$249.99 Wii Launching November 19th

[Shawn Andrich]

$249.99 Wii Launching November 19th

Nintendo has announced that the Wii will launch on November 19th for $249.99 in North America.

This morning, Nintendo held a press conference to reveal launch details for the Nintendo Wii. Along with the price and date, it was revealed that the system would come with the Wii Sports game packed in, which includes: tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing. Also included with the system will be one Wii Remote and one Nunchuck (an analog stick that attaches to the remote.) An additional Wii Remote device will cost $39.99, the Nunchuck will be sold separately for $19.99.

Nintendo claims there will be 25 games available at launch, among them will be: Zelda: Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, Call of Duty 3, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Need for Speed: Carbon, Madden 07, Elebits, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Rayman: Raving Rabbids and Splinter Cell: Double Agent.

Looking to the online support, Nintendo plans to offer the "Wii Channels" service, a series of screens dedicated to different functions such as: news, weather, an Opera web browser and the Wii Shop channel. You can view a demo of some of the channels in action at the official site [http://www.wii.com/en_US/]. Taking a queue from Microsoft, Nintendo will handle online purchases with a "Wii points" system, with 2000 points costing $20 US to purchase. While we don't know what the Opera web browser will cost yet, we do know that classic NES games will cost 500 points, SNES games 800 points and Nintendo 64 games 1000 points. Nintendo plans to release ten games per month for the virtual console; with Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 said to be available for purchase at launch.

In a question and answer period, it was revealed that while the Wii would have some internal storage, most will need to be saved to SD cards purchased by the customer. First-party games will cost $50 US and under, while third-party publishers may set their own prices. Also revealed was that while Zelda: Twilight Princess will ship on the Wii launch day, the Gamecube version will follow in December.

Finally, Nintendo has assured the press that most, if not all, Wii games will support the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, even though they will not be in high-definition.

Launching a few days after the PS3 is expected to hit shelves, Nintendo hopes to ship 6 million units worldwide by the end of the year, with a majority going to North America.

Permalink

 

[Trachalio [deprecated]]

6 million by year end is a great number, but I'm curious to know how many will be available on launch day. Has Nintendo released any numbers for that?

 

[Shawn Andrich]

Not that I've seen so far.

 

[TomBeraha]

I'm tallying up my starting out shopping list.

Will need system: 249.99
3 more controllers with nunchucks: 179.94
3 games plus the starter guy: 149.97
Probably - Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Zelda: Twilight Princess, and I'm stuck deciding on Call of Duty 3, The sword game whose name I'm forgetting, and Splinter Cell: Double Agent.

I'd be looking at $579.90 to get fully up and running. I was hoping they'd really undercut the competition pricewise and release it at 200 or less, I'm slightly saddened that the extra controllers are running 60 each, (the nunchuck is going to be pretty much required for most gaming that I can tell). I do have some GC controllers still though, so maybe I wont need to worry about it, I'll probably split costs across my roomates and go in 1/3rds. Now to decide if I need to buy it when it comes out immediately or wait till the first price drop (when I should in theory be able to pick up some of those games pre-owned too... )

Ah well, enough public musing.

- Tom

 

[Andraste]

Well, look at it this way, Tom: You can get all that you mentioned above, or a pretty Sony box ... just the box. Just a thought.

 

[Lex Darko]

I don't know I think I would rather take that pretty sony box and bunch of PS2 games that I missed due to never buying one, while waiting for the second wave PS3 games to come out.

 

[Demiurge [deprecated]]

I don't know I think I would rather take that pretty sony box and bunch of PS2 games that I missed due to never buying one, while waiting for the second wave PS3 games to come out.

Or you could buy a PS2 and those PS2 games, for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Lex Darko]

I don't know I think I would rather take that pretty sony box and bunch of PS2 games that I missed due to never buying one, while waiting for the second wave PS3 games to come out.

Or you could buy a PS2 and those PS2 games, for a fraction of the cost.

Right, but then waiting on the second wave of PS3 games wouldn't make sense.

 

[Sokaku]

Yay! Time to save some money and place an order for the Wii and Zelda

*starts counting his pennies*

 

[Goofonian]

I don't see the point of buying a PS3 to play PS2 games either. PS2's are dirt cheap right now, and more than likely the PS3 will drop in price before any really MUST HAVE games are available for it anyway. Buying one now is a bit wasteful but your not likely going to be able to find one at launch anyway so it really is a moot point.

Back to the issue at hand, I think nintendo really dropped the ball here. As much as I expected most the news that has come out over the last day or so, I am still very disappointed with the way nintendo handled it all.

1. The price. If we say that Wii sports is worth about $30 then the console itself is $220 which is more than reasonable (and coincidentally what it will be selling for in japan). Where the problem lies is in the way they released this information. Rather than saying that the console would sell for no more than $250 and then saying, ok its actually worth less than that but we are gonna make you pay 250 anyway by forcing you to buy Wii Sports. They should have initially just said "it WILL be 250" then now said "hey, but we're giving you a free game for that price." Plus, selling the wiimote and nunchuck seperately is not the best idea I have heard all day. NES games = $5?!?!? nuff said.

2. The bundle - what was reggie's quote? "one package, one price, one colour" something like that? I don't want wii sports. I was planning on buying zelda and perhaps trauma centre, then waiting for smash brothers and mario galaxy. Being forced to have wii sports is wasting my money, and I won't even be able to sell it because everyone with the console will already have it. They may as well have given me a fancy beer coaster. I think nintendo has completly missed the point of having a single SKU, the bad press microsoft and sony got over the issue wasn't because they announced two lines, it was because the cheaper version of both is a crippled version of the console, lacking in important features. if the core 360 included a harddrive but then just came with a wired controller and no headset or dvd remote, no-one would have complained. Give me a wii for $230 and then sell wii sports seperately for $30 and not only will everyone be happier, but they will likely sell more of the bundle anyway because of the apparent value. And what is the point of going on and on about how great the virtual console is going to be if you have to spend an extra $20 to buy the controller for it? there really NEEDS to be a classic controller included in the box. Plus, I really want a black one. Everything in my home theatre is black and a white wii will look stupid. At least the 360 gives you the option of buying a matching faceplate.

3. The release date. This I have less of a problem with except that they have already said "Wii will launch before the competition." Why couldn't they just be honest and tell us what they were actually thinking: "Wii has no competition and wii will launch when wii feel like, regardless of sony's plans"
They also said that zelda would be out for the gamecube the same day as the wii launch.......

4. The name. I don't mean to flog a dead horse here, but nintendo was wrong. I've gotten used the name now and it doesn't sound any better than when I first heard it. Google was strange the first time I heard it, yes, but I got to liking it because I had no reason not to. Wii STILL makes me think of what comes out when you drink too much and it likely always will.

Nintendo has been doing very well at generating hype for this machine and with all the bad press sony has been getting as well as the delay in PAL regions and the slashing of projected shipping amounts of the PS3, nintendo could have gained an enormous amount of ground here. But they didn't. Someone in nintendo's PR department needs a good kick up the backside.
At least it looks like the online service will deliver the goods.



Depsite all this I am still likely to buy one at launch and love it to bits, but if the rumours about a march 07 release in PAL territories come true (so much for PROMISING a worldwide release) then this nintendo fanboy will be buying a 360 for christmas and not looking back. *sheds a tear*

 

[TomBeraha]

I think I'm really okay with the console cost itself, I'm much happier that they are actually bundling a game with the console than I am upset that it's not zelda. I think that would have been a great way to get more people to buy it; to have it come with an example of the console at it's (at least initial) best.

I do however take issue with the seperate nunchuck from remote deal they have. I'd have liked to see nintendo eat a little profit and make the nunchuck part of the remote package, for the same 39.99, that's much more reasonable to my mind.

Well, look at it this way, Tom: You can get all that you mentioned above, or a pretty Sony box ... just the box. Just a thought.

Part of why I summed it up that way, you can have a fully multiplayer ready "tricked out" version of the wii for their system cost. Accessory costs and game costs make owning a PS3 roughly comparable to me buying another computer.. and frankly, for me it's cheaper to upgrade my computer, and that way I'll end up with a greater variety of games. I'm a big fan of games like dungeon scroll, Jets N Guns, and I'm going to be keeping up with my computer anyawy for my graphic design work, Pushing it a couple hundred bucks over what I'd "need" to stay current every couple years to get a good (read: not Dual GF7950s) video card setup so I can play games is not a big deal to me.

(edit):
I suppose I'll add that the purpose of a console in my house, is not for gaming on my own, really ever, I only play games on my own on my console that aren't available for my PC. I love playing multiplayer on the console however, and not online, I like being able to throw things at a person after they shoot me
- Tom

 

[Goofonian]

Is it just me or are most companies just getting really bad at releasing products.
Xbox 360 was a shambles, PS3 looks like its going to be worse. And considering that nintendo is really just releasing a rehashed version of the gamecube (a product that, unlike its competitors, was technically solid from day one) their launch really isnt looking like it will turn out to be as great as they have been talking it up to be.

Maybe I'm just jaded, but the only company that has been able to hold a press event in the last year or so and not leave me with a bitter, disappointed taste in my mouth has been apple. The new ipods and itv may only be incremental upgrades of the old ipods and airport express but they didnt leave me wanting more, which is much more than I can say for ANY of the gaming companies of late.

 

[Lex Darko]

What really gets me about the Wii is that if MS or Sony did the same thing as Nintendo there would be uproars on blogs everywhere with people calling them money grubbing and characterizing them as only worring about thier bottom line. But since Nintendo does it, it's like it's all ok it doesn't matter that thier controller comes in two parts and cost sixty dollars, it's alright that you have to once again buy your own memory just to save the overpriced retro games and the fact that it doesn't even have dvd playback is totally a mute point.

I would like to see what peoples reactions would have been if the PS3 and 360 didn't have dvd playback.

 

[Russ Pitts]

I would like to see what peoples reactions would have been if the PS3 and 360 didn't have dvd playback.

Well, they'd probably be like "$600 for a console without DVD playback? That's crazy! Now if it were $249 ..."

Seriously guys. You can't even get a good iPod for that price. It's peanuts, comparatively speaking. I think Nintendo nailed it in terms of price points and value. There will be a Wii in my home in November. And I don't mind paying for extras because they're just that - extra.

 

[Goofonian]

maybe you should download itunes 7...

Actually, I did that the other day and I quite like it. I haven't experienced any of the bugs that people have been complaining about, it works perfectly with my ipod and my external harddrive still (perhaps cos i have a mac not a PC) and the new artwork browser is nice enough. Then again I was perfectly happy with itunes 6. Mabye I'm just lucky, or maybe I fit nicely into the demographic of people who's needs are perfectly met by the software. dunno.

What really gets me about the Wii is that if MS or Sony did the same thing as Nintendo there would be uproars on blogs everywhere with people calling them money grubbing and characterizing them as only worring about thier bottom line. But since Nintendo does it, it's like it's all ok it doesn't matter that thier controller comes in two parts and cost sixty dollars, it's alright that you have to once again buy your own memory just to save the overpriced retro games and the fact that it doesn't even have dvd playback is totally a mute point.

I would like to see what peoples reactions would have been if the PS3 and 360 didn't have dvd playback.

Your dead right, sony and microsoft would get punished by the media if they made a profit on their consoles. but then again, in such a scenario they probably wouldn't be able to sell any consoles anyway because noone would be able to afford them. The reason the consoles are so much more successful than the PC market is because parents and casual gamers are happy to spend a couple hundred bucks on a new console where they wouldn't be willing to spend say a thousand on a new PC or buying a PS3 at a price that would make sony money.

There was an article that I read somewhere today (joystiq i think) that made mention to the fact that a company is willing to lose money on consoles because they see it as a long term investment, and that nintendo's unwillingness to take a hit on the console for the benefit of the consumer is not a good sign that they are confident about the future of said console. Despite what they say in public, I wouldn't be surprised if they are VERY concerned that the wii might go the same way the gamecube did. What annoys me is that nintendo is openly announcing that they are making money on every aspect of the console launch. This is NOT a good thing reggie! They seem to only care what their shareholders think regardless of consumer response. They keep talking about mass market appeal, imagine how big said mass market would be if the wii launched at $150!? I'd be willing to bet that I'd shave my nuts if they didnt make the money back (with interest) on increased game sales.

As far as dvd playing functionality goes, I'm really not fussed. Nintendo has never offered additional media functions with their consoles so I don't care if they don't start now. I wasnt planning on using it as a dvd player anyway, neither would I use a 360 or PS3. I have a very nice prog. scan dvd player sitting at home that isn't going anywhere. Maybe if HD-DVD and Bluray take off I'll look towards the consoles as a cheap way in, but movie playback has never been an issue and I'm sure there are many in the same boat. It is curious that they claim they are trying to take over the living room now though. Apparently the mass market consumer is interested in getting news and weather reports from their tv, but not watching movies or listening to cds. go figure.

 

[Ajar]

I would like to see what peoples reactions would have been if the PS3 and 360 didn't have dvd playback.

Well, the GameCube didn't have DVD playback. DVD playback helped the PS2 because it came out right when the format was taking off, but the Xbox and the GameCube sold comparable numbers of units -- and I think the Xbox selling slightly more units than the GC in less time is more appropriately attributed to the Halo franchise than DVD playback.

On the subject of the controller, I think they should have stuck to $50 for the remote/nunchuk combo, because then you would be getting more functionality than either of the other two controllers for the same amount of money -- the Xbox 360 controller has no motion sensing capability, whereas the PS3 controller has no rumble feature. As it is, you get both with the wiimote alone and roughly equivalent control capabilities from the wiimote/nunchuk combo with one added feature compared to each competitor, but you pay an additional $10. Even $15 for the nunchuk would have been better, since on its own it's useless.

I agree with you on the subject of memory cards, though I'll be curious to see if third-party memory cards are supported -- and I'm wondering what happened to the rumours of USB storage support.

Nintendo's virtual console pricing looks comparable to Microsoft's pricing. I paid 400 Microsoft points (roughly US$5, IIRC) for Joust, for example, which is a much simpler game than, say, Battletoads.

There was an article that I read somewhere today (joystiq i think) that made mention to the fact that a company is willing to lose money on consoles because they see it as a long term investment, and that nintendo's unwillingness to take a hit on the console for the benefit of the consumer is not a good sign that they are confident about the future of said console.

I read Tycho's take on that article in today's Penny Arcade [http://www.penny-arcade.com/] newspost. It didn't really make me want to read the article...

I think all three console makers are in part extending what they did in the previous generation. Warning -- dramatic oversimplification ahead:

(1) Sony is again attempting to leverage a new optical format.

(2) Microsoft is extending the online service it pioneered last generation.

(3) Nintendo is again focusing on games and gameplay.

If Blu-ray is successful as a video format, the PS3 could attain the level of success that the PS2 did. However, games don't need Blu-ray or HD-DVD capacity for content and the Blu-ray drive in the PS3 has no speed advantage over the 12x DVD-ROM in the Xbox 360, so if Blu-ray is a flop it could hurt sales.

My opinion:

DVD playback was useful on the PS2 when it came out, but, anecdotally, I only know one person who owns a PS2 and uses it to watch DVDs. In my experience, DVD playback on the Xbox 360 is even worse than the PS2 (I own both). I can only assume MS included it for a bullet point on a feature list and doesn't intend for anyone to ever actually use it. It looks terrible on my HDTV, but standalone DVD players (even upscaling ones, if you own an HDTV and it doesn't have a good scaler) are dirt cheap nowadays. I don't think pushing Blu-ray was the right call for Sony, but time will tell.

I think Microsoft has done a lot right with the 360, though I'm not a big fan of the Core system and I'd like a bigger hard drive. The controller is comfortable and I really like the three 360 titles I've bought so far (Oblivion, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, and Chromehounds) as well as my Arcade purchases (Outpost Kaloki X in particular is a blast). One of my best friends, who works at EA's "boutique" Montreal studio, has been heaping praise on MS lately -- apparently their developer tools and support are excellent (by the way, I turned him on to the Escapist last year and he's a reader). In contrast, the feelings he and his team have toward Sony are considerably less flattering. Surprisingly, they're also very excited about the Wii, though I have no idea how Nintendo's developer tools and support compare to Microsoft's and Sony's. If I were to speculate I'd give the edge to Microsoft on that score, and I say that as a lifelong Mac user.

I originally didn't think the Wii would be much more successful than the GameCube (which I own), but after seeing the spectacular success of the DS I'm starting to wonder. In either case I think I'll eventually end up with one (though probably not at launch).

 

[Andraste]

In either case I think I'll eventually end up with one (though probably not at launch).

I have heard so many people say this that this is why I think the Wii will end up sneaking up into the second place spot in this round of the console wars.

maybe you should download itunes 7...

Yeah, I was forced to download it the other day when trying to listen to my friend's music on his computer. He had already downloaded the new version and it was incompatible with mine. They changed the color of the icon. I have an aquarium, with blue water and silvery reflections set as my background. The new icon is the same blue and silver. I haven't listened to music for days cuz I can't find the damn icon...