Nintendo’s 10 Biggest Failures EVER
2. The 64DD
During the late 1990s and early millennium, the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and PlayStation popularised CD-based games. Nintendo stuck to their guns and developed the cartridge-based Nintendo 64. Although the Saturn and Dreamcast tanked, the PlayStation proved CDs were on the way to replace cartridges.
Realising they underestimated the efficiency of CDs, Nintendo created an add-on for the N64 called the 64 Disc Drive (64DD) that used discs instead of cartridges. This device was released in December 1999 in Japan; three years after the released of the N64.
Compared to a cartridge, the 64DD disc could hold more content, had an easier production, and was cheaper to manufacture. Super Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, announced 20 games for the 64DD including Donkey Kong 64, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario 64.
Despite the fact the 64DD could hold more than a cartridge, it still couldn't compete with regular CD. A 64DD disc could hold 64MB. At the time, a regular CD could hold ten times that.
CDs were also easier and cheaper to produce. Releasing they couldn't compete, Nintendo cancelled the 64DD after only releasing nine games.