Back in the day Nintendo intended to release a motion control add-on for the Gamecube, instead they decided to make an entirely new console out of the idea and the Wii was born. Would motion controls still have been the next big thing and would this have caused Gamecube to stay on the market longer and sell alot more?

So lets say they released the add-on in Nov 2004 and called it the MotionCube. It retailed for $99 dollars or bundled with the Gamecube for $149 . It would include a controller/nunchuk, sensor bar and a small device that plugs into the console like with the wavebird controller. Some of the first games to support the MotionCube would be Metroid Prime 2, Mario Power Tennis, Mario Party 6, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Viewtiful Joe 2, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, DBZ: Budokai 2 and a rerelease of Mario Kart Double Dash. It sold very well in the holiday and sales continued to be strong in 2005 as Star Fox: Assault and Resident Evil 4 supported it. In Summer 2005 Motion Sports was launched and became the must have title of the year. Gamecube cut into Xbox/PS2 sales that year, although PS2 was still the best selling console of the year. I think the 6th gen would have lasted longer as PS2/GC were still selling well and developers wouldn't have jumped to HD as quickly. PS3/GC2 wouldnt have launched until 07/08. Nintendo's next console would launch for $299 and have a more accurate controller and have the bare minimum specs to run games in HD but would still be much weaker in power to 360/PS3.

Lifetime sales for Gamecube would be 35-40 million thru 2008.

It's possible. If they had made it a big enough of a deal and if they sold it as redesigned console in addition to an addon. With the right marketing and pack in Sports games it could have big huge. If it worked I could see the Wii launching a few years later with specs as good or better than the PS360 and we probably would still be waiting for the Wii U.

It's an interesting topic to think about.

It would have flopped.

The design/marketing/look of the GameCube was a problem, the Wii totally disassociated itself from the purple lunchbox motif.

It could be, but depends on how Nintendo do their marketing campaign at that time.

Wow, I actually agree with a Soundwave post? Stranger things... (j/k)

To be honest, I loved the look of the Cube in black and silver, but yeah, as far as market perception the damage to the Gamecube had been done and motion controls released late in its life wouldn't have helped the console or the motion idea at all.

Releasing an entire new console with a new personality based around the motion control idea was definitely the way to go.