More release date and price speculation
by David Hinkle 
{ Aug 8th 2006 at 1:00PM }
At this point, it kills us to report on these speculatory meanderings other news outlets conduct, claiming they know when the console is going to release. However tired as we may be, we must bring forth to you fine reader everything about this console we all love so. For love (we really do love you and often imagine sitting up with you, just talking, until the sun rises), we labor on!You know, Matt over at IGN isn't such a horrible source though. Usually he isn't so far off from the truth as to be on a separate measuring instrument altogether, so we consider that with his proposal for a November 2nd or 12th release date. We also consider it when reading his proposed $229 US price tag with selection of white or black console. Matt also goes on to say that Nintendo has ramped up production on their console to reach 5 million units of hardware by the end of the year. Now that figure, well...it's staggering. We're not too sure we can totally believe that one.
Take the information as you will and do make sure you let us know where you want to go on that date.
[Thanks Ryoma!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
vidGuy @ Aug 8th 2006 1:36PM
As I told Ryoma, contrary to the subtitle, this feels later and more expensive than I'd expect.
Nearly 90% of the information I read now points to a late October launch, Oct 20th - Oct 31st.
Also, Nintendo would be nuts to launch above $199, UNLESS they have a sweet package deal. If the $229 box has two remotes, 1 nunchuck, and Wii Sports, I'll be more than happy.
Hopefully we'll know all we want by the end of LGC.
Josh @ Aug 8th 2006 1:42PM
I agree, vidGuy. If it's retailing for $229, it better be a sweet package, and also include a classic controller in it. Otherwise it has to be $199 or less.
Dracula Jones @ Aug 8th 2006 2:01PM
Why would Nintendo be nuts to launch above $199?
What is it that the 360 Core has that justifies a $100 price difference over Wii, in your opinion? 720p capabilities?
$229 sounds low to me, personally, but I think it would be great. Factor in the inclusion of one controller and nunchuk, the sensor bar, the included memory, the WLAN adapter... all things the 360 Core does not offer at the $299 price point, which is selling at a loss for Microsoft.
Josh @ Aug 8th 2006 2:05PM
Dracula Jones, because the GameCube now sells for $99 and Nintendo makes a profit off of everyone sold. Since the Wii itself is more or less an overclocked GameCube, the system itself should not cost more than $99. Unless manufacturing the Wii Remote costs another $100, then I don't see why Nintendo would have to launch above $199.
michael @ Aug 8th 2006 2:14PM
4. if you're saying profit does that include the R&D, advertisement, stuff like that? i can see it going to like $230, im sure it will include VL controller, atleast 1 remote and nunchuk hopefully 2 and wii sports, i dont mind 230 then
Anticrawl @ Aug 8th 2006 2:16PM
Nintendo has always launched its consoles and handhelds under $199 in the states, every console being $199. I don't think Nintendo will change this. The core console price will undoubtedly be 199 US dollars, that price is not including special bundles Nintendo ships to Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy or bundles created by retailers(i.e. adding an extra controller or game in with purchase). Chances are places like Best Buy will force you to only buy their bogus bundles like they did with the 360 by not offering just the console with it’s required accessories alone so we may not see that $199 price Nintendo loves to use so much. The reason they promised below $250 US dollars is most likely to appease the UK and Japanese gamers who could end up paying more than $199 US dollars in their country because of exchange rates.
American Nintendo fans shouldn't worry, NoA is pretty consistant.
Anticrawl
Turken @ Aug 8th 2006 2:18PM
Josh - It's not just about how much the hardware unit and controllers cost to make. You also have to consider that there is a lot that goes into a console besides just the manufacturing... marketing, development, distribution, packaging, back-alley payoffs, executive salaries, etc. All that overhead really does add up quickly.
Considering that the gamecube has very little (if any) hardware marketing going on now, while the Wii is in the middle of a media blitz, that should add significantly to the production costs, along with the rest of the normal overhead. Also, the Wii hardware, while it may be similar to the GC, is still in it's first iteration and has not been fully optimized like the GC hardware, so that also inflates the price a bit.
Overall, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if the Wii DOES retail at $229 (or $249) for the hardware alone.
reguy @ Aug 8th 2006 2:25PM
Thank you Josh. Dracula Jones, if you feel the wii is such a better deal than the xbox360 why dont you buy it for $649 dollars like Latin America? The wii is 2x speed of the gamecube, even nintendo has said it, but thanks for showing what a sheep fanboy you are
GMan @ Aug 8th 2006 2:30PM
Sigh. People argue that the Wii should be really cheap, because the Gamecube only costs $99.
Unlike the Wii, the Gamecube doesn't have:
- SD card readers
- USB ports
- A new, redesigned GPU
- A new, redesigned CPU
- Wireless b/g
- A sensor bar
- 512 MB of included flash memory
- A full-blown OS with software download capability
- 480p (this was removed from latest Gamecubes, lest we forget)
Also, as you may realize, the Wii controllers are considerably more complicated than their traditional brethren.
All told, $200 is a bargain for a Wii + a wii-mote. I'm sure at $229, that would probably include a game, but these prices are not unreasonable.
RD @ Aug 8th 2006 2:34PM
GMan-
Good points. Excellent post.
Dracula Jones @ Aug 8th 2006 2:41PM
The 360 wireless controller is $50 and you have to assume the Wii controller is a bit more advanced, right? But let's say it is only $50, including the nunchuk attachment.
Since the Wii is just an overclocked Gamecube, like you said, it should only cost $99 for the base unit. I won't factor in the added cost of an optical drive that accepts standard discs and GC discs, with a slot loading mechanism that was not present in the Gamecube. But still, just for the sake of argument, I'll say $99 for the base unit.
I can't imagine what the sensor bar would cost... does $20 sound fair?
The 360's WLAN adapter is $100, but it's grossly overpriced. The average price of a PCI or PCMCIA wireless adapter is around $30.
512MB writable internal memory... saaay, $10. And a multi card reader, another $10.
All of that together is $220 and that's a low estimate based only on the most visible parts.
You have to figure that even though the Gamecube hardware sells for $99, this IS a new console launch and it does have new components inside... even though the PS2 is based on PS1 hardware, it didn't sell for $100 when it launched just because the PS1 was selling for that much at the time.
.ed @ Aug 8th 2006 3:21PM
GMan makes clear a lot of points that people have forgotten.
Shine Get.
Probot @ Aug 8th 2006 3:33PM
I've never expected anything below $250, $300 with a good bundle. $199 would look good, just to have the 1 out in front, but Nintendo would be leaving too much money on the table. There is enough hype for them to inflate the price a little, and they'll still sell 5 million easily.
Jadnice @ Aug 8th 2006 4:23PM
Gman... is right. For some reason people are forgetting or over looking the fact that the Wiimote itself consist of high end technology. Plus unlike the Gamecube, Wii will bring to name a few:
* Online capabilities (online gaming, WiiConnet24 and VC functionality)
* A GUI interface which includes the use of a browser (Opera)
Plus I am sure there are other features we haven't been told about yet. So it’s real stupid for someone to think e it should be sold for anything less than $199. It doesn't have HD graphics but the Wii brings so much other things to the table.
vidGuy @ Aug 8th 2006 4:38PM
Hey, I've been trying to respond for two hours but NWF won't take my long post.
This is a direct response to you guys, not a piece I wrote earlier. http://haveyouexperienced.blogspot.com/2006/08/response-to-nwf-thread.html
Nintendo would be nuts to launch over $199 (console and remote nunchuck only) not because of the quality of the hardware (which is top notch, I never have to replace Nintendo consoles, unlike my PS and PS2), or the system's capabilities and features, but because of image.
Nintendo is marketing itself as a new experience in gaming. Some people won't pay top dollar to risk it on a new gaming experience when they can pay just a little more and get exactly what they expect out of a console (which isn't to say that other consoles deliver what they WANT). To many gamers, Wii will be the second console. The diehards and the early adopters would pay big bucks for the Wii, if you are on this site you should agree, but others won't. Just like many people won't pay $600 for a PS3, many people won't pay $249 or $229 for Wii.
Nintendo would lose TONS of sales if they came out above $200 for a core package. That one in the front of the price tag is very powerful. This is a basic marketing technique that really attracts consumers. The extra $30 per package could actually end up costing Nintendo money. This is because of the economics of the situation: price elasticity and demand are curves.
So let's just throw out numbers here:
10 million consoles sold in x amount of months @ USD$200 = USD$2,000,000,000 total revenue
add $30 to the price, and maybe 1.5 million people change their mind about Wii, so
8.5 million consoles sold in same amount of months @ USD$230 =USD$1,955,000,000 total revenue
The point is, Nintendo should stick by their history of a $199 release to really capitilize on the market. They will only lose a handful of dollars per console (compared to the boats-full that Sony and MS lose), and in a year's time they would be making money on each sale.I would gladly pay $250 for a Wii. At $299, I would really struggle for it, but I wouldn't be tossing my money elsewhere, like some gamers would. The higher the Wii retail price is, the less likely that Nintendo will win this console war.
@Dracula Jones, your pricing is reasonable except for the fact that you are adding up consumer prices. Nintendo would get bulk pricing. The console shouldn't cost more than $150 - $175 to make. Add in accessories and the cost to Nintendo is probably right around $200 - $225. Nintendo would be smart to take a small loss and capitilize on the image that a $199 price tag has next to $299, $399, $499, and $599 price tags.
Other things to note:
The Wii is not an overclocked GameCube. It's architecture is based off the GameCube, but the hardware was not taken out of a GC and speed up. These are new parts. But they are not so new and high-tech that they cost big dough. While the PS3 hardware costs several hundred dollars more than its predecessor's hardware cost at launch, the Wii should cost roughly what the GC did at launch to produce, if only a little more.
Here's how to think of the hardware. I'm not going to go in-depth naming hardware components, but take a computer that has a 1GHz P3, 256MB RAM, and a 40GB harddrive. Now, 5 years later, pay the same price for a 3GHz P4, 512MB RAM, and a 120GB hdd. Moore's law doesn't work for video game consoles, but conventional wisdom says that after 5 years, this hardware should be about the same price as the first system. But no one can deny that, even though it is basically upgraded pieces of the first PC, it is much more powerful.
The previously "rumored" specs for the Wii have been proved to be false. I expect the system to run above 1GHz, with a 500MHz GPU. This is amazing power, especially since the Wii is not doing high def. Compared to the 360 or PS3 it's not that powerful, but for what it is doing, Wii will be more than capable.
Turken is right about overhead costs, but it's important to note that the console is not Nintendo's only source of revenue. Far from it. While they may make a $20 on each GC sold, they make huge profits on accessories and, most imporantly, games. These things help cover overhead nicely.
So, if you decided to skip all that and just read this last line, here's the deal. Technicially speaking, $229 to $249 is fine. But instead of grabbing at dimes, Nintendo should lose a little now and reap in the Benjamins in a year's time. It just makes more business sense.
R0DJOh @ Aug 8th 2006 4:48PM
I think thats a fair enough price. And besides, its not like the GC was launched at $99.
David Hinkle @ Aug 8th 2006 5:23PM
vidGuy,
I've added your post into your original comment.
Thanks for reading!
Dave
Street Direct.or @ Aug 8th 2006 5:24PM
Well, it's NINTENDO. They can do anything. So let's just wait till release. Too many gossips
vidGuy @ Aug 8th 2006 5:29PM
Thanks, David. What's up with Weblogs Inc and long posts? It seems like here, Joystiq, and Engadget never let a post go to the email address if it's more than a few paragraphs.
Any word on persistant user profiles? That'd be nice... log in and not have to confirm every comment.
David Hinkle @ Aug 8th 2006 5:31PM
No idea about cross-blog profile saving. Sorry. :(
Dave
Josh @ Aug 8th 2006 5:35PM
@Dracula Jones: Echoing what vidGuy said, the prices you listed are consumer prices. Actually making these products or buying them in bulk is much cheaper than the consumer prices for the same products. Bringing up the $50 Xbox 360 wireless rip-off controller and $100 bigger rip-off Wi-Fi adapter were the worst examples there. ~_~
@vidGuy: Yes, Nintendo needs to launch at $199 for the best image, but I really hope that is not the price of a "Core" system. I hope there is just one standard Wii configuration so as not to divide the market. Anyway, Iwata said earlier that Nintendo would lose little to nothing on each Wii sold, so I little lost now should be fine to them.
And, and when I said the CPU and GPU were just the GameCube CPU and GPU overclocked, I said "more or less overclocked". Hollywood and Broadway are derived from Gekko and Flipper, respectively, with higher clock rates, but the fact that they can be underclocked to simulate the GameCube parts is further proof that they are "more or less" overclocked versions of their GameCube counterparts. After all, simply saying they're overclocked is easier than what I just explained. ^^
Super Duper MArio @ Aug 8th 2006 5:43PM
Wii has and will cost more to make than the GC did...
if u think a new wii should sell for the same price as a GC which is 5 years old - your nuts...
199 = less money up front, more backend money
249/229 = less backend money, more upfront money
vidGuy @ Aug 8th 2006 6:14PM
Regarding the hardware, you're right Josh. I've just been seeing a lot of comments elsewhere regarding the Wii being GC hardware, just "overclocked", and this just isn't true. The hardware had been worked on for a long time; it doesn't take months of work to overclock a CPU. I just thought I'd include it in my little rant. :)
Regarding bundles, I'd prefer Nintendo make two because, unlike the 360 and the PS3, neither package would be missing out on core features. The 360 core is missing a harddrive; the PS3 core is missing HDMI output (among other things). The Wii could come out in two packages, with them differing only in bundled accessories. My ideal packages that I've been touting a long time are:
Wii Action Pack $199
Wii Console
2 remotes
1 nunchuck
Wii Sports on WiiDVD
Wii Action+Retro Pack $249
Wii Console
2 remotes
1 nunchuck
Wii Sports on WiiDVD
VC controller
VC credit (5 games)
512MB SD card
Jason C. @ Aug 8th 2006 6:49PM
@ vidGuy
Wii Action+Retro Pack $249
Wii Console
2 remotes
1 nunchuck
Wii Sports on WiiDVD
VC controller
VC credit (5 games)
512MB SD card
I think this is a great deal, but I think it should include 2 nunchucks. I think ever Wii-mote should come with the nunchuck. I think the VC controller and the Zapper should retail for around $20 each
vidGuy @ Aug 8th 2006 6:56PM
@jason
Yeah, actually Nintendo (Iwata, I think) said that every remote would come with a nunchuck, so you are probably right.
It has also been said that all of the expensive tech (Bluetooth wireless, advanced motion sensors) are in the remote, so those may be expensive (say $40 to $50 for the remote+nunchuck), but attachments should be cheap ($10 - $20 sounds right). This really opens the door to developers, who could include a remote attachment that would have its own way of playing their games.
Josh @ Aug 8th 2006 8:36PM
The only problems with those bundles, vidGuy, are that I really think the classic controller must be included with the system by default. Even prominent games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl will not be using the Wii Remote or nunchaku unit, but only the classic controller (or was it GameCube controllers?). Either way, the fact that your idea for a Core bundle does not have this controller means people will have to buy another $20+ controller just to play Brawl when it is released. That's $70 already, and if your friends don't already have classic controllers, they'll have to buy them to (since multiplayer is what SSB is made for, naturally). That really can add up.
Additionally, what you added to the Premium bundle was not enough to warrant the $50 price increase, I believe (classic controller, five games, and 512 MB SD card). All of these components bought separately would be just about $50 anyway, so why bother getting the bundle?
Still, I believe that there should be one single retail SKU for Wii, but if there must be two, both should have all the necessary "base" controllers to play any game, or any game that needs another controller or attachment must include it at little to no extra cost.
Freddy @ Aug 8th 2006 9:03PM
Does anyone think Nintendo will include a free download for their virtual console library? Think about it, nongamers might buy a wii, and probably never use the virtual console library… but if you give them a free download card or code at launch date, they will be hooked.
epobirs @ Aug 8th 2006 9:09PM
Speaking as someone who has entered some monster length posts on Joystiq, it soesn't seem to be a problem. However, I recommend always copying what you've written to the clipboard before uploading in case you have to do it over or correct a mistake.
In addition to the valid point Gman raised (substantially increased RAM should be considered as well since it is a very major item for developers), there are substantial costs above and beyond the mere Cost Of Goods (COG) delivered in the box. A die shrink of a chip set is, of course, far less costly than an entirely new chipset but the process is far from free. Likewise for the controller, the costs go well beyond the hardware. There is a long trail of cost in developing the item and in further developing tools for aiding developers in producing games to work with it.
The list of costs billable to the product goes on and on, with Nintendo anxious to recoup those one-time costs ASAP. This is why a price point of $225-$250 for at least the first six months of the Wii's availability would not be at all shocking. There is a die hard audience that would snap up the first 2 to 3 million Wii units at 300 without a second though so long as some of the major franchise are well represented without severe delay. If Mario Galaxy is a launch or near-launch title, they're golden. They can recoup a major portion of their investment in well less than a fiscal year and look godly to the big stockholders.
Once the one-time costs are covered and the die hard audience satisfied, then Nintendo will be free to cut the cost of entry in big chunks. Another presents itself, though. Doing a big bundle of free first party VC games would allow them to keep the price point up at a cost to them measured in pennies. No physical media would be produced. The only cost would be bandwidth, which even for the largest N64 game would be measurable in a useful way only the thousands of downloads for factoring cost of the promotion.
Nintendo has plenty of leeway for the Wii to become extremely affordable but there is no need to rush for that price point.
VidGuy, what is the Xbox 360 Hard Drive if not a bundled accessory? It increases the range of software and options for using it but isn't a make or break item, just like the additional controller options for the Wii. In both cases the item can be bought separately and easily added to the console. The HDMI on the PS3 is a bigger issue since it cannot be added later.
David, I don't think supply should be a problem. One of the advantages of doing a modest chip design on 90nm is that you get a LOT of chips per wafer with very good yields.
Waccoon @ Aug 9th 2006 6:41AM
I think there's a few things people are not considering:
1) The price of the system has nothing to do with the manufacturing cost. They charge based on what the competition charges. So all these people nickle-and-diming the parts list to figure out the price is pretty dumb. If Nintendo thinks they can get away with $230 or more, because people are spending $350 or more (with memory cards) on other systems, then that's what Nintendo will do. Specs really do matter in the end, but not when it comes to pricing.
2) Manufacturing costs are not as high as you might think. The sensor bar probably costs $3. The flash memory is soldered to the motherboard and doesn't need an encoder chip, and doesn't have to be really high-speed memory, either. High-speed flash memory costs a LOT more than slower stuff. The Wiimote uses MEMS technology on a chip, while older consoles use mechanical parts. Even with wireless, I can't imagine the Wiimote costing much more than a wired Gamecube controller to build. The card reader is just a bracket that fits on the motherboard -- the bridge in the CPU handles endcoding, so comparing it to a USB card reader isn't realistic. USB and RAMDACs are a dime a dozen, too. Nintendo probably only removed 480p from later Gamecubes because they were originally using a custom chip that had both digital out encoding and progressive scan together on the same chip, and later switched to an off-the-shelf RAMDAC where progressive scan wasn't available.
3) The CPU and GPU generally make up more than half of the total manufacturing cost of a machine. I doubt Nintendo is paying more than $25 each for either the CPU or GPU -- about a quarter what MS pays for its chips. Wireless is probably in the range of $10-$12.
4) Wii doesn't use daughterboards from what I can tell.
5) People *will* need to buy accessories to use the system as advertised. Most people don't have wireless ethernet in their homes, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo sold a Virtual Console kit as a bundle. Say, $40-$50 gets you the Ethernet adapter, controller, and a free download or two. The competition decided to put an ethernet port on their systems by default, which probably cost them a whopping $0.30.
6) Basic accessories are still a big market. There's no reason why every new console cannot have an A/V and S-Video combo as standard. Still, why do that when you can sell such a cable seperately? A/V will just make the aliasing less noticable. ;)
6) By launching high, Nintendo give themselves a comfortable margin. For any technology, quick price drops usually don't cause an outcry among the early buyers (for some strange reason).
7) Nintendo's target audience are non-gamers, who generally don't know much about the current state of technology, and will only see that it is cheaper than XBox. Value means little to them. Hardcore gamers are going to get it no matter what, regardless of the cost ("It's still cheaper than XBox").
8) You really think Nintendo is spending a bunlde on R&D and advertising? The majority of R&D goes into the two main chips, and those are recycled designs. Wii is about the only thing the media is covering right now, with [exceedingly positive] rumors flying everywhere.
All things considered, Nintendo will definately make a tidy sum on the system at $200, and could possibly break even at $150. But, there's very little incentive for Nintendo to keep the price that low. In the end, I think they'll hold out for significantly more than $200 with one controller and a bundled game. The controller makes people forget about the guts of the console completely, so why not charge more than $200?
Wayne @ Aug 9th 2006 7:14AM
I'M GETTING VERY VERY TIRED OF ALL THIS SPECULATION.
I WISH WE COULD JUST WAIT FOR CONFIRMED DETAILS.
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 8:06AM
@epobirs,
The lack of the 360 hard drive severely cripples the core package. There have been rumors that future games will require the HDD, making it impossible to play those games on a core system without a ridiculously expensive purchase for the "add-on". Specifically, the XBOX page has a checkbox for a game property titled "Hard Drive Required". See http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/27/ninety-nine-nights-to-require-hard-drive/
In addition, one of the greatest features of the 360, the XBLA/M, is not available without the HDD. Free demos of upcoming games are a great marketing tool, but they still benefit the consumer greatly. I bought Prey because of its demo.
In comparison, the Wii isn't going to be less powerful or less capable if you buy the package that doesn't come with the VC controller (or any other 'neccesary' accessory).
While I agree that the VC controller is important, it may be left out of the box because of price restraints. Since I feel it is more important to keep the console under $200 originally than to package everything a gamer needs in one box, not all of the "required" accessories can go along.
@Jason C., you are right. Nintendo said that all remotes will come with nunchucks (to make the complete controller). I forgot about that. Thanks.
@Josh
I'm just guessing at some pricing, but 512MB SD cards go for about $20, the VC controller would go for $20 to $30, and the Virtual Console credit of 5 to 10 games could be worth around $30 to $40. So you are looking at a potential value of $70 to $90. Since most gamers would be getting these things anyway, it would be a good deal for them. And keeping the $199 deal allows Nintendo to market the Wii as "starting at $199", like MS did with the 360 core at $299.
Regarding VC credit, it has been hinted that Nintendo may include free VC downloads with the purchase of new games. So Metroid Prime 3 may come with a download, or several, of the past Metroid games. Ditto for Mario, Zelda, etc. Like Freddy says, the more people Nintendo hooks in with free stuff, the more consumers there are to buy VC games.
So if Nintendo goes for one SKU, maybe it'd be:
Wii Bundle $249
Wii Console
2 remotes
2 nunchucks
Wii Sports on WiiDVD
VC controller
VC credit (5 - 10 games)
512MB SD card
I guess that would be optimal for the consumer. Will Nintendo be this generous? I doubt it. But thinking critically, they would probably be losing less than $50 per sale, and they'd be covering their bases on several objectives:
Focus on multiplayer gaming - 2 controller setups
Capture the non-gamer - Wii Sports
Market the Virtual Console - VC controller, credit, SD card
All in all, though, I still think it is critical that Nintendo create SOME Wii bundle under $200. Dracula Jones asked me (post 3) what warrants the $100 difference between a $199 Wii and a $299 360 Core. Well, Microsoft hasn't come out and said that its machine will be inferior (hardware-wise) to the competitors. Nintendo has (hardware-wise). This image will be carried throughout the Wii's life. If it is marketed as the budget-console, the fun, and different, gaming experience that can be had for "Less than $200", it will succeed, greatly.
I own a 360 and will buy a Wii on launch day. I want nothing more than Nintendo's kick-ass triumph this generation. But I feel marketing is crucial, and it is imperative that Nintendo makes all the right moves. They should start by releasing at $199.
mark @ Aug 9th 2006 9:13AM
Obviously Nintendo is going to price the Wii where it will make the most profits. I really see no problem, especially seeing Sony has completely dropped the ball, with a Wii priced over $300. The Wii is a unique experience and I am sure Nintendo know it, and now that the whole world knows it Nintendo would insane not to charge much more.
I think the Wii will be much more expensive than every one is expecting and it will still sell very well.
BillBix @ Aug 9th 2006 9:17AM
WII HAS A WIRELESS REMOTE? IT'S A SENSOR SO YOU CAN SWING IT TO PLAY YOUR GAMES?
Of course it does... It's the first of it's kind, a "revolution" if you will, if you haven't forgot the codename.
So of course the price is going to be higher this is new stuff and it's so hyped up that it has us by our balls just waiting in excitement. Although I'd be extremely happy with $229 pricetag. I'd still be happy if it only came with one controler and nunchuck and no game. Even though I would wish for more, but I'd still be happy.
I wouldn't see how Wii wouldn't include at least ONE controler and nunchuck. If nintendo doesn't include them it's really going to turn away alot of those people who are on the "maybe" side of things. Unlike me, I'll shovel out anything for whatever nintendo wants to shove in my face.
Pelcinary @ Aug 9th 2006 11:48AM
I have Red Steel in my gamefly queue and it suddenly has a release date of October 26 rather than TBA. Every other wii game on my queue is still TBA.
Here's the photo
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b80/pelcinary/Picture1.png
Smarty @ Aug 9th 2006 12:34PM
I think they need a bundle like this.
Wii Bundle
----------
Wii Console
1 remote
1 nunchuck
VC controller
VC credit (1 - 3 games)
512MB SD card
----------
About $230
(I did not add Wii Sports because i do not know what it is. Will post later with updated price and Wii sports, once i find out what it was)
Smarty @ Aug 9th 2006 12:38PM
Ok. I found out what Wii sports was.
Updated Bundle
Wii Bundle
----------
Wii Console
1 remote
1 nunchuck
VC controller
VC credit (1 - 3 games)
512MB SD card
Wii Sports
----------
About $250
There. Added Wii Sports.
Smarty @ Aug 9th 2006 12:43PM
I'm with GMan.
The Wii is more advanced than the GC, so it would cost more.
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 1:12PM
Yes, Smarty, it'll cost more than the GC does now. Of course. But it really isn't that much more "high-tech" than the GC was at release. Ok, so it has a wireless remote. But that's become pretty easy to get ahold of now-a-days (look at all the Bluetooth devices out there, and compare their prices now to 5 years ago - if they were even on the market). The sensor bar is just an advanced series of infrared lighting, so it's not really expensive (it does NOT receive anything from the remote). 512MB of flash is cheap, especially when bought in bulk.
I really don't see what the huge cost is, compared to BluRay and Cell in the PS3 that are expensive because they are new tech. The remote will be an expensive controller, but the console as a whole isn't that bad.
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 1:24PM
By the way, I like your bundles. I'd really like to see two full controller setups, but because of the cost of the remote I don't know if it'll happen. Your bundle seems much more feasible than my $249 one in post 29 - which I even said is very unlikely.
I'm not going to be dissappointed if Nintendo doesn't make such a great bundle. I'll still buy the Wii even if it's $249 for just the console and one controller setup. The 360 has been out nearly a year and there's only a few (2 or 3) compelling games, IMO. In contrast, I'll be buying at least 4 launch window titles for Wii, and probably a dozen within the first year.
I feel that Nintendo has learned its lesson the past two generations. They are far from failing in the console market because they make money each generation, but they have also been far from their SNES-era reign of the video games industry.
I think that Nintendo's positioning of this console as something different than its competitors is genious. Instead of going toe-to-toe (which they could have done by releasing a $300+ system) and spliting the pie with Sony and MS, they are grabbing up nearly 100% of a totally different pie. The Wii isn't winning any popularity polls when voters are only given the option of choosing one console. But when it's available as a secondary choice with either the 360 or PS3, it wins by a land slide.
Nintendo just needs to keep the price down to maintain this favor. With the other consoles' price tags, a $199 tag almost looks like an impulse buy.
I LOVE the rumors that Nintendo has stepped up production to reach 5 million before Jan. The 360 may have 10 million sold by Jan, but Wii will reach that by March if the consoles are out on the shelves. After that, Nintendo's sales figures could surpass the competitors and never look back.
danj3ris @ Aug 9th 2006 1:54PM
I love how everyone is skirting the real issue here:
Is that Russel Crowe behind the Wii crystal Ball? It looks like it can be Russel Crowe.
Yea! Russel Crowe! Wii Fanboy!
Amanda @ Aug 9th 2006 7:09PM
Well, we have proof that it won't be over $250.
In my Camp Hyrule information e-mail, in the fine print accompanying the Wii sweepstakes:
Grand Prize: One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive one (1) Wii video game
system. Approximate retail value of the Wii video game system has not yet
been determined, but will not exceed $250.00. Winner will receive prize
within 14 days following the U.S. retail release of the Wii video game
system.
There we go.
Dan @ Aug 9th 2006 7:41PM
@Amanda: We already know this pricing information, as Nintendo officially stated that the Console would not be over $250 bucks.
5 Million units? That's awesome. I hope they're not all defective, like how the Xbox 360 started out. But that's Microsoft. :P
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 7:41PM
Thanks, Amanda, for looking that up. Nintendo made that public 2 1/2 months ago. Here's Joystiq info, the original press release is gone from Nintendo's site.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/25/wii-wont-be-more-than-250-says-nintendo/
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 7:46PM
Has Nintendo ever made a defective unit? My NES and SNES are still working just fine. I'd be more worried about the unproven PS3.
If that 5 million mark by Jan is right, then I'd expect them to have 10 million my March/April 07, and maybe 20 million by Jan 08. If priced right, they'll all sell.
vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2006 9:00PM
Hahaha, check this post out:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/09/captain-obvious-camp-hyrule-says-wii-wont-exceed-250/
And Amanda, this isn't directed at you.
Cam @ Aug 17th 2006 6:58PM
Just found this! Release date 11/17/06:
http://www.toysrus.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10054&langId=-1&productId=87085&N=26+&nvalue=26
sean @ Sep 6th 2006 1:36AM
@ cam
by that logic on the website from toys r us Wii is also a 1 pound 1 inch cube. I think they just put 11/17 as a placeholder knowing that in all likelihood it will launch before ps3.
my personal opinion?
Nov. 5th
229.99
*two wiimotes/nunchucks
*one classic controller
*wii sports
*sensor bar
*system
friedgreenmushrooms @ Sep 13th 2006 6:39PM
Let's look at it this way. Have any of the other Nintendo consoles ever launched with two controllers? I'm pretty sure that I can remember getting a second controller on the side for N64. And I know for sure that I had to buy a second Cube controller.
Muhahahahaz @ Nov 5th 2006 11:41AM
Has ANY console launched with more than one controller? As far as I know, that has never happened. It really sucks, but it's true. Game companies love to make money off selling controllers, so that's exactly what they'll do.