Nintendo

Snap Spot/Shutterstock There are multiple reasons why Nintendo opted for its compact optical discs. The three main ones go like this: Games were harder to pirate, it meant Nintendo could avoid licensing fees, and it also led to a smaller machine that was cheaper to manufacture. Let's start with that last factor. While retro collectors have found GameCube games are so expensive in modern times, the console launched back in late 2001 for an absolute snip at $200. That made it seriously attractive for gamers on a budget compared to the PS2 and Xbox, both of which launched at $300. Nintendo's choi

Nintendo shares closed 7% higher in Japan on the Friday after the Pokopia sales announcement. Answered

Nintendo announced the Switch 2 price increase on May 8. US buyers received 115 days' notice before the September 1 change. Answered

Snap Spot/Shutterstock Nintendo opted for proprietary miniDVDs when manufacturing the GameCube. Sometimes known as "GameCube Optical Discs", they were significantly smaller than standard DVDs. Measuring in at just 3.15 inches in diameter — DVDs are 4.17 inches — GameCube discs couldn't be read by standard DVD drives. This meant they were harder to pirate, which we'll touch on shortly. These bespoke miniDVDs had a capacity of just under 1.5GB, which is a miniscule amount of data compared to modern standards (PS5 Blu-rays can hold up to 100GB). That makes development feats like the sprawling, se