We've noticed this trend among third parties lately -- no one is saying anything about what Gamecube games they might publish. Activision's recent announcement regarding Stuart Little said that it was maintaining the "option" to create a game for the Gamecube. But that doesn't mean the company isn't going to support the system. In a press release issued on March 27, 2001, regarding Activision's Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2001 guidance, Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO of Activision, Inc. stated, "We are well positioned to take advantage of the growth opportunities that will be afforded by the rapidly growing installed base of the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the upcoming launch of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance on June 11, 2001 and the holiday releases of the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft and the Nintendo GAMECUBE."

In other words, just because it's not talking about it, that doesn't mean that Activision won't publish Gamecube games -- the same is likely true of companies like EA, Eidos and THQ. Why aren't they talking about it then? Well, the higher echelons at Activision didn't have any answers for us. We're not sure if it's a decision on Activision's part or something mandated by Nintendo. The only game we've actually heard confirmed by a third-party party publisher is Capcom's recent remarks about Biohazard Zero (aka Resident Evil 0). Check out that news story here.

But if you look at the historical actions of Nintendo in this regard, it's hardly surprising that hardly anyone is talking about Gamecube products. When the N64 geared up for launch, all anyone ever heard about was the system and the Nintendo games -- there was very little focus on third-party support. Unlike Sony, Nintendo's first- and second-party titles always have to steal the show, and Nintendo isn't interested in having third-party publishers hype up their products. Sure, players will likely be excited about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 on the Gamecube, but Nintendo doesn't want them thinking about that -- it wants players thinking about the next Mario or Luigi game from Miyamoto.

It wasn't until after the launch of the N64 that we heard about the third-party games and peripherals for the system. Right now, the fact that no third-party publishers are talking about Gamecube games makes some of us nervous -- until we remember Nintendo's tendency to refuse to share the limelight. Our prediction: Almost immediately following Nintendo's huge announcement at E3, we'll hear about upcoming Gamecube games from third-party publishers. Almost immediately following the launch of the Gamecube, which will likely only have first- and second-party games, we'll start to see third-party titles hit the market.

It's Nintendo's nature to refuse to share the limelight with anyone. You can get excited about third-party games -- but only after you're frothing at the mouth to get your hands on Nintendo's first-party titles. Something tells us that E3, only one month away, will not only unveil Nintendo's stellar lineup, but open the floodgates for third-party game announcements. Once again, we're relegated to waiting. We hate waiting.

- Michael Wolf