22nd January 2003, 7:06 PM
Sadly, those numbers are accurate. The numbers are ripped from the recently-released CSFB report that quoted NPD. Gamecube was indeed swamped by Xbox in a 400,000+ margine, and Splinter Cell is now ahead of Metroid Prime by 125,000 units. In addition, it has the momentum that Metroid Prime lost through December, so it'll probably extend that lead. Perhaps the whole "180 rush" idea was not so great. This is probably the set of data that has pushed Nintendo to unleash the "Buy a Gamecube, get a game free" campaign. If Zelda turns out to miss its intended audience and sell lower than Star Fox Adventure levels, Nintendo will have a very somber E3 2003. Hopefully, Skies of Arcadia Legends will do better in the US than it did in Japan, and Zelda will somehow outsell its Japanese counterpart.