Wii Price & Launch Date Thread ($250 w/ Wii Sports on Nov 17 in the US)

[JHendrix]

I'm somewhat tempted to complain about the price of a Wii remote and nunchuck but then I realize that just a couple weeks ago I spent $50 for a wireless 360 controller.

The question is if you need the Remote for the Retro Controller. At least with the 360 you get all you need for a $50 controller, and if you were to cheap out you can get the wired one for $40.

This means to get a controller to play any game on the Wii as it was intended you have to spend $80.

 

[DangerousK]

Hendrix-

Is it really that difficult to wait till to play the system before making your half-assed comments about why it is no good?

 

[Gameoz]

I just want to know when/where I can pre-order one

 

[DangerousK]

The question is if you need the Remote for the Retro Controller. At least with the 360 you get all you need for a $50 controller, and if you were to cheap out you can get the wired one for $40.

This means to get a controller to play any game on the Wii as it was intended you have to spend $80.

Yeah I'm sure this is going to break the bank for you and the rest of the tossers around here.

"OMG $250 ITS TOO MUCH MONEY!!!!!!!!!"

"OOOOO THE 360, I WILL GO BUY ONE!!!!"

 

[Dinodoedoe]

looks like I'm waiting for the first price drop on the controller before I pick up the Wii.

 

[Tacitus]

Take away the pack-in game and you have a $199 console.

Nah, I was getting at the prices of retro stuff.

I know someone's going to chime in with why is it good for XBLA and not Nintendo, but it comes down to this:

There's original content coming down on XBLA for $5 (see Geometry Wars, etc) why pay twice as much for an old game that you can go physically buy for less?

IT's retarded and will probably discourage people from using it.

Now, the other part of that is it *will* be a cash cow for Nintendo, because if you get a few million people on board at $5 a pop at least once.. you're going to make a mint, but the continuous dwindling of their userbase is going to continue.

 

[PUNJABEE]

looks like I'm waiting for the first price drop on the controller before I pick up the Wii.

If Nintendo isn't a complete dick, then they will allow the 'classic' controller to control any Revolution game, and the TV remote won't be a necessity. If that's the case, just get a $20 or $30 maxipad controller and you'll be set.

 

[JHendrix]

just enjoy your 360 and be done with it - that's probably why you're reacting this way, having a shiny new system on a shiny new TV set, gotta prioritise all of a sudden. too much diversification is never good. don't you think?

I am enjoying the 360 quite a bit. This doesn't change the fact that I was dead sold on the wii and now I'm not. As far as diversification I own all 3 current consoles, so I don't want to hear anything about being some kind of Nintendo hater.

Of course they went and delayed the GC version of Zelda till after the Wii one comes out. And they killed the Super Paper Mario for the GC and moved it to the Wii. Relatively ass moves considering neither is really warranted.

 

[Average Joe]

Ahh, but you got all of the functionality in that one piece. You didn't pay $30 for the left analog stick and dpad, then another $20 for the right stick and buttons.

True.

But then that Play and Charge Kit was like another $15-20.

It was either that, the Quick Charge Kit, or an assload of batteries down the line.

Yeah, the Wii remote is going to be facing the same the issues, but once you really take everything in, I really don't see Nintendo's controller pricing plan being that far out there.

(Although when I type this, I just realize as to how stupidly priced all next-gen controller prices are--not just the Wii's.)

 

[DangerousK]

Nah, I was getting at the prices of retro stuff.

I know someone's going to chime in with why is it good for XBLA and not Nintendo, but it comes down to this:

There's original content coming down on XBLA for $5 (see Geometry Wars, etc) why pay twice as much for an old game that you can go physically buy for less?

IT's retarded and will probably discourage people from using it.

Now, the other part of that is it *will* be a cash cow for Nintendo, because if you get a few million people on board at $5 a pop at least once.. you're going to make a mint, but the continuous dwindling of their userbase is going to continue.

Here's the thing though, what's to say that someone might start putting out new content like Geometry Wars?

There's nothing written that says this sort of thing cannot happen.

Also...it's a lot more convienent for me to buy these games that I don't have than to go through the hassle of Ebay. I think Nintendo is banking on impulse buyers who see something they desperately would like to play.

 

[Tacitus]

I'm with JHEndrix regarding the Wii.

I was also sold, hook line and sinker... went to trepidation... now to a complete "I'll wait to see what it looks like when someone else has one." approach.

I'm *sure* we're not the only ones.

I'm sure other Gen X'ers (specifically the casual gamer, who is their stated audience.. if not Gen X'ers completely out of gaming) will come over to it, but I don't expect that to do particularly well.

 

[Tacitus]

Here's the thing though, what's to say that someone might start putting out new content like Geometry Wars?

There's nothing written that says this sort of thing cannot happen.

Also...it's a lot more convienent for me to buy these games that I don't have than to go through the hassle of Ebay. I think Nintendo is banking on impulse buyers who see something they desperately would like to play.

Yeah, I know they're picking up people to program on the VC, but I'm speaking more towards the retro stuff, which is what the casual audience will (or would've) swooned at.

There's a ton of Gamestops, EB's and other second hand places that still sold old stuff...

 

["Macho Man" Butta Supremo]

All I care about is Super Paper Mario.

When it was announced that the GC one was cancelled and it was being released for Wii instead, I didn't care since I was going to get a Wii regardless.

Now I wish it was still being released for GC.

 

[Gameoz]

Nah, I was getting at the prices of retro stuff.

I know someone's going to chime in with why is it good for XBLA and not Nintendo, but it comes down to this:

There's original content coming down on XBLA for $5 (see Geometry Wars, etc) why pay twice as much for an old game that you can go physically buy for less?

IT's retarded and will probably discourage people from using it.

Now, the other part of that is it *will* be a cash cow for Nintendo, because if you get a few million people on board at $5 a pop at least once.. you're going to make a mint, but the continuous dwindling of their userbase is going to continue.

I actually think you make some good points in a couple of your posts. However, people like different things. I have a 360 and will be picking up a Wii as well. $5 for Geometry Wars is a great example of a fantastic deal. However, there are a lot of turds offered on Arcade Live (Bank Shot Billiards $15)

I would rather play pretty much any Nintendo classic game over the standard stuff that comes out on Arcade Live. I don't want to have a Nes, SNES, N64 system set up to play the games I use to enjoy. I actually don't even own any of those systems anymore. So, the Wii is offering something that I want but others may not.

I will just say that the DL prices for Wii classics should have been cheaper. However, I am only going to DL the stuff I really want and not everything offered.

 

[DangerousK]

I'm with JHEndrix regarding the Wii.

I was also sold, hook line and sinker... went to trepidation... now to a complete "I'll wait to see what it looks like when someone else has one." approach.

I'm *sure* we're not the only ones.

I'm sure other Gen X'ers (specifically the casual gamer, who is their stated audience.. if not Gen X'ers completely out of gaming) will come over to it, but I don't expect that to do particularly well.

I will actually be buying this on launch.

Ironically it'll be the first time buying a system on launch since the N64.

I'm actually rather interested in this console overall because it feels fresh which is something I cannot say about the PS3 or the 360. Nothing against the 360 though because it has stuff I would like down the road, but I'm still not ready to buy one yet.

 

[JHendrix]

Hendrix-

Is it really that difficult to wait till to play the system before making your half-assed comments about why it is no good?

How is it wrong for me to comment on what to me looks like a bad way to play a 3D Platformer, but it's OK for everyone else to go ape-crazy and praise it like no tommorrow when they also haven't played it?

And as for the price. This was supposed to be a budget System. So it's $250 and comes with Wii Sports, what if I didn't want Wii Sports? Not like selling the game is going to do me any good since it's a pack-in and is near worthless as a result. I wanted a Wii for Zelda and Mario - period.

And for $250 for a system with those graphics and sound, I'm not so impressed. I was happy to spend the money on a 360 since it had games I wanted and unlike the Wii is an awesome upgrade over the normal XBox since I have a HDTV and a decent stereo. From what I can see of the Wii now is that it's a GC with a controller that is starting to look like something I'm not too keen to use to play Zelda and Mario with.

Look, I'd love to be wrong and have Zelda be awesome on the Wii, same with Mario. I'll pick that sucker up in two seconds if I have fun with it at my friends house and I'll post on here about how great it is. But as it stands now, I'm pretty much not sold on getting the Wii at launch. But dont' tell me I'm not allowed to post about being dissapointed while other people can praise it like it's the second coming.

 

[DangerousK]

Yeah, I know they're picking up people to program on the VC, but I'm speaking more towards the retro stuff, which is what the casual audience will (or would've) swooned at.

There's a ton of Gamestops, EB's and other second hand places that still sold old stuff...

I wrote this in the other Wii thread....I think it can apply as well to what you said...more along the lines of the people that aren't going to go looking for retro stuff because of the reason below.

The amount of people who have ROMs is by far in the minority of the overall gaming population.

People have this thing with using this website as the basis for making these sort of assumptions.

Do you think really think Joe Blow who is model mainstream gamer is going to have ROMs?

What about the people that were in their late teens, early 20's who were playing the NES during its heyday in the 1980s. Maybe they stopped playing games because as most of us here can attest to, life happens. Now 15 years later they hear about this Wii and it gets them thinking back to those days and they buy one just for that, so they can relive their younger days. You think those people even have a clue about ROMs?

Not everyone is so well informed about the emulation scene.

 

[Average Joe]

This means to get a controller to play any game on the Wii as it was intended you have to spend $80.

Yeah, but if I didn't want to spend that $80 then I simply wouldn't.

If I'm not happy with the way a system is turning out (you with the Wii, me with the PS3), then I'm simply not going to give them my money.

I could bitch about the stuff I don't like, but I don't have the energy.

Nothing Nintendo's presented with us so far involving the Wii and its pricing has bothered me in the slightest, so it's all fine by me.

But whatever... I'm not going to get into it, so I'll just chalk it up as being the dichotomy of this generation of gaming.

 

[Tacitus]

I will actually be buying this on launch.

Ironically it'll be the first time buying a system on launch since the N64.

I'm actually rather interested in this console overall because it feels fresh which is something I cannot say about the PS3 or the 360. Nothing against the 360 though because it has stuff I would like down the road, but I'm still not ready to buy one yet.

I feel the same way about the 360 and PS3.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING has sold me on the PS3.. and even if a game hooked me, it's the price for entry that's making me stay away.

The 360 looks great, but I'm waiting for the inevitable price drops. I just can't justify that sort of price up front along with XBLA *and* 59 and up for new games. It's just not worth it to me.

The Wii was my last hope for a low cost solution. Low cost as stated by Nintendo just means "lower than the other guy" and not actually "low cost" in terms of price for content and quality..

 

[DangerousK]

How is it wrong for me to comment on what to me looks like a bad way to play a 3D Platformer, but it's OK for everyone else to go ape-crazy and praise it like no tommorrow when they also haven't played it?

And as for the price. This was supposed to be a budget System. So it's $250 and comes with Wii Sports, what if I didn't want Wii Sports? Not like selling the game is going to do me any good since it's a pack-in and is near worthless as a result. I wanted a Wii for Zelda and Mario - period.

And for $250 for a system with those graphics and sound, I'm not so impressed. I was happy to spend the money on a 360 since it had games I wanted and unlike the Wii is an awesome upgrade over the normal XBox since I have a HDTV and a decent stereo. From what I can see of the Wii now is that it's a GC with a controller that is starting to look like something I'm not too keen to use to play Zelda and Mario with.

Look, I'd love to be wrong and have Zelda be awesome on the Wii, same with Mario. I'll pick that sucker up in two seconds if I have fun with it at my friends house and I'll post on here about how great it is. But as it stands now, I'm pretty much not sold on getting the Wii at launch. But dont' tell me I'm not allowed to post about being dissapointed while other people can praise it like it's the second coming.

You talk as if it is a bad way to play a 3D platformer when you don't even fucking know for sure!

$250 compared to the $400 for the 360 and the $600 for the PS3 is budget.

Christ, if you can't afford $250 for this system, I don't know what to tell you.

I suspect the reason for Wii Sports whether you like sports or not is that it will show off the capabilities of the system extremely well.

I don't view it as the second coming, I just think we should wait to see for sure. I'm definitely going to buy this, but if I think it sucks I will be sure to say so.

I prefer to keep an open mind rather than draw conclusions before it comes out which is what too many people do.

 

[Paik4Life]

They are following the same rough release schedule as the DS.

North American release first Nov 19th... Followed by Japan, Dec 2nd.

Thanks! I just found it weird that it comes out in the US first.

I think the US prices for the VC are indeed high. I also share the same concerns about the Wii. I was a lot more excited about it until recently. I think I'll wait around a bit before I get one. I fully intend on getting a PS3 and hope that it will AT LEAST keep me entertained until Wii's become readily availabe at stores since there's no way I'm doing back-to-back camp outs for the PS3 and Wii.

The good part is that I was also skeptical about the DS and went for the PSP. The PSP indeed kept me entertained until I saw fit to buy a DS Lite. I've been enjoying it ever since. I hope the same thing happens with the the Wii.

~Paik

 

[Dinodoedoe]

The #1 question I have about the virtual console is this: will the games be 100% emulated or will the games be improved on the cart counterpart. Basically will I be able to my River City Ransom with my brother and the game NOT slow down and flicker to the point where I can't see what he hell is going on?

 

[DangerousK]

I feel the same way about the 360 and PS3.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING has sold me on the PS3.. and even if a game hooked me, it's the price for entry that's making me stay away.

The 360 looks great, but I'm waiting for the inevitable price drops. I just can't justify that sort of price up front along with XBLA *and* 59 and up for new games. It's just not worth it to me.

The Wii was my last hope for a low cost solution. Low cost as stated by Nintendo just means "lower than the other guy" and not actually "low cost" in terms of price for content and quality..

The PS3 feels to me the way the 3DO did back in the day.

Cool thing, but just way too much money with very little to support it.

I think a lot of people are waiting for a price drop on the 360, I can't justify the cost for it right now.

I think what you are saying about the "low cost" and the Wii is how it should turn out, or at least what Nintendo plans on doing. I don't think they are going to sacrifice content and quality because truth be told, I think this console has a lot to do with their future in the console market. They play their chips right with the cost factors, they can have a winner on their hands.

 

[Nash]

If Nintendo isn't a complete dick, then they will allow the 'classic' controller to control any Revolution game, and the TV remote won't be a necessity. If that's the case, just get a $20 or $30 maxipad controller and you'll be set.

Considering that Nintendo is making the Wiimote mandatory for the Wii version of Twilight Princess, I don't see them making any exceptions for other games to allow the option of non-Wiimote controls.

Christ, if you can't afford $250 for this system, I don't know what to tell you.

He's not saying he can't afford it. He's saying from everything he's seen so far, it's not worth $250.

 

[CrackerMessiah]

Really sucks that there's no excuse for that pricing, huh?

Forgive the helter skelter nature of what follows, but this post make me think a bit...

I remember reading somewhere, way back when right before the Gamecube was about to drop, that Nintendo decided to eschew their prior business model of turning a profit on consoles and decided to do what Sony and Microsoft do and price it below it's production cost. Given that the N64 sales wern't doing so hot and Nintendo's mindset was probably something like "we can make more money on software + discounted hardware than selling less hardware at a higher price," they priced it in line with how they viewed the market.

Fast foward to 2004-5-6-ish.

While I can't speak on production costs of the DS, I did find this link regarding the production cost of the Gameboy Micro, which retailed for 100. At the time, it cost them 44 dollars to actually build thing, with the margin in between for packaging costs and marketing. I'm guessing that Nintendo made a lot off of this. I'd wager it's probably the same setup for the DS and DS Lite.

Now, factor in that the DS sales are more than great. You're Nintendo. Your company is riding huge profits on (presumably both hardware and) software sales, and you've got not only whatever slice of gaming media on their ears, but also parts of the mainstream media praising your "blue oceans" market strategy. You believe you've got a cart blance; license to do whatever you want and still come out on top.

And with that in mind, you take a system that costs, let's say, no more than 130-ish dollars to make, toss in a controller at a cost of 15 give or take, as well as a game you developed and packaged internally for the cost of around 10 dollars. 155 is your production cost.

Singularly, the pricing could go like this:

Tack on 20 to the cost of the system, putting it at 150.

The controller could be priced wholesale at 25 dollars; a 10 dollar markup.

The game will probably sale for around 42 bucks, because Nintendo is it's own publisher/developer/game vending machine operation.

The bundle, that costs 155 to produce, now costs 217. When margins needed for marketing, packaging and profit are added, that will probably jump -and this is par for the course for wholesale vending- to around 245 for places like EB and the big department stores, and 247-8 for the smaller Mom and Pop places.

And there you have your 250 dollar price tag. Nintendo comes out on top.