Everything I've read about PD0 made it seem like the title was very close to being released by end of '04 for XBOX. Take away the time it took to resettle and restructure for XBOX and I think it's more than reasonable that GC would've had PD0, Kameo, GbtG, the Conker remake, and perhaps more before this day...in a time when the GC is in pretty bad shape, as far as exclusive titles to fill out its schedule. It's pretty dead on the GC until Zelda: TTP...and then it's really dead. And let's face it...many, many people bought a GC, at least in part, for the promise of Rare games.
Rare may have put out a few not-so-hot titles, but their absence from Nintendo's lineup of games now and in the future is felt, IMO. Rare helped Nintendo in a way that no one else has...help fill out their lineup with exclusive, quality games that reflect Nintendo's craftsmanship...most of the time, anyway. By having Rare there, Nintendo could have more breathing room to give their own titles more time and give their platforms more title diversity.