while to discover only A alone sufficed for the globe. That they're visually inconsistent doesn't need any elaborating.
Click to expand...
Those are separate programs, ie not part of the general frontend GUI.
You wouldn't expect games to use a standard interface either.

Even in computer GUIs like OSX and winX there are huge variations within programs. Sometimes even the colour schemes are different.
 
Squeak said:
Those are separate programs, ie not part of the general frontend GUI.
You wouldn't expect games to use a standard interface either.

Even in computer GUIs like OSX and winX there are huge variations within programs. Sometimes even the colour schemes are different.
Click to expand...

Which is bad interface design in the context of that platform. Apple have interface guidelines, it's their platform and if you don't follow them you've got a bad UI. Nintendo is the vendor responsible for both the system GUI and all the channels, therefore I expect some consistency between them. That's not to mention that any illusion of a ZUI is constantly broken.
 
Polari said:
Which is bad interface design in the context of that platform. Apple have interface guidelines, it's their platform and if you don't follow them you've got a bad UI. Nintendo is the vendor responsible for both the system GUI and all the channels, therefore I expect some consistency between them. That's not to mention that any illusion of a ZUI is constantly broken.
Click to expand...

I should note that Apple isn't the best example. They had the best interface in the world at one point (OS 9) but have been taking progressively larger shits on it ever since.
 
I really wish I would've snapped up a few wavebirds. I can't even find used ones anymore.

Of course the last gen nintendo controllers were a bit iffy in the quality department. I broke 1 wavebird, 2 standard controllers, and 1 3rd party controller.

I blame it on all the intense Mario Tennis matches.
 
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