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Discussion: Rumor: Wii U to Cost U $299.99!?
Member Since: 3/20/2011
Posts: 26,615
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Rumor: Wii U to Cost U $299.99!?
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The latest news in the ongoing saga of Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U is a new rumor that the console will be available for a price of $299.99 U.S. Dollars in North America, 299 Euros in Europe, and 20,000 Yen in Japan. Interestingly enough, the latter price comes out to just under $250 U.S. Dollars– $246.49, to be exact.
This rumor comes from Wii U Daily (via My Nintendo News) through an unnamed source, albeit the same one which had previously provided the same site with another rumor regarding the system’s specifications. It is said this is Nintendo’s way of “pricing aggressively” against the competing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms, which can be had for around $200-$300 USD each, as well as the expected announcements of impending successors to their respective thrones.
This follows on the heels of a previous rumor, which pegged the Yen price at the same amount, but pinned the U.S. Dollar mark at $450, with the Australian EB Games website citing a cost of $598 in their currency.
While $299 is significantly easier on the wallet than $450, or the roughly $600 that the Australian rate converts to, it would still stand out by far as being the most expensive price tag Nintendo has ever launched a platform with– a mantle currently held by the company’s Nintendo 3DS handheld and the current Wii iteration.
The original Nintendo Entertainment System launched in 1985 at $199.99 with the Deluxe Set, which included the nigh-infamous Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.), Zapper, two controllers, and two games (Duck Hunt and Gyromite). This was followed by the Super NES in 1991 for the same price, albeit at an arguably reduced value (it came with two controllers and only one game, Super Mario World).
The Nintendo 64 was poised to be the first Nintendo console release launched north of the $200 mark at $249.99, but following numerous delays, the company knocked it down to the status quo just before its 1996 release to remain competitive against Sony’s juggernaut, the PlayStation. Again, though the technology was more advanced, the value for the money took a hit as only one controller was included, and no game. In 2001, the GameCube would follow in its predecessor’s footsteps with the same price and lack of included materials.
Things changed with the 2006 launch of the Wii, which rang in at $249.99. But, to the company’s credit, the Wii was also the first console Nintendo had released in three generations to include a pack-in game, the popular Wii Sports (though you still had to purchase an extra Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller for multiplayer games). Plus, it was still cheaper with the game than either of its competitors would be (at the time) without.
On the handheld front, Nintendo’s wares have generally been cheaper than their contemporary console companions. The Game Boy launched with the phenomenally successful Tetris in 1989 for $89.95, and sat alongside both the NES and Super NES during its long lifespan. Its successor, the Game Boy Advance, preceded the GameCube in 2001 at a price of $149.99, but came with no such killer app.
The Nintendo DS got an early start by launching two years before the Wii, and at a price of $149.99, matching the GBA’s launch price. For what it’s worth, the handheld did come with a trial version of Metroid Prime Hunters.
And that brings us to today, nearly a year after Nintendo blew peoples’ minds by launching the Nintendo 3DS for $249.99, a hundred dollars more than its predecessor. It wasn’t exactly devoid of included material, such as a recharging cradle and a set of cards designed to work with the built-in AR program, as well as some other included software such as Face Raiders and the popular Puzzle Swap and Find Mii in the Mii Plaza (plus a more advanced version of the Wii’s Mii Maker, which utilized the system’s built-in cameras).
Still, while the included software was liked well enough, it wasn’t strong enough to compensate for a relatively weak launch line-up that wouldn’t pick up for months. In late 2011, only a matter of months later, Nintendo bit the bullet and slashed the price of the handheld by $80, bringing it much closer to the launch price of its previous two handhelds. Interestingly enough, it was also a match for the Nintendo DSi XL, a larger version of its predecessor which could not do as much.
As an aside, early adopters managed to make out like bandits with Nintendo’s Ambassador Program, which served up 20 free games for download. Some of the NES games from that line-up are only now being released to the general public at a price of $4.99 each, effectively making those ten titles a $50 value. Then there are the ten Game Boy Advance games, which would probably cost more, if not for Nintendo’s declaration that they have no intention of making them available publicly yet, thus increasing their perceived value to well over another $50.
Until the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo had been able to sell their hardware at a profit, unlike its competitors, who typically take a loss on each unit sold and make up for it in game sales and licensing fees. As we look back at the history of Nintendo’s launch pricing and to the eventual release of the Wii U, we can only wonder if Nintendo will actually try to raise the bar again so soon for their next console. The wounds from the Nintendo 3DS are no doubt still fresh, leaving us to wonder if Nintendo would be so willing to take such a risk once again, especially in an unhealthy economy.
We can only further speculate on the kind of value one would receive for whatever price the company decides to charge. The touchscreen controller, one of the console’s main selling points as well as a source of confusion (for those who mistakenly thought the Wii U was the controller, itself an add-on for the current Wii), will no doubt be packed in with the hardware.
In addition, the Wii U also makes use of the original Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controllers, so one of each are likely to be included as well. And while the immediate impulse would be to think that this makes the Wii U no different from the past three Nintendo console releases in that respect, one need only to think back to the demos shown at E3 2011, where the Wii U touch screen controller was shown to work with the Wii Remote Plus in a variety of different ways, both for single and multiplayer gameplay.
And that brings us to the software. Nintendo has largely been quiet on the first-party front, save for the obvious (new Mario, new Zelda, etc.) and a not-so surprise move of Pikmin 3 to the new hardware.
As noted, Nintendo did have several demos running at E3 2011, many of which made fun, interesting use of the hardware. While Nintendo has stated that these were merely demonstrations and not indicative of projects actually planned for release (save for New Super Mario Bros. Mii), it would not be too surprising if they rounded some of these up with a few others, and used them as a pack-in. They’re no Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt or Super Mario World, but could arguably fall somewhere between Wii Sports and the games featured in Wii Play. At the very least, they would probably have more value to gamers as a pack-in than the software built in to the Nintendo 3DS.
Of course, beyond what comes in the box, the big determining factor will be in what games are available to purchase for the new console. Many agree that the biggest weakness of the original Wii was in the third-party offerings, but many seem quite enthusiastic for the Wii U, and are currently planning on bringing some big names to Nintendo’s latest party. On the downside, several of those (including Batman: Arkham City and Ninja Gaiden III) may be new to those who’ve not strayed from Nintendo’s side, but will have already been available for several months on competing platforms.
E3 2012 looms on the horizon, and it’s there that many of our answers will no doubt lie. We will probably find out much more about the Wii and its line-up, but knowing Nintendo, the exact specifics of what we can expect in terms of launch price and contents won’t be revealed until sometime during the months following.
You have to hand it to them, though: they know how to build anticipation. And who knows? If the Wii U does echo the Nintendo 3DS, maybe we’ll get another sweet apology package down the line.
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Member Since: 10/18/2010
Posts: 29,224
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Nintendo always knows what the f**k they're doing!? 
I can already see Microsoft and Sony failing to sell their $700 console... 
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Member Since: 3/20/2011
Posts: 26,615
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Quote:
Originally posted by Nait Phoenix
Nintendo always knows what the f**k they're doing!?
I can already see Microsoft and Sony failing to sell their $700 console... |
If this is true I'm for sure getting one. 
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Member Since: 6/15/2011
Posts: 41,028
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Sounds good 
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Member Since: 3/20/2011
Posts: 26,615
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Member Since: 12/3/2010
Posts: 19,759
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If this is true, it's game over.
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Member Since: 6/25/2010
Posts: 6,659
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Well the first week sales are gonna be huge at that price.
Nintendo is so smart 
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/16/2004
Posts: 28,450
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 3/13/2011
Posts: 9,521
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Quote:
Originally posted by Taste of Honey
If this is true, it's game over. |
Video game discussion should be banned on ATRL, because some of you are just... 
A few months back I showed an EA exec mate of mine one of the ATRL threads comparing 3DS to PS Vita, and he pissed himself and bought me a pint, and called it "embarrassing". Particularly when somebody called the PSP a flop for "only" selling 60+ million units.
Like a bunch of catty school girls.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/1/2010
Posts: 26,750
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Sounds about right
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Member Since: 9/23/2009
Posts: 26,796
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That's a wii bit overpriced.
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Member Since: 8/29/2011
Posts: 9,504
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I kept reading the title of this thread as "WILL U to Cost U $299.99!?" and I just couldn't get it not matter how hard I tried 
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Member Since: 11/8/2011
Posts: 14,458
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Quote:
Originally posted by ifyouseekLEM
That's a wii bit overpriced. |
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Member Since: 11/6/2010
Posts: 8,184
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I don't know why ya'll are cheering because a Wii alone only cost $150 so.... 
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Member Since: 12/3/2010
Posts: 19,759
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Quote:
Originally posted by Division
Video game discussion should be banned on ATRL, because some of you are just...
A few months back I showed an EA exec mate of mine one of the ATRL threads comparing 3DS to PS Vita, and he pissed himself and bought me a pint, and called it "embarrassing". Particularly when somebody called the PSP a flop for "only" selling 60+ million units.
Like a bunch of catty school girls. |
And this response has what to do with what I posted if anything at all? If Nintendo is aiming for this price point it will obviously be very lucrative for them, at least out of the gate, as I doubt the other consoles will be going for such a low sticker price.
And I don't really even play video games anymore. I've beaten 2 games in the last 4-5 years, so I could really care less how this turns out. 
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Member Since: 6/4/2010
Posts: 38,919
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That's a cute price. I've been recently thinking about purchasing a Wii to hold me over. I already have the 3DS.
Nintendus >
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Member Since: 6/17/2011
Posts: 16,910
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I ****s with 299.
I can't wait to cop it.
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Banned
Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 9,414
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Banned
Member Since: 8/17/2010
Posts: 9,468
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i'm gonna get it for sure!
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Member Since: 6/10/2011
Posts: 12,511
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Welp. I know my next birthday present.
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