CHUD.com Community › Forums › VIDEO GAMES & RPG › Video Games › Nintendo: Wii <$250
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Nintendo: Wii <$250

post #1 of 140
5/25/06 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
By Phil Elliott, GameSpot UK
Posted May 25, 2006 7:04 am PT

Nintendo has announced the price point for its new living-room console, the Wii, which will be launched globally in Q4 2006. Although for now the pricing is not exact, it will not exceed $250 in America or 25,000 yen in Japan. No estimate was announced for the European market, but the indication given was that it would be a "similar, affordable price."

In addition, Nintendo said it was expecting to ship 6 million consoles between its launch date and the end of March next year, as well as 17 million games.

The news comes hot on the heels of an earlier posting by the company of a 19 percent drop in annual profits, and a warning that results for the current financial year would be 3.5 percent lower than previously thought.

However, Nintendo still expects sales to grow by 18 percent globally, based on continuing sales of the Nintendo DS, and hopes for a successful Wii launch. The DS Lite, a new, sleeker version of the twin-screen handheld, is due to launch on June 11 in America and June 23 in Europe, and new key titles such as New Super Mario Bros. will no doubt cause sales spikes globally.

Nintendo's pricing decision will compare directly with key Japanese rival Sony, whose PlayStation 3 console will ship for a significantly higher price at around the same time, and will cost up to $599 for the top-end model.


All I can say is: Thank You God. After buying a 360 a couple of days ago, GRAW and Oblivion, shelling out 140 bucks for a DS Lite, and having to realize that in 6 months I have to shell out 600 for a PS3, this news brings so much joy to see how much the Wii is going to be.

Sony better start praying.
Reply
post #2 of 140
5/25/06 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by grammatonclericK
All I can say is: Thank You God. After buying a 360 a couple of days ago, GRAW and Oblivion, shelling out 140 bucks for a DS Lite, and having to realize that in 6 months I have to shell out 600 for a PS3, this news brings so much joy to see how much the Wii is going to be.

Sony better start praying.
Why do you HAVE to buy a console? Also, fuck you and the disposable income you rode in on.

On another note though, glad to see the price point is below $250. Especially considering how player-oriented the Wii is shaping up to be.
Reply
post #3 of 140
5/25/06 at 4:38pm
Hmmm. I remember the potential $100 price for this that was rumored a bit ago. I was really hoping..

But $250 ain't that bad.
Reply
post #4 of 140
5/25/06 at 4:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGButler
Why do you HAVE to buy a console? Also, fuck you and the disposable income you rode in on.

On another note though, glad to see the price point is below $250. Especially considering how player-oriented the Wii is shaping up to be.
Sorry. Bad choice of words. I don't have to, its just that I'm really impatient. I wanted a 360 the day it came out, but I had to wait until this past week to get one. I don't have to get one, I just know the wait will be way longer if I don't buy a PS3 at launch.

As for the disposable income, I live paycheck to paycheck and the only reason I got to buy a 360/DS Lite was because I barely got my tax return back.
Reply
post #5 of 140
5/25/06 at 4:51pm
I'd be surprised if the Wii wasn't $249.99. But I'd also be kinda surprised if the system didn't come with a pack-in game for that price. Considering how Nintendo will essentially have to teach newbies and seasoned players how best to use the remote and nunchaku, a simple pack-in game with on screen instructions seems like the most intuitive way to do that. (C'mon, follow Apple's lead of "free" software with this one, Nintendo!)

And since the Wii Sports title is supposed to be a very primitive game, that's a likely candidate.
Reply
post #6 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:06pm
It still isn't out of question for the pricepoint to be at $199. Honestly that is where it needs to be. $250 isn't bad but it sounds like a bit much...and I'm one of the ones who is willing to actually pre-order the thing.
Reply
post #7 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by grammatonclericK
Sorry. Bad choice of words. I don't have to, its just that I'm really impatient. I wanted a 360 the day it came out, but I had to wait until this past week to get one. I don't have to get one, I just know the wait will be way longer if I don't buy a PS3 at launch.

As for the disposable income, I live paycheck to paycheck and the only reason I got to buy a 360/DS Lite was because I barely got my tax return back.
Oh I was just fuckin with ya. It's groovy.

And honestly in a market where next-gen consoles are costing $400 and $600, $250 isn't unreasonable at all. Especially given the technology and intuitiveness of the Wii with it's remote and what not.
Reply
post #8 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:33pm
If i remember correctly, I threw down $250 for the N64 at launch so I have no problem with spending that much on the Wii. I hope games stay between $40-50, though.
Reply
post #9 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingcujoI
It still isn't out of question for the pricepoint to be at $199. Honestly that is where it needs to be. $250 isn't bad but it sounds like a bit much...and I'm one of the ones who is willing to actually pre-order the thing.
I think $200 with a pack-in game would be much better, obviously. And it would be a lot more appealing to non-gamers looking to purchase their first console and hardcore gamers looking to purchase their second of this gen.
Reply
post #10 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGButler
Especially considering how player-oriented the Wii is shaping up to be.
As opposed to other game consoles, which are oriented towards... what? The carpet? Pets? The dishwasher?
Reply
post #11 of 140
5/25/06 at 5:59pm
Perhaps that was phrased wrong. What I meant was that the Wii seems more geared towards player enjoyment what with the remote and the peripherals and motion sensing and what not, adding more to the overall experience of playing the game while the other consoles seem more concerned with how advanced the graphics are gonna be.
Reply
post #12 of 140
5/25/06 at 6:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pop Zeus
I think $200 with a pack-in game would be much better, obviously. And it would be a lot more appealing to non-gamers looking to purchase their first console and hardcore gamers looking to purchase their second of this gen.
In my dream world, SUPER MARIO GALAXY would be the pack-in game, just like the good old days of the NES and SNES, though I'm not sure that's even a possibility with the game still getting fine-tuned.
Reply
post #13 of 140
5/25/06 at 6:15pm
That sounds good to me.
Reply
post #14 of 140
5/25/06 at 6:30pm
I think that's too high. They admittedly are serving up a more novel/creative game experience, are making money on the console itself, and aren't competing with the PS3 or the XBOX 360. If the 360 premium package drops to 300-350, I think Wii may be hurting themselves with a 250.00 price point.

Still, once they market a motion sensitive lightsaber game, I'll be there.

I think it'll end up with a 199.99 price tag.
Reply
post #15 of 140
5/25/06 at 6:44pm
I was hoping for a $199.99 price tag (which it still might get), but $250 is still a fair price, especially when you consider that you can buy Zelda at launch and the system has the Virtual Console (although if that will be up and running at launch has yet to be announced).
Reply
post #16 of 140
5/25/06 at 6:59pm
Hoping for Dolby Digital 5.1 for that Zelda game? Well, you're out of luck.

No Dolby Digital for the Wii.

No hd, no 5.1, no thanks.
Reply
post #17 of 140
5/25/06 at 7:19pm
Just because you've got $100,000 wadded up in a Depends under your Craft-Matic and you can afford such extravagances...
Reply
post #18 of 140
5/25/06 at 7:21pm
Civil War gold, man. Civil War gold...
Reply
post #19 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:01pm
No digital output sounds annoying, but not too bothersome.

It may be due to the VHS format, but Pro-Logic sounds like crap on my sound system as compared to DTS, 5.1, or 7.1. Maybe Pro-Logic II is better.
Reply
post #20 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by grammatonclericK
As for the disposable income, I live paycheck to paycheck and the only reason I got to buy a 360/DS Lite was because I barely got my tax return back.

...and as quickly as it came....the government took its share back.

I bet you have extravagant sushi dinners every Thursday too, huh?
Reply
post #21 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:12pm
As I sit here and ponder the Wii (better than working on this Opposition to a Motion for Summary Judgment), the more I think a 250.00 pricetag is way too high. No Hd? No 5.1 sound? Hmmm..... Okay, I can accept that. BUt, is the darn thing more than twice as powerful as a GameCube? Is it more powerful than the original Xbox? I'm starting to think it's not.

I doubt it will actually launch at 250.00.

Can't you play the same Zelda game on the GameCube? Or did I misunderstand that.
Reply
post #22 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord
Can't you play the same Zelda game on the GameCube? Or did I misunderstand that.
Yeah, as far as I know. Just supposed to look a little better on the Wii.
Reply
post #23 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:35pm
$250 is as high as I'll go for the Wii. But, I think Nintendo knows that they will sell a lot more if it comes out at $199.
Reply
post #24 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:39pm
I'll buy one regardless, but if Nintendo is truly intent on marketing this as a fun little toy for the whole family, $199 would work a LOT better than $249. Although if the Wii Sports disc is included--and it sounds like there's not enough meat there to justify a stand-alone release--it would soften the blow a bit.

Or, hell, include a coupon for $20 worth of free Virtual Console games with every system sold. That way Nintendo isn't losing a dime, and it would help to ease the (minor) sting a bit.
Reply
post #25 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater
Or, hell, include a coupon for $20 worth of free Virtual Console games with every system sold. That way Nintendo isn't losing a dime, and it would help to ease the (minor) sting a bit.
That's actually a fairly awesome idea.
Reply
post #26 of 140
5/25/06 at 8:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord
Can't you play the same Zelda game on the GameCube? Or did I misunderstand that.
The only differences I know of are that the Revolution version has 16:9 and uses the remote for certain stuff(like shooting arrows, probably the grappling hook as well).

*edit- I'm a little slow, had the window open for a while before I replied.
Reply
post #27 of 140
5/25/06 at 9:41pm
Quote:
No hd, no 5.1, no thanks.
Of course there's the chance that maybe, JUST MAYBE, the games will look, sound, and more importantly PLAY good regardless of how much money you've poured into your home theater set up?

Just a theory.
Reply
post #28 of 140
5/25/06 at 10:07pm
I doubt this thing would stay at $250 for long. Nintendo always ends up cutting prices.
Reply
post #29 of 140
5/25/06 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal
I doubt this thing would stay at $250 for long. Nintendo always ends up cutting prices.
But only after gamers realize Nintendo's only releasing ten games a year and get belligerent.
Reply
post #30 of 140
5/25/06 at 10:33pm
whats gonna happen if MS cuts $100 bucks of the 360 this xmas and the core system starts selling for 199? That might hurt the big N.
Reply
post #31 of 140
5/25/06 at 10:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Straight Edge
whats gonna happen if MS cuts $100 bucks of the 360 this xmas and the core system starts selling for 199? That might hurt the big N.
I really doubt they'll do that because right now they're gunning for the Playstation fanbase. I'm sure they will anyway for the holidays, but not that big a drop. Microsoft doesn't really have to do a price drop at all to remain competitive, thanks to Sony shooting themselves in the foot.

But if the Wii starts selling like a mofo, it'll get bloody.
Reply
post #32 of 140
5/25/06 at 11:14pm
Yeah, if Wii sales somehow begin to affect 360 sales I can see MS dropping the Core by 30 bucks or something.

And even 20 bucks dropped off the Core will make a hell of a lot of "casual gamers" go "Hmmmm" to buying a 360 over a Wii.
Reply
post #33 of 140
5/25/06 at 11:52pm
No 5.1? IT'LL SUCK, MAN.

Seriously, are people that shallow about gaming? It's not as if Mario or Zelda need gigantic aural soundscapes to be good. And there's the Xbox if you need a 5.1 soundscape to enjoy Rainbow Nine Global Black Hawk Strike Force Conflict Storm IV.
Reply
post #34 of 140
5/25/06 at 11:56pm
Microsoft is already bleeding money on every 360 it sells. You're not going to see a price drop until the manufacturing costs drop drastically, which is going to take many, many more millions of consoles sold.

Besides, the 360 is already undercutting Sony by two hundred bucks. They don't have to knock fifty bucks off their sticker price, because they're already in a competitive position.
Reply
post #35 of 140
5/26/06 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Brigden
No 5.1? IT'LL SUCK, MAN.
Like J.S. was ever going to buy a Nintendo anyway.

Quote:
Rainbow Nine Global Black Hawk Strike Force Conflict Storm IV
When does this come out? I can't wait!
Reply
post #36 of 140
5/26/06 at 5:01am
There too many reasons for Nintendo to sell the Wii at $200. And its only selling for $220 US in Japan, where the 360 isn't even a factor. I know I'd get one for $200, but I don't know if I'd get one for $249.
Reply
post #37 of 140
5/26/06 at 8:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal
Like J.S. was ever going to buy a Nintendo anyway.
Everyone here seems to gloss over the fact that not only did Singer have a Cube, but he enjoyed pretty much the same games on it as everyone else. If I had to guess I would say he probably had a 64, Super NES, etc...
Reply
post #38 of 140
5/26/06 at 9:13am
That's as may be, but he's a very old and cranky man.
Reply
post #39 of 140
5/26/06 at 9:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater
Microsoft is already bleeding money on every 360 it sells. You're not going to see a price drop until the manufacturing costs drop drastically, which is going to take many, many more millions of consoles sold.

Besides, the 360 is already undercutting Sony by two hundred bucks. They don't have to knock fifty bucks off their sticker price, because they're already in a competitive position.
They do, however, need to make their console better. Right now the system suffers from loud fans, a power brick almost as big as the original X-Box controller, overheating and crashing problems, and a shortage of killer apps. If the Virtual Console is already stocked with games when the Wii arrives, then it will already have more games worth buying than 360.

As for no HD or 5.1 on the Wii, that isn't a problem for me seeing a I don't have a 5.1 system or an HDTV. Not all of us carry around Jefferson David gold coins in our moonshine jugs like Singer.
Reply
post #40 of 140
5/26/06 at 10:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crow
Of course there's the chance that maybe, JUST MAYBE, the games will look, sound, and more importantly PLAY good regardless of how much money you've poured into your home theater set up?

Just a theory.
You have to remember that Jacob is 84 years old and needs ear-splitting Dolby sound and an enormous HD display just so he can hear and see the games.
Reply
post #41 of 140
5/26/06 at 11:07am
Jacob.. old.. cranky.. that's all I got. To be honest, it's kind of annoying that it doesn't have 5.1--not because I have surround sound, but because the system could do it with its eyes closed and I don't think it is either difficult or expensive to implement, so they're just being obstinate. Or being Nintendo. Same difference.

It *is* nice to see that 480p widescreen seems to be standard, though. And I don't have a widescreen TV either.
Reply
post #42 of 140
5/26/06 at 11:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Whitehead
You have to remember that Jacob is 84 years old and needs ear-splitting Dolby sound and an enormous HD display just so he can hear and see the games.



Problem solved. NOW will he buy a Wii?
Reply
post #43 of 140
5/26/06 at 11:32am
It amazes me that Nintendo constantly gets credit for INNOVATION, yet in a time when things like 5.1 surround sound and HD graphics are becoming the norm, Nintendo gets a complete pass because they're giving gamers a freakin' wand to wave at the screen.

Yes, I have a nice setup that I invested a little money in, in order to enjoy movies and games in a high quality way. Is it that odd that I'm disappointed when a brand-new console isn't taking advantage of technologies that have been used in other consoles for years now?

And otisthecat is right, I've owned several Nintendo products over the years and enjoyed them quite a bit. But I wasn't playing them in my formative years and don't have this (seemingly nostalgic) longing for all things Mario. I'm honestly surprised at the zeal so many people seem to have for games I consider amusing time-passers at best.

I like games that offer somewhat of a cinematic experience. I like 5.1 surround sound. I like widescreen, high-definition graphics. I like hearing bullets whizz behind my head, zombies creeping up on all sides, shouted commands from a teammate on my left, the creaking of a dungeon door on my right. And I like it all in a resolution higher than fucking 640x480.

Sue me.

Punks.

Now get off my lawn.
Reply
post #44 of 140
5/26/06 at 11:38am
Okay, which one of you kids woke up Grampa?
Reply
post #45 of 140
5/26/06 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacob Singer
I like hearing bullets whizz behind my head, zombies creeping up on all sides, shouted commands from a teammate on my left, the creaking of a dungeon door on my right.
I think his pills have worn off. He's getting the voices again.
Reply
post #46 of 140
5/26/06 at 12:06pm
Boy, are you kids gonna be sorry when my nurse gets here...
Reply
post #47 of 140
5/26/06 at 12:09pm
They're here!

Reply
post #48 of 140
5/26/06 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacob Singer
Is it that odd that I'm disappointed when a brand-new console isn't taking advantage of technologies that have been used in other consoles for years now?
High definition has been available on other consoles for years now? I thought that was only the providence of the 360 and PS3 (when the PS3 comes out this fall)?

Also, HD is hardly mainstream. Is it making strides? Without a shadow of a doubt, but the majority of people buying the Wii won't have a high definition TV; hence why should Nintendo spend the extra money to make their console HD compatible?
Reply
post #49 of 140
5/26/06 at 2:07pm
The original Xbox supported hi-def, just few games were developed for it, most sticking with widescreen and 480p. And again, they were ahead of the curve, but they never get credit for innovation. Same with 5.1 surround, which is far more widespread now.

I'm not suggesting Nintendo needs to make their machine to please me and other hi-def and surround sound owners -- just saying it's perfectly valid for me to be disappointed that they're not.
Reply
post #50 of 140
5/26/06 at 2:09pm
Don't worry... the Wii will be cheap enough; we can all pitch in for one and send it to the nursing home.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Video Games
CHUD.com Community › Forums › VIDEO GAMES & RPG › Video Games › Nintendo: Wii <$250