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Wii to Launch Nov. 19th for $250
PygmySurfer writes "According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nintendo is going to announce today that the Wii will go on sale on November 19th in North and South America, at a cost of $250. It will come bundled with Wii Sports and channels for such things as viewing photos, as well as news and weather. Finally, Wii will also make it possible to browse the web on your television. Nintendo will also announce that 25-30 games will be published this year, as well as about 30 classic games available on the virtual console, costing about $5-10."
Since the original link seems to be dead - http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732669p1.html
The article came out before the Japanese conference. (Which is happening as I type this) They're live blogging it over at kotaku
I'll believe it when they Iwata announces it.
AirSpeak - http://itunes.com/apps/AirSpeak
Interesting, I predicted the bundled Wii Sports just earlier today. When I started thinking about it, the idea of $250 with Wii Sports didn't seem too bad, provided a controller and nunchuck (which is still remains to be seen, as I can't access the article), this may lesson Wii sales SLIGHTLY, as many people were starry-eyed with the $199 price tag (myself included), but I think it might be a better bet, in the long run, for Nintendo to release it with a game of THEIR making that centers around the controller, so that the first experience people will get with the Wiimote is a very solid one. I'm a bit dissapointed to have to wait another 2 months, but it'll give me time to finish Final Fantasy XII at least. And it's just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. Strangely, it's positioned to be released a week after the PS3, which I think is a GREAT idea, since it will basically give them a week of free press (from Sony) and advertising, and then drown the PS3 the next week.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
I'm not sure that I want Wii Sports. Too bad I can't switch to another game or take $50 off the cost to lose it.
DragonQuest: Swords anyone?
and we all know that the web browser saved the DreamCast...
Personally, I start to lose count after a squillion frames a second, I'm sure my eyeballs are only getting 800x600 resolution these days, and I'm just totally over the idea of paying $500+ for a machine, and $50+ for games, when they're extremely high-res, high-speed, and SHIT. The Wii gives me hope that there's something out there for people who like gameplay, not graphics, and have better things to spend the big bucks on than a friggin' procrastinaion console. Nice one, Nintendo.
The New York Times apparently broke an embargo and released the date and price early. Personally, I was still hoping for $150. Their mistake.
A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
You must be new here.
Seriously, have you been on Slashdot for the past year? If not, I'll get you up to date:
Nintendo fanboys have concluded that the Wii will cure cancer. This is a definite possibility, as it's awesome levels can be measured with a Geiger Counter.
Sony has decided to shoot itself in various appendages so many times, it now not only lacks feet, but legs, arms, and a distinguishable face. PS3s will still sell out. Sony fanboys cry a little on the inside, wads of $600 dollars slipping through holes in their pockets.
Microsoft twiddles its thumbs, whistles, and eats a kitten.
No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
I don't think its a mistake. Its 2-3 times the power of a gamecube, which still goes for $100. It comes with a game. ANd its still priced 150 under its nerest competitor, 350 below the PS3. 250 with a game is just about right- discount the $50 game and its the $200 unbundled that everyone expected.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
C'mon! Bundle Zelda! You'll sell fifteen billion of them.
The Article has been pulled. Whether that adds to the credibility of the info or not should all be clear later today when the Japan press conference is over or after the press conference in the US tomorrow.
I'll admit, I bought into the hype.
I let all of the pre-coverage get me to expect either a release date earlier than 1 month before Christmas, or a price closer to $200.
$250 and late November is kind of a letdown.
The most irritating fact? $5-$10 virtual console games. What with the price of ram back in the day, it sounds like they'll be making around a dollar for dollar profit margin that they were in the 90s. If you convert it to % profit margins and consider the fact that bandwidth costs are minimal, they're making a profit margin in the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of percents.
This single set of facts has turned me from eager to get a Wii into more of a wait and see approach.
Oh well.
1:55 p.m. [update 8]: And the other shoe drops. Famitsu is reporting a December 2 launch and 25,000 yen price for Japan. $215 USD
Like most companies, they round their prices to nice numbers. Welcome to the world of foreign exchange. Besides, who knows what the exchange rate will be in 2 months- it could be the same, it could be even cheaper, it could be far more.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
Have to say, that I think Nintendo have got the pricing just spot on! No only for the console itself, but for the classic games ($5 -> $10), a very very clever strategic move.
No only that, but the price of the new games at ~$10 less than the X360 - gives a clear indication that Nintendo see the X360 as their main competition. Maybe they think that Sony have dropped the ball with their pricing and PR machines!?
No, I'm not a fan boy of any console (in fact I'm a dedicated PC gamer) - but it seems that Nintendo have employed some very smart people for this entire project, considering no-one was really thinking them as a major console player (again) and then last years' E3 and, suddenly, they are ahead of everyone else in terms of buzz. Clever stuff.
I think the word "finally" was used more in a "closing, final entry in a list of features" kind of way, rather than in an "at last, the feature the world has been anxiously awaiting but never before seen" kind of way.
I don't know where you're getting $60 for a controller for any of these (360 is $40 or $50, we haven't seen a per controller price-point for the Wii or PS3 that I know of). Also, 360 Premium at list price is $400. Besides, if Wii comes with a game why do you then need to buy a game???
IANA*
Considering that the linked article is gone and that the Japanese launch date is apparently the 2nd of December, I think this whole "Nov 19th, US$250" thing might be jumping the gun slightly.
Let's play "spot the pattern."
SNES launch price: 25000 Yen / 200 USD.
N64 launch price: 25000 Yen / 200 USD.
Gamecube launch price: 25000 yen / 200 USD.
Wii launch price: 25000 yen / ??? USD.
Hrm.
(Please browse at -1 to read this comment.)
They will have already take steps to lock in a know exchange rate. It is called hedging.
No no no.. The Wii name is still stupid. What makes it good is that: 1. It's $350 cheaper than the PS3 2. It has a Wiimote (which is fun to say and almost makes up for naming the console the Wii) 3. I'll be able to play old NES games without 5 adapters 4. It's not made by an evil company - Does anyone still like Sony? 5. Oh yeah, and it's $350 cheaper than the PS3 Note that the 360 isn't even worth factoring into this because it's already shown that it's an overhyped piece of junk.
The post-PS3 launch does seem a bit odd, since they had previously stated that they would be at market before the PS3. It could be that Nintendo saw the problems Sony is having with meeting production quotas and having to slash their deliveries, and are banking on something like....
Tom Tucker: "Our top story tonight, more video game news just two days after riots destroyed many gaming storefronts from the unexpectedly horrible launch of the Playstation 3. Diane has more, Diane?"
Diane Simmons: "Thanks Tom. Wii. Sure it sounds like a penis, but what else is it? It's the new Nintendo console and it's causing quite a stir. We now go live to Asian reporter Trisha Takinawa for a report, Trisha?"
Trisha Takinawa: "Thank you Diane. Nintendo released the strangely-named console today to rave reviews. As you can see here, waving around this long slender shaft causes action to occur on-screen. It's quite a reversal from the usual manner of things. Retailers report they have plenty of Wii to go around, and that it's something people just can't wait to get their hands on. Personally I bought two and will be using them tonight in the privacy of my bedroom. Tom?"
Glenn Quagmire: "Giggedy giggedy giggedy."
is now live!!!
www.wii.com
AirSpeak - http://itunes.com/apps/AirSpeak
All false guys! http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/14/nintendo-japan-c onference-not-so-liveblogging/
Check it out.
I'm definitely interested in the Wii, and I'm no fanboy. I have never owned a console (apart from the Philips Videopak I had as a kid). Why the Wii, and not PS3 or Xbox? Well, where is the innovation in Xbox and PS3? They seem to be the exact same stuff as their predecessors were, just with prettier graphics. Higher resolutions and more polygons does not equal "innovation". And Sony has been screwing up everything recently, starting with the rootkit-fiasco right down to the PS3-pricing. Because of those reasons, I will steer clear of PS3. Xbox is boring as well. And they are both big machines that run hot.
Now, the Wii.... The price is right, and it actually seems INTERESTING. And it seems that it will have games that even the Mrs. could enjoy. So which to get? PS3 or Xbox which are exactly the same as consoles before them were, the games are just shinier. OTOH, the Wii is quite cheap, and they are actually trying to do something new with it.
Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
SNES US release date: Aug 21, 1991 Exchange rate: 1991-08-01 136.82 yen/USD
N64 US relase date: Sept 29, 1996 Exchange rate: 1996-10-01 112.41 yen/USD
Gamecube US release date: Nov 18, 2001 Exchange rate: 2001-12-01 127.59 yen/USD
Wii US release date: Nov 19, 2006 Exchange rate: 2006-09-13 117.47 yen/USD
So, yes a good guess for the launch price would be 200 USD.
However, various sources disagree.
IANA*
You can thank Sony and Microsoft for that. With the Xbox and the PS3 so expensive, there's not a whole lot of reason for Nintendo to go too low with the price. Besides, if the price is too low compared to the competition, customers will perceive it as being "cheap" and thus not worthy of their attention. Anyway, it's not going to matter. Nintendo will sell a shitload of these at US$250. They would sell a shitload at US$350, I guess. I know I'll buy one as soon as I can.
And since they bundle a game (I'd have bought the Sports game if it wasn't bundled), it's not a bad deal anyway.
When Miyamoto told the reporter at the NYT that the new Nintendo console would cost $250USD, the reporter asked why it was $50 higher than previous Nintendo consoles. Miyamoto said it was due to differences in the exchange rate. So the reporter said "Fluctuations?"
Miyamoto replied "Fluck you Amelicans too!"
Rumor has it that this incident is why the Wii is being shipped later than expected too. I guess he's still a little bitter.
Are you insane? This is the first time I'm actually excited about a console since first playing with my friend's NES! I mean, we've been playing the same games over and over for the last 20 years. For the first time since the Atari 2600, there's something truly new and exciting happening. I'll probably buy three of them (one for my living room, one for my bedroom and one for my girlfriend's place).
Yeah, but now you can call it WiiFi!
Ignoring the real exchange rate, Nintendo's exchange rate in previous console releases has consistently been 25000 yen = $200. The SNES, N64, and GameCube all launched with this pair of prices.
However, the Japanese Wii doesn't include pack-in Wii Sports. If the NYT is correct (long shot; release prior to Japan?!?), perhaps the American launch is going to be somewhat different. Here's hoping that extra $50 gets us both Wii Sports *and* a second controller out of the box to play it with. That would be worth the difference.
Firebug. It will make your jaw hit the floor.
Wii, not so Wii, and friggin' huge!
direct from the stream stuff: 2:06 a.m. EST [update 10]: The press release is up. It lists the contents of the Wii box: Wii console, Wii remote (w/ strap), nunchuck attachment, Wii AC adaptor, Wii A/V cable, Wii console stand(?), sensor bar, sensor bar stand and two AA batteries. Also, it seems the 25,000 yen price includes tax.
I remember reading somewhere that the Wii can output to VGA. Found it, http://cube.ign.com/articles/522/522559p2.html halfway down the screen.
Some people encrypt by using rot-13 twice. I prefer the more secure method of using rot-1 a total of twenty six times.
Christmas in Japan is actually a big deal. Even though it doesn't contain the Christian influence the big gift giving part is.
Can I bum a sig?
I think I speak for a lot of Europeans when I say...
AAAAAAAAAARRRRGH when's it coming out over here?
Here in Britain, Sony have already admitted they prefer selling to the rest of the world, and won't let us have any until after the Christmas sales rush, which has pissed off a LOT of gamers.
The big question here is will Nintendo also treat us like second-class citizens and hand the British games market to MS on a plate by giving them a second uncontested Christmas?
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Classic games are $5-10 and i beleve Apple is setting a new price for oldschool games with there $5 pricepoint for iPod games, $5 is clearly the sweet spot for casual games.
Bundling a game by force at least means retailers will have to think twice about "compulsory bundling" like they did with the XBox360. Remember when the Playstation 2 came out? A lot of people bought one in the beginning because they wanted a new console but ALSO because their original Playstation 1 was completely hosed through 6 years of play. They come into the store, with their $500 for the new box, and... oh.. I have to buy one of these "packs" with 2 shitty racing games in it? All I wanted was the PS2, the demo disk, a new Dual Shock ('cos my old one is friiied) and to play all my old games maybe with some texture filtering. Denied. Disappointed. Hand over the $750 :(
I love love love the browser, and the weather thing, and virtual console.. just seeing R-Type in Nintendo's Japanese presentation made me wet. I want to play Super Mario World again, and when I get stuck, I want to press the HOME button, fire up Opera, and look for the GameFAQs article. Oh no more running for a magazine or booting the PC just for that!
Playing all those old Gamecube games for $5-$10 in the bargain and second-user bins at Gamestop will keep me happy for SOOOO long.
Yeah we'd all like it to cost $150, but Nintendo are apparently going to sell the Wii at a profit in contrast to the super-expensive loss-making XBox360 and Playstation 3. They have plenty of scope to cost reduce, lower consumer prices in the future, without it being a real financial tussle for them.
HOORAY! I've never been this excited about a games console in my life.
BBC article says no data set for UK/EU/US, but 2nd December for Japan.
Aehm, N64 had the first true 3D jump'n run (Mario64), first game with lock-on fights (ZeldaOoT), analog-stick, rumblepack, dedicated controls for the camera and tons of other stuff. Its probally the most innovative console around since the beginning of console gaming.
Does anyone else think that the Wii controller might just get a wee bit annoying to use after a while?
It seems like one of those really awesome ideas until you think about holding your arm in the air and waving it around for a couple of hours. Perhaps it's just me, but I see a decent potential for a good number of people to just get really turned off by the design after a relatively short time.
Try sitting down, picking up a remote control and waving it in front of you at a slow pace for about five minutes. Imagine doing that for at least 30-40min to an hour or more at a time. I can't see how that could be comfortable. (for the purposes of my experimentation, I've used an Apple Remote which is smaller and lighter than the Wii controller, as well as standard TV/Cable box remotes)
Get some friends. They'd likely enjoy using the 2nd controller while you use the first.
-- toolie
You're right... they aren't being innovative. They're going back to the 1980's with some of their thinking... Specifically... a game console for everybody (FamiCom anybody?), at a price that a huge portion of the market can easily afford. Oh, and cheaper games, too.
See... Nintendo has realized that you don't need high quality graphics to have fun. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt that the graphics in the Wii will be much improved over their older offerings, but they don't need to break the bank on an 8-core graphics processor that costs more than the rest of the system put together. Instead... they're focusing on making the games fun, and accessable. What a novel concept.
Where's the innovation? Where's the need for innovation? They've taken a page from Apple and thrown in an iTMS-like ROM download service. Last I checked, you can't download old XBox games for $5 from XBox Live. Do you honestly think that the price is going to remain constant, or that the 30 games they're announcing today are going to be it, forever, never to be increased? They've taken a page from WebTV, too. They've designed the thing so that you can browse the Internet with it. Why not? If there's an online service to purchase/download old games, it's connected to the 'net anyway. Neither of these are actual innovations, but can you please point me to another game console that implements these features and costs less than $300, taxes included? (and comes with a game...)
And the Wii-mote looks pretty fun to me. I'm looking forward to messing up my friends' game by grabbing and shaking his arm while we're in competition, or playing that sword game with it. Even that type of controller isn't a *new* idea... you've been able to buy computer mice that use the same technology for over 10 years.
If you believe everything you read, you'd better not read. - Japanese proverb
Now lets look at the Wii: It doesn't have a hard drive, just like the core, it doesn't come with HD video cables, just like the core, it doesn't include a headset, just like the core, so the only thing left is the wired/wireless controller and we don't know for sure yet what the Wii will include (however if E3 is any indication they do make both versions and I wouldn't put it past them including the wired version).
Yeah, but it comes with 512MB built-in flash, and will take bog standard SD cards for expansion. Add an extra $40 there just to get a 64MB card so you can save games (cursing under your breath that if it used standard flash you could get 1GB for the same price).
Wii also does wireless networking out of the box. Add another $100 for the adapter on the core.
Noone's been speculating they won't include the Wii Remote. It's the centerpiece of the new system. Whether they'll include the wired "classic" controller is the only thing in the air. So, add another $50 for a wireless controller to bring the Core system up to par.
Then there's the bundled game. Add another $20 to get even a budget title on the XBox side.
That brings up to a grand total of an extra $210 to rectify the most glaring ommisions in the Core system. Of course, since we're talking two systems it's impossible to make them perfectly equivilent; the 360 is still pretty certainly the more powerful system and supports HD output, while the Wii has it's unique controller features and hints of some interesting console features (the "channels" whatever they are, built-in browser, etc).
I think they should make a wiimote that weighs about 20 pounds, so people can get a decent workout while playing.
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
I totally agree with you. Another way to look at the $250 price. The extra 50 dollars is a lifetime of free "Live" for the Wii, instead of just a year.
Is it just me, or do you hate it when people say "Is it just me..."?
So, what exactly would qualify as innovation, anyhow?
If you game the definition to something like "If anybody anywhere ever thought of it before it was deployed, it's not innovative", then you're going to live a very uninnovative life. Which is fine, but such a definition of "innovation" that nothing can meet isn't very useful.
I suppose there aren't any innovating programming languages since LISP since proper LISP macros could emulate pretty much any of them. A consistent definition of "innovative", but not a useful one.
The SNES released in 1991 for $200. Assuming 2% inflation per year, $200 in 1991 dollars is equal to $269.17 in 2006 dollars. The price of the console is going down!