The GameCube is the first Nintendo video game system to use a disc-based medium rather than cartridges for its games. Moving the software to disc media generally means lower development costs for the publishers, which, in turn, trickles down to the consumer not only in price but also in availability and quality, as it’s then easier to try out untested game ideas (Pikmin). While most other systems likewise have their games stored on discs, the GameCube’s 3-inch format is smaller than everyone else’s and is so designed to fit in a shirt pocket as much as to deter would-be software pirates.