Fourth generation of video game consoles
Nintendo executives were initially reluctant to design a new system, but as the market transitioned to the newer hardware, Nintendo saw the erosion of the commanding market share it had built up with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo's fourth-generation console, the Super Famicom, was released in Japan on November 21, 1990; Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units sold out within hours. The machine reached North America as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on August 23, 1991, and Europe and Australia in April 1992.
GameCube
The console was announced as the Nintendo GameCube at a press conference in Japan on August 24, 2000, abbreviated as "NGC" in Japan and "GCN" in North America. Nintendo unveiled its software lineup for the sixth generation console at E3 2001, focusing on fifteen launch games, including "Luigi's Mansion" and "". Several games originally scheduled to launch with the console were delayed. It is also the first console in the company's history not to accompany a "Super Mario" platform game at launch.