what are you talking about? The GC controller was the best^^

GameCube controller is amazing.

GCN was a me too console, it just followed the crowd, there was nothing to set it apart from the PS2 and the 360, it didn't differentiate itself like the Wii has, and the lack of third party support just made it the least attractive system

Gimped hardware (mini-DVD, downspecced last second, less RAM than competitors) and Nintendo's "kiddie" image hanging over from the 90s are likely the main culprits. Nintendo's immediate post-N64 design philosophy shifts (shorter, quicker, less polished) also hurt them game wise imo, leading to "disappointing" sequels for Mario, Zelda and Mario Kart. PS2's early and fast domination really kept any serious competitor from happening too, though Xbox had an advantage in it's PC friendlier spec (leading to several "console exclusives" like Morrowind, HL2 or KOTOR) combined with XBL being so progressive.

It's a shame as GameCube really had the best core architecture, and it was so rarely pushed. Had Nintendo gone competitive from day one and crafted a $299 loss taker (that wasn't purple and with a handle), we'd have probably gotten something similar to Wii spec back in 2001. An earlier investment in online infrastructure probably would've helped too, especially given the work they'd just sunk into radnet/64DD in Japan and I could've seen a service like Virtual Console really being a huge draw for them back in 2001/2002.

This.  Like the current Wii, it had nearly no Third Party support and another console upstaged it.  Unlike the Wii however, it ALSO was slow in pushing out its good first party games for a long time and didn't have any key points (lower price/unique controls/key game) to cause it to sell over the competition.

By the time it had good games and lowered its price halfway through its life cycle, it was already in third place.

In all ways, the GC was comperable to nearly everything in its generation except playing DVDs and online support.  But third parties just didn't want to support it in the beginning because the PS2 was deemed the king years before it even came out (see Dreamcast).

The main reason I didn't get one was because I found it uninteresting. It was marketed as PS2 jr. The only game that I saw as being very interesting was Skies of Arcadia, which I already had on Dreamcast.

People have gone on about how great Gamecube was with games like Pikmin, Metroid, RE4, and Eternal Darkness; but these games felt boring to me when I played them. Mario Kart, Mario Sunshine, and Zelda were also sub-standard games in their respective series'. All of these games I have played since getting a Wii. I don't see how Gamecube had even close to as powerful a line-up as the PS2 or Wii. I think people are fooling themselves when they say it compared.

A multitude of reasons.

1. The consoles exterior design: The primary color for the Gamecube was purple. A good deal of the general consumer base is shallow.

2. The N64 "hangover": Nintendo rubbed most third party competitors period and the N64 was the last straw. Eventhough the GC was far cheaper to developer for, had lower licensee fees, and a much cheaper to purchase storage medium. 3rd Party's were reticent to deal with Nintendo when they have two other viable options.

3. The PS2 head start: By the time the Gamecube and Xbox launched, the race was over. The PS2's lead was huge. With Sega being in massive debt (2 Billion dollars) before the DC even launched. They did have enough ammo to slow down the PS2 sales train. The PS2's huge lead combined with prior success of the PS1 was too much to overcome.

4. The DVD factor: The PS2 was the cheapest DVD player available at it's launch and for significant time after. This greatly boosted PS2 sales, particularly in Japan.

5. The Xbox: Simply put, Nintendo wasn't going pay same type of incentives that MS was for third party support. This exacerbated the GC's poor third party support.

6. Hiroshi Yamauchi: Although he's hardline tactics were the saving grace of the home console market during the 80s, he'd be the anchor dragging Nintendo down from the 90s on. While Iwata took Nintendo over shortly after the Gamecube's launch. The GC was designed under Yamauchi's watch.

7. The GC Controller: While it was comfortable to hold despite it's diminutive size. The GC controller had issues. It had less buttons than the N64 controller amd it's competitors. It's odd A button centric configuration also led to problems. The GC controller was not ideal for fighting games or any games that relied on the higher button count of the PS2 and Xbox.

8. Memory Cards: The initial GC memory card were 1/8 the size of the PS2 and Xbox memory cards. This caused issues, particularly with sports games. While this problem was rectified eventually the damage was done. The memory card issues combined with the lack of buttons and poor online support doomed the GC to third place in North America since it effectively turned away sport gamers.

9. Poor online support: While Nintendo's philsophy on online gaming was essentially the same as Sony, their execution was horrid. Phantasy Star Online was delayed because of lack of online adapters. Nintendo was slow to get online support in their development kits. By the time they did resolve their online support issues, third party developers had written off the feature.

Marketing. or RATHER, LACK OF. boring design.. sure it was tiny as hell but was it interesting? No DVD playback. It killed the DC and helped SONY..they shda gone wid it. 3rd party support was dead compared to PS2..