An anonymous reader writes "AnandTech took a look at console emulators (ePSXe as well as a preview of a GameCube emulator) and how the latest ATI and NVIDIA cards perform at emulating. The author also compares Intel and AMD CPUs and their impact on ePSXe emulation performance. It turns out that emulating PSX games is pretty pixel shader intensive, as pixel shaders are required to emulate a lot of the PSX's effects."

NickNiel writes "According to Yahoo, Scientific-Atlanta (a digital cable set-top box manufacturer) is 'planning to develop television set-top boxes with high-performance video game capabilities, which could compete with game consoles such as Nintendo's GameCube and Sony's PlayStation 2.' My favorite quote, from CEO James McDonald: 'I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes," he added. 'There is no question that games is one... market we will be in.'"

LlamaRama writes "Reuters reports that Nintendo has nearly sold out of GameCubes in the United States, with Nintendo spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan explaining: 'Store shelves are just running very dry... I'd say about 50 percent of our stores are out.' Seems like the holiday rush on GameCube might last a few months past December!" Kaplan also indicated that "...January hardware sales were up 60 percent year-over-year, while January software sales were up 101 percent" following last year's GameCube price cut to $99, though it's unclear how these increased totals compare with current PlayStation 2 and Xbox sales.

PrinceBrightstar writes "Both the Metroid Prime pure speed run and the Metroid II 100% completion speed record have been shattered by Zoidi and Brightstar (myself) respectively. The Metroid Prime (GameCube) pure speed record is now 1hr 17mins, and the Metroid II (GameBoy) 100% is now set at 1hr 12mins, with further decreases planned - these records were recorded into video form and no emulators were used." We've previously covered Metroid Prime 'speed runs', which are an extension of classic Quake speed runs.

Thanks to GamesAreFun for its editorial discussing Nintendo's skewed portrayal in the news media. The writer argues: "I suppose it's just trendy to bash Nintendo right now, even if the arguments for doing it can be easily ripped apart", and goes on to tackle myths on popularity ("..the GameCube has actually never fallen into third place in the overall worldwide market"), a recent half-year financial loss ("old news now... the first loss they've ever reported since going public in 1962"), and temporary suspension of GameCube production ("do they honestly think Sony or Microsoft keep up peak productions at all times?")

Decaffeinated Jedi writes "GameSpy has posted a timeline charting the history Sony's PlayStation 2, the third part in a series previously covered on Slashdot that includes similar retrospectives for the Xbox and for GameCube. The timeline traces the PlayStation 2's history from its initial boom, through its period as 'a repository for bad sports games, giant robot games, and other disappointing releases,' and up to the console's revitalization by such games as Gran Turismo 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, and Grand Theft Auto III." How has the PlayStation 2 measured up to your expectations?

Thanks to GameSpy for its article charting the progress of Nintendo's GameCube console from launch to the present day, as part of an ongoing series that has also included the Xbox. The piece starts with the bold statement: "Despite being the wrong product at the wrong time, Nintendo's durable GameCube game console has demonstrated lasting power in a market for which it was not well targeted", and ends by noting: "GameCube will certainly end this generation in second place internationally -- the virtual shutout that Xbox received in Japan settles that part of the race, and it may yet challenge Microsoft in the U.S. and European markets." What's your view of the success of the GameCube and its software titles in the current console generation?

Yorrike writes "An article over at GamesIndustry.biz states that, contrary to previously debunked rumors, Nintendo is preparing its next-generation console for public view at E3 2005, which is only 15 months away. From the article: 'Minagawa went further than that, however, giving a bit of insight into the company's thinking on the next-generation N5 platform: 'Like our Nintendo DS portable game machine, our home game machine must offer an experience that can be enjoyed by adults, children, or women,' he commented, and then revealed that 'we would like to show this at E3 next spring.''."

KaiEl writes "The Video Game Ombudsman has a breakdown of the myriad reports stemming from a Nihon Keizai Shimbun story (picked up by GameCube Europe) that says Nintendo 'has decided not to release a new video game console to follow its current GameCube for the time being,' and 'will instead diversify games and sell newly developed peripherals mainly for the GameCube.' Despite the existence of some breathless initial stories from IGN and 1UP, this story may already be dead in the water thanks to firm denials by both Nintendo of America and its Japanese parent, Nintendo Co. Ltd. Still, just the intimation that Nintendo may be planning to sit out the next round of the console race will surely have the Internet rumor mill buzzing."

Thanks to Cube Europe for its article discussing forthcoming Nintendo products for 2004, including insight from Shigeru Miyamoto on his in-progress games. The information, sourced from Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK, "states that Metroid Prime 2, Geist, Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green will all be released in Europe before the end of the year", meaning a U.S. release for these games are also likely during 2004. Miyamoto is fairly guarded about his current projects, which also include Pikmin 2, and comments on the continued mystery behind the next Mario title: "With Mario 128 I have been challenging many unprecedented things, not found in existing video games... [and] prone to lose their freshness or to be imitated once they go public." Which Nintendo products are you most looking forward to this year?

The Gamemaster writes "Siliconera, an import video game web site, has an interesting story comparing the favorite 'Greatest Hits' console games around the world. They look at the budget-price re-releases of previously top-selling games for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube in Europe, the U.S., and Japan, and compare them, leading to some interesting contrasts in what gamers enjoy playing across the globe."

Daniel Kolph writes "The GameCube Linux Project has just released, what they call the GameCube Linux Alpha This is an 1 MB busybox-based Linux system that contains screen output, network code, a telnet server and a webserver. They also provide a kernel patch. (Screenshots/Download)"

Thanks to Nintendojo for its editorial discussing ways to help Nintendo increase the amount of GameCube-only titles it releases. The writer notes that "...it is all too apparent that Nintendo's exclusive games lineup is very thin at the moment", and suggests one of many possible solutions: "Nintendo must figure out a way to increase the [development] capacity of Retro Studios and/or Silicon Knights. These companies must have as much depth [in amount of releases] as Rare had at the latter part of its life." How would you like to see Nintendo partnering to release more high-quality GameCube-only games?

modifried writes "The GameCube-Linux project managed to get the Linux kernel to boot on a GameCube gaming system - it 'shows a full screen of kernel messages, up to mounting root', but there are still errors to be fixed. From what I have gathered no one has (as of yet) been able to burn a bootable mini-DVD for the system. Instead they are currently using a glitch in the patching system from the online-enabled game Phantasy Star Online. Screenshots can be found here. (And if you'd like more information on the PSOLoader, it can be found here.)"

Thanks to 1UP for its news story noting that Namco's Japanese hit PlayStation 2 drumming title, Taiko No Tatsujin, is coming to the West. According to the article's translation of a Bloomberg News story: "Namco tentatively plans to localize two titles in the series (four have been released in Japan so far) with revised song selections better suited to an American audience. Its expectations of the title's success are relatively modest - Haraguchi said Namco expects to initially ship around 100,000 units - but given the success of Dance Dance Revolution in this country, it could balloon into a similar cult phenomenon." The Taiko No Tatsujin series "...has shipped two million units for PlayStation 2 in Japan so far", even with an (optional) expensive drum controller, and it seems Nintendo's previously mentioned Namco-developed conga-drum title Donkey Konga is also likely to head Stateside.

Thanks to IGN Cube for their preview of the the adult console trivia title, The Guy Game, as created by the "newly formed Topheavy Studios... run by Jeff Spangenberg, former head of Retro Studios, which was responsible for the GameCube hit Metroid Prime." The fruits of this illustrious pedigree seem to be a game that "...features topless, M-rated nudity... [and] integrates drinking game A**hole, allowing for custom rules." The title even features the 'Flash-O-Meter', which "...is rated Soft & Squishy, Sorta Chubby, and Super Stiff", depending on the amount of nudity involved, and the game also features a "stage of play... called BallzOut, which a bunch of mini-games designed around clever ball physics." Sadly, the title "is still looking for a publisher", even if IGN are "somewhat excited by it."

NiteStar writes "A group of people from the homebrew scene and Xbox Linux have now started a new project to port Linux to the Nintendo Gamecube. A small preview version has already been released, it's a small application that draws Tux the penguin on the GameCube screen. The roadmap explains a small client will run on the Gamecube, so the 'GameCube could be used as a desktop computer, which stores its data on a server on the network. The GameCube has a CPU that is powerful enough to decode common multimedia data like MPEG-4/DivX and MP3. It can serve as a display unit for content stored on a server'."

jkcity writes "In an interview with Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan on IGN Cube, she claims: 'We basically won 2003 [in the U.S.] and moved ourselves to the number two spot, and Microsoft's Xbox to number three', also noting: 'Year-on-year we were up 68.5% [in December] based on units sold. We sold about 1.1 million GameCubes in December... For the whole year we were up 35%. Our competitors were both in the negative.' But an analyst quoted in an [overly harsh?] BBC News story is less impressed, suggesting the console 'did not do as well as I would have expected'." Elsewhere, a Reuters story notes that PlayStation 2 sales in the U.S. "fell 27 percent to 2.94 million units in November and December from four million units a year earlier", but the console still seems to be outselling the GameCube's increased Xmas volume.

Thanks to Planet GameCube for its news that Nintendo has announced a series of 10 re-releases of classic NES games for the GameBoy Advance in Japan. The titles include Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Pacman, and will be released alongside a Famicom Edition GBA SP, previously only available in a slightly modified, limited edition. Elswhere, orthancstone writes "Gamespot is reporting that Microsoft is releasing two new limited-edition Xboxes in Japan, an Anniversary Edition in 'pure white', and another in 'Kasumi blue'. The blue Xbox will be limited to 5000 consoles, and will come bundled with Dead Or Alive Online, while the white Xbox will be limited to 1000 consoles, and will only be available online."

Thanks to 1UP for its article covering a recent interview with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, in which he discusses "Nintendo's current state and its plans for the future in what will be a critical year for the company." Iwata seems to be confident in Nintendo's "..current target of 6 million GameCube consoles sold worldwide in the current fiscal year, which will conclude in March", and also notes that he believes the China-launched iQue "will grow into a major business in three to five years." Finally, Iwata has comments about the mysterious new Nintendo device due to launch at E3 in May, suggesting he "doesn't necessarily expect this product to be an immediate hit upon its announcement - he's prepared to see a lack of applause from some of the audience."