North American Wii release date and price confirmed

Wii News | US$250, November 19. Update: confirmed.

Mass newspaper publication The New York Times has got its hands on the American Wii information a day early, before the press event scheduled for Thursday. The Wii will launch in North and South America on November 19, two days after the still-current release of the PS3. It will carry a price tag of US$250, although this is sure to be reduced to the .99 or .95 cent mark at various retailers.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime gave these comments to the paper: "Our goal is to bring gaming back to the masses. You see that in our pricing, you see that in the number of units we plan to make available this year and you see that in how we are positioning the Wii to appeal to every member of the household, including but not limited to the hardcore gamer."

The Times also mentions that the Wii will be, "far more available in stores this holiday season", a likely reference to the expected 400,000 PS3 units scheduled for release on November 17. Furthermore, the newspaper was informed that every Wii will come bundled with Wii Sports, and that games for the machine would come in at US$50 a pop. It was also confirmed that the console will see over 25 games released for it this year.

Australians can probably not expect the Wii to be released here before the 19th, and the US$250 price point will undoubtedly trigger random conversions and price speculation (we'll save you the time - US$250 is equivalent to AU$333 / £133 / €197), although the early release of the DS Lite does not completely rule out the possibility of Aussies getting the Wii first.

Update: As the offical American press conference has started in New York, Nintendo Europe has sent us a press release that offically confirms the US$249.99 price point for November 19th. More as we get it.

Global Wii launch details;

November 19th - United Stated - US$250 (AU$333 / £133 / €197 / ¥30,000) excludes sales tax [article]
December 2nd - Japan - ¥25,000 (AU$283 / £113 / €167 / US$212) [article]
December 7th - Australia - AU$399.95 (£160 / €238 / US$300 / ¥35,000) [article]
December 8th - Europe - €249 / £179 (AU$419 / US$315 / ¥37,000) [article]

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62 Comments

Chris-Leigh

5 years ago

:: dances because he'll never have to write up another bleedin' Wii price rumour article again ::

Not a bad price, for the Americans. Will be interesting to see how it translates. A little later than expected, mind.

James

5 years ago

Chris-Leigh wrote

You've still got 24 hours until we get a PAL price

Looks like $349 for late Nov for Australians then.

Jeremy

5 years ago

I think I'll just go out and say what I want before reserving judgement for tomorrow.

Ok, release this year = good. Means that there is some possibility that it will be here this year.

Price, unless that inculdes some funky extras or is still an upper limit, I'm extremely disappointed.

I mean, for an extra $US50, the consumer can go for "HIGH DEF GAMING!!!" (sarcasm intended) in the form of the Xbox 360 Core park, which in all likelihood will recieve a price drop with the impending releases in the US.

For a system that is, in terms of raw horsepower, inferior to the Xbox 360 and PS3, I find that a $250 price tag reeks of blatant profiteering and is unacceptable in terms of the philosophies that Nintendo has been spouting recently.

Again, unless this price tag includes funky extras such as VC downloads or extra controllers or pack-ins or whatever, that price is blatant profiteering and a pile of steaming ****.

In terms of the Aussie price, Nintendo have been quite generous lately with the DS but it looks like it will end up being around $350 if this is really the case.

Oh well, maybe better news will be revealed tomorrow.

EDIT: this is on IGN

Quote

Nintendo's Wii console will come packaged with Wii Sports, a compilation sports game that best shows off the mechanics of the system's unique controller. Wii Sports features tennis, baseball, golf and a previously unannounced bowling game.
Nintendo said it would provide Wii owners with more than 25 unique games this year.

Wii's much talked-about Virtual Console download service, which enables gamers to purchase classic games, will offer a library of some 30 titles when the system launches. Titles will include entries from the Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises, Nintendo said. Virtual Console games will cost between $5 and $10 each.

The Big N confirmed that it would charge $50 for its new Wii games, which is $10 cheaper than the cost of standard Xbox 360 titles.

In a surprise announcement, Nintendo said that it wanted to make Wii a living room centerpiece by shipping the system with features outside of the videogame realm. Wil will include a photo channel, enabling users to display their digital photos through the console. It will also boast regularly updated news and weather channels. In addition, the system will ship with the Opera Web browser, enabling users to connect online.

... not that much better

$US50 for game = $AU100

(for anything outside of zelda, mario and metroid, though if Wii succeeds, than stores may discount on release and what not

)

tullyano7

5 years ago

we know it includes at least Wii Sports which includes Golf, Tennis, Baseball and newly revealed Bowling

Crestfallen

5 years ago

at least now we know when LoZ:TP is being released....

Luke

5 years ago

What a rip off $100 for games? $250 for a repackaged Gamecube? C'mon Nintendo..

ZNMS

5 years ago

I am slowly starting to like Nintendo again.

Chris-Leigh

5 years ago

US$50 games, Luke.

Surely that won't translate as AU$100?

Jeremy

5 years ago

Chris-Leigh wrote

US$50 games, Luke.

Surely that won't translate as AU$100?

Jeremy wrote

$US50 for game = $AU100

There is nothing more certain to happen.
AU games are 99% of the time double the nominal US price.

James

5 years ago

Heh - the Seattle news piece has been removed. Someone's going to get a spanking for breaking that embargo.

Luke

5 years ago

Yes it unfortunately translates to AUD $100

US $60 = AUD $120

James

5 years ago

Jeremy wrote

$US50 for game = $AU100

$50 US = $66 AUD (via exchange rates)

Nintendo don't mark up PAL prices as much as MS & Sony, so I think we can expect under $100 AUD.

Frozencry

5 years ago

The fact that they're releasing it right after the PS3 launch is a big risk IMO. The price tag is okay I guess, and lets hope it releases by the end of the year for us also. I'd want one for xmas.

Chris-Leigh

5 years ago

Jeremy wrote

$US50 for game = $AU100

Well that ain't official!

Then again, you guys are probably better informed as to what to expect from these things than I am. $AU100 would be a 50% mark-up from the US price though - seems a lot.

Meh, I'm waiting until next year anyway.

DancesInUnderwear

5 years ago

One thing is for sure - Nintendo will be making a pretty porfit on these things. And, that, of course, is the problem. If every other company can sell their consoles at a loss, Nintendo should too.

And not to mention the incredibly crap 30 VC games.

I think I'll be sitting out of this one for a while, Ninty.

Mark

5 years ago

"$US50 for game = $AU100 (for anything outside of zelda, mario and metroid, though if Wii succeeds, than stores may discount on release and what not )"

Um... what? The exchange rate has changed over the last decade, so it's no longer double the price. It translate into $66 AUS, but I'm guessing the games will be marked up to something like $79 or $85 (regular last-gen prices), which isn't too bad I suppose. I'd be very surprised if it was anything over $90 though. I really do hope $79 would be an average though.

renegadesx

5 years ago

Guys, that New York Times article was pure speculation, Nintendo are about to announce the Japanese details very very soon, the americans wait till tomorrow (when its 14th over there). I think we have to wait till tomorrow as well for the European (which could be PAL) reigons

I have a feeling that the gaming show im Melb could be the Aust release

Crestfallen

5 years ago

X360 games are US$60 and somehow they come to our shores at AUS$120 so i'm expecting to see 100 buck wii games

Jeremy

5 years ago

In terms of games, Nintendo are not generous.

The prices are stuck in terms of old days when 1AUD = 0.5USD

Throughout the entirety of the last generation, games were set at $100 with only a couple like Warioware coming in at a lower price. The problem was that when the GC tanked and was dropped from department stores, EB and GW kept the prices at $100 cos there was no competition to keep them down.

Some GC games were cheaper because publishers like EA and Activision saw that the games need some encouragement to go off shelves. Nintendo generally didn't join in.

Hopefully, the Wii does take off and maybe prices will start being subject to fair competition again. Though i would have liked to have seen more dynamic pricing strategy from nintendo, given the expected variation in the nature of the games.

You've got recent examples of games that have come out on the Xbox 360 + PS2 + Xbox, where the PS2 and Xbox versions are discounted to $80 in face of the Xbox 360 $120. But for the most part, new games (even today) are being released at $100 but a lot get discounted in the first week, possibly to promote sales and what not

Joseph

5 years ago

I'd be happy with $80-90 games. Still cheaper than $110+ for Xbox 360 titles. Wii Sports included? Good. I'm guessing $350 for Australia. Decent price.

James

5 years ago

renegadesx wrote

Guys, that New York Times article was pure speculation

No. The New York Times article was released before they were allowed to do so. The big newspapers get told in advance since they need longer lead times to get content out. You can trust that it was true.

renegadesx

5 years ago

I somehow doubt Nintendo would release the Wii in the US before Japan, and Japan is officially set for December 2nd from Iwata's mouth. I dont believe for a second that the times article is true

Luke

5 years ago

renegadesx wrote

I somehow doubt Nintendo would release the Wii in the US before Japan, and Japan is officially set for December 2nd from Iwata's mouth. I dont believe for a second that the times article is true

Each to his own, we'll see though, why would it have been pulled otherwise?

LeonJ

5 years ago

I'd happily pay $350 for a 'repackaged' Gamecube with Wii Sports and two controllers with 30 odd games to choose from opposed to $1000 for a blue-ray player with 6 average games to choose from for $1000. (but will be more available for us in March when it's released).

Looking good Nintendo!

But that December 2 thing scares me, does this mean March for us????

EDIT - OK, doesn't look like it comes with Wii sports or a 2nd controller

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