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GameCube online functionality
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<p>The <a href="/facts/GameCube/acH9qVxz">GameCube</a> is one of <a href="/facts/Nintendo/dMrLpaHu">Nintendo</a>'s home <a href="/facts/Video_game_console/K72D1NSS">video game consoles</a> and part of the <a href="/facts/History_of_video_game_consoles_(sixth_generation)/I5wIYIyg">sixth generation of video game consoles</a>. Although the competing <a href="/facts/PlayStation_2/gbFBT7AX">PlayStation 2</a> and <a href="/facts/Xbox_(console)/2FuQrJeX">Xbox</a> consoles supported substantial amounts of <a href="/facts/Online_game/UH6ItLnW">online games</a>, the GameCube had only eight games with <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">internet</a> or <a href="/facts/Local_area_network/edUDxJ6J">local area network (LAN)</a> support. Nintendo never commissioned any servers or internet services to interface with the console, but allowed other publishers to do so and made them responsible for managing the online experiences for their games. Nintendo remained pensive with its online strategy for the duration of the GameCube's lifespan, defiant of growing interest from players and the success of <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>'s <a href="/facts/Xbox_Live/mRsUYTYf">Xbox Live</a> online service. Company leaders including <a href="/facts/Shigeru_Miyamoto/xYoBgNnb">Shigeru Miyamoto</a> and <a href="/facts/Satoru_Iwata/6bF5DsGa">Satoru Iwata</a> based their stance on concerns with maintaining quality control over their games and doubts that players would want to pay subscription fees. </p><p>Playing GameCube games over a network requires the official <a href="/facts/Broadband/nEn3A95N">broadband</a> or <a href="/facts/Modem/9H0Xwtq0">modem</a> adapter since the console does not have <a href="/facts/Out_of_the_box_(feature)/AlLU3avL">out of the box</a> network capabilities. The only games released in western territories that can be played over the internet are three <a href="/facts/Role-playing_video_game/o4sTj5vl">role-playing games</a> (RPGs) in <a href="/facts/Sega/f9TY2kyl">Sega</a>'s <i><a href="/facts/Phantasy_Star/DgCcyMcb">Phantasy Star</a></i> series. Japan received an exclusive online RPG titled <i><a href="/facts/Homeland_(video_game)/RQfaCGYQ">Homeland</a></i> and a baseball game that can not be played online but had access to <a href="/facts/Downloadable_content/zjRXW3N4">downloadable content</a>. Nintendo published three <a href="/facts/Racing_video_game/szkhmK4d">racing games</a> limited to LAN support: <i><a href="/facts/1080%C2%B0_Avalanche/Tmp8u4Mp">1080° Avalanche</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Kirby_Air_Ride/q93IBIMN">Kirby Air Ride</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Mario_Kart:_Double_Dash/nz8BzrRI">Mario Kart: Double Dash!!</a>.</i> Hobbyists later developed <a href="/facts/Personal_computer/koaYfNce">PC</a> software that can <a href="/facts/Tunneling_protocol/jKaT1Czc">tunnel</a> the GameCube's local network traffic over the internet, as well as <a href="/facts/Private_servers/5Hl7CDpG">private servers</a> to continue hosting <i>Phantasy Star</i> games. </p>