The GameCube was more powerful than the PS2, but like the N64 was with cartridges, the mini DVD’s were kind of pointless if you had to compress your game a lot to fit on one to two mini DVD’s.
The lack of DVD playback was also a big stab towards the console in sales, and you’d be surprised to find out how many people bought a PS2 as just a DVD player because it was the cheapest you could get. I was in high school during the height of this generation, and the GameCube felt kiddy for most people, so the more mature games were on PS2 or Xbox lead to their appeal. RPG’s on the PS2 blew up in popularity even more during this time, and people were getting into slightly lesser known games that weren’t just Final Fantasy related like the PS1 days. That’s the majority of the reason why Tales of Symphonia was noted as THE Tales game for the longest time, as it stuck out like a sore thumb on the GameCube library. A lot of people still think it’s the first in the series, or don’t know it’s part of a franchise.
With the massive popularity of the PS2 and the Xbox, the GameCube was either bought by only die hard Nintendo fans, or only bought by parents who only got it because it was the cheapest console, which is probably what kept it alive. It wasn’t uncommon for kids who actually wanted a PS2 ended up with a GameCube for Christmas.
The lack of DVD playback was also a big stab towards the console in sales, and you’d be surprised to find out how many people bought a PS2 as just a DVD player because it was the cheapest you could get. I was in high school during the height of this generation, and the GameCube felt kiddy for most people, so the more mature games were on PS2 or Xbox lead to their appeal. RPG’s on the PS2 blew up in popularity even more during this time, and people were getting into slightly lesser known games that weren’t just Final Fantasy related like the PS1 days. That’s the majority of the reason why Tales of Symphonia was noted as THE Tales game for the longest time, as it stuck out like a sore thumb on the GameCube library. A lot of people still think it’s the first in the series, or don’t know it’s part of a franchise.
With the massive popularity of the PS2 and the Xbox, the GameCube was either bought by only die hard Nintendo fans, or only bought by parents who only got it because it was the cheapest console, which is probably what kept it alive. It wasn’t uncommon for kids who actually wanted a PS2 ended up with a GameCube for Christmas.