Comment you're forgetting something (Score 1) 584
Nintendo also released both the Nintendo 64 and the SNES early. Both of these systems did phenomenally well.
The reason they release early is so that when someone walks into a toy store itching to buy an Xbox they'll also see a Gamecube right next to it, for $100 less and with a solid lineup of launch games already out. Also, Microsoft is only shipping 300,000 units instead of the 700,000 they originally reported, which spells shortage. The longer Nintendo has units on the shelves while Microsoft doesn't, the better things will work out for them.
The reason they release early is so that when someone walks into a toy store itching to buy an Xbox they'll also see a Gamecube right next to it, for $100 less and with a solid lineup of launch games already out. Also, Microsoft is only shipping 300,000 units instead of the 700,000 they originally reported, which spells shortage. The longer Nintendo has units on the shelves while Microsoft doesn't, the better things will work out for them.
