Australian Wii launch details revealed

Wii News | AU$399.95, December 7th.

Moments ago, we received a press release from Nintendo that contains the official launch details for the Wii in Australia. We now know that the console will be launching in Australia for AU$399.95 on December 7th. As in the US, the Australian launch package will automatically include the five Wii Sports games on one disc as part of the bundle. One wireless Wii Remote controller and one Nunchuk controller will also be included.

The Wii will be launching in the United States at US$250 (AU$333) and Japan at ¥25,000 (AU$283), so this is a considerable price increase. Despite this, Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing at Nintendo Australia has this to say; “At such an affordable price, we see Wii as being a true product of everybody [sic].”

Nintendo Australia anticipates that we'll see around 20 titles come launch. These include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the aforementioned Wii Sports.

However, the pricing structure of the Virtual Console (VC) in Australia was not revealed. The VC allows users to download games from previous Nintendo systems to play on the Wii. We do know that in the US prices for VC games will range from US$5 (AU$6.65) to US$10 (AU$13.30), so we can expect a slightly inflated conversion from these.

We’ll bring you more news on the Australian Wii launch as it breaks.

Global Wii launch details:

November 19th - North America - US$250 (excludes sales tax) (AU$333 / £133 / €197 / ¥30,000) [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]

Related Content

Japanese Wii launch details
14 Sep, 2006 ¥25,000, December 2nd.

North American Wii release date and price confirmed
14 Sep, 2006 US$250, November 19. Update: confirmed.

THQ loves the Wii
18 Jul, 2006 They're having a lot of fun with it, apparently.

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197 Comments

Frozencry

5 years ago

I'm sorry but why is this arguement still going? How about you just get over it and buy it if you want, and if you consider it too expensive, don't buy it. That's that. The price has been marked, it's staying, now get over it. All this arguement is going to do is keep repeating itself.

David

5 years ago

EvilHayama wrote

I hate to break it to you but the consoles are being shipped just as far to get to america as they are to get to australia.

Further, actually - but you're forgetting one thing.

It costs far more per unit if you ship a smaller number of units somewhere. The USA will get more then te times what we will, and there are more and cheaper channels between the USA and Japan - so shipping will certainly be far less to the US.

--------------------------------------------------

Another pont for everyone here:

AU Wii price = 120% x US Wii price
AU 360 price = 122% x US 360 price
AU PS3 price = 125% x US PS3 price

So if Nintendo are 'ripping us off', then the others are ripping us off more.

Jeremy

5 years ago

The AU price has nothing to the with the US price
The AU price of all three consoles are based off the Euro price

Klawrence

5 years ago

I agree with frozencry lets sum this up.

Happy to pay $400 for wii. good work

dont want to pay $400 for Wii. Dont.

admeister

5 years ago

Beepos wrote

Now with that bring on the average graphic yet amazingly fun gameplay games. Go Wii! Sorry If I came of arguementative, its just when your a poor uni student every dollar counts.

And I know how much Nintendo has suffered in Aus in the console department, I want the Wii to succeed because I think the gameplay, fun> over amazing graphics is a good strategy!

Amen that that!

LeonJ

5 years ago

*ahem* remember you get a free game with it, which would have have $50-$70 AU by itself. I would of purcahsed Wii Sports anyway, I think it would be an awesome party/time killer game.

EvilHayama

5 years ago

Jeremy wrote

The AU price has nothing to the with the US price
The AU price of all three consoles are based off the Euro price

So we're getting it cheaper! Cheer up people, it could be way worse

Quote

It costs far more per unit if you ship a smaller number of units somewhere. The USA will get more then te times what we will, and there are more and cheaper channels between the USA and Japan - so shipping will certainly be far less to the US.

I don't really know enough about bulk shipping rates to argue this one, but I wouldn't think it makes that much difference.

admeister

5 years ago

David wrote

Another pont for everyone here:

AU Wii price = 120% x US Wii price
AU 360 price = 122% x US 360 price
AU PS3 price = 125% x US PS3 price

So if Nintendo are 'ripping us off', then the others are ripping us off more.

I think that's a good point, when you look at it that way, it puts it into perspective.

macca

5 years ago

They shouldn't peg it over $349.

I would buy it on impulse at $330. I'd buy it with thought at $350, but I won't bite at $400.

Let's be frank - it's not worth anything over $350.

I love the new controller, but without any 'must have' titles at launch, I'd rather put $400 towards an Xbox360.

realitybites

5 years ago

EvilHayama wrote

I hate to break it to you but the consoles are being shipped just as far to get to america as they are to get to australia. Shipping costs are minimal for something that small and light anyway. GST is more of an effect, that's 10%/$30+ straight away. In theory if you bought a Wii from america you'd get charged $33 to bring it into Australia, I remember having to do this on overseas flights before.

That still leaves $35 or so "Australia Tax" which could be put down to being a tiny market, charging what people will pay or even just rounding up to $399.

Your missing the point. Your trying to do a straight up comparison based on what you understand which isn't possible. There are too many variables and its not just GST. Understand "software" gets treated differently to "hardware" through international customs. Different goods (wine and cars) get treated differently again. I'm not trying to be a smart ass.

If you understand the benefits of a high consumption market and you have ~380 million people in the US its more cost efficient to ship goods to the US. I work for a US based manufacturer (which manufactures products all over the world depending on costs and expertise) and I can tell you its much much cheaper to send the same goods to the US than Australia.

Harvey Norman has a very strict set of rules on margin guidelines for different products. Does Walmrt have teh same issue in the US? I don't know either I'm just trying to get your awareness to expand alittle.

Look I don't pretend to undertsand all the logistics either. Thank goodness I only have to sell the stuff but other people in finance have to deal with these processes and its not straight forward. I have only a very simple understanding of how it works for my organisation and I'm only appling what I know to Nintendo (which may get treated differently again if its products are classed as entertainment).

Phil

5 years ago

macca wrote

I would buy it on impulse at $330.

You deciding on a price you would buy a console at no longer makes it an impulse buy. That's called budgeting.

wobbler wrote

I hope that was sarcasm!

No.

macca

5 years ago

realitybites - not to nit-pick, but you're about 90 million over on the US population figure

there are actually just over 295m there.

phil - right you are. Please excuse the grammatical error.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

To look at it another way. US has close to 1450% more people than Australia, assuming the same pencentage of the population buy a Wii, we'll say 20% (400k here 59M there), and the Wii costs $300AUD to manufacture, package, etc. and it costs $10 per unit to ship 500k here, and $5 per unit 60M there. $155 million here, $18.3 billion there for manufacturing costs and shipping, now if those amounts of people buy a Wii there is $5 million, $1.17 billion of profits for Nintendo. That's a $10 profit per unit here, and a $19.50 ($14.50 if they pay the same shipping) profit over there, even though they have 1000% more stock on shelves than they do here.

So we are getting the Wii cheaper in Nintendo's eyes compared to the US.

*My numbers are hypothetical, and I have no idea if my post makes sense to anyone other than me

macca

5 years ago

I guess they just need a real killer app to launch with.

But $400 is definitely out of 'give it a try' range for what appears to be their new target market (e.g. 20-35yo's that don't usually play games), and certainly out of range for their secondary market (over 35's).

No one slaps down $400+ on a whim whilst walking through a department store. I think they will really need to sell people on the experience, and that means having 'Wii kiosks' all over the place.

Klawrence

5 years ago

macca wrote

yer maybe they do need a killer app, coz there is no way i would say LOZ:TP could be considered one of those.

and if that doesnt help, maybe they could pull Mario out of the bag or Metroid or a super smash borther's game......oh wait they wont sell.

Nintendo has nothing to work with.

Matt Bassos

5 years ago

Is it wrong for me to think Zelda TP looks like a decent next gen 360 game? Maybe I'm going insane but it looks easily next gen to me, like if you said Zelda and Kameo came from the 360, graphic wise I'd believe you.

Oh and Wii man while Zelda will be a AAA title it really doesn't appeal to the masses, it would of been nice if they had a less time consuming killer app at launch? Then again aybe Red Steel can do it?

Spanca

5 years ago

Beepos wrote

Bad example. Kameo is about 3 generations old

But you're right, TP does look fantastic.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

Beepos wrote

I'd say you're going insane, the shots I've seen of Zelda don't look like a 360 game. However it definately looks better than most Xbox/Gamecube games though.

Matt Bassos

5 years ago

Oh in screenshots I thought it was like a Cube game.. but in motion I was blown away..... Obviously its not Gears of War level... but I thought it looked as good as Lost Planet.... I must be Insane

Jim Dash

5 years ago

I think you are insane. It is very polished and has some nice water effects and whatnot, but a next-gen game it is not.

But what an experience it will be.

realitybites

5 years ago

macca wrote

realitybites - not to nit-pick, but you're about 90 million over on the US population figure

there are actually just over 295m there.

phil - right you are. Please excuse the grammatical error.

Damn they always seems like there are alot more

. Cheers!!

_deadrat

5 years ago

$400 is just the launch price. They can get away with that at launch because the hardcore guys are willing to pay it. They will sell the bulk of their consoles after launch when the price has fallen to become an impulse purchase, like around $250 or so.

Also I believe that they have included the channels so that kids have more ammunition to use on their parents. I doubt many people will regularly use the wii to gather information on the weather, or as an internet browser, or to view photos but it makes the purchase easier to swallow for parents.

I am considering skipping this entire generation, or at least joining it late in the cycle. I've a stack of unfinished PC, DC, PS2, GC, and DS and I really dont want to spend more money on video games for a while.

macca

5 years ago

I'm with you on this _deadrat. For some weird reason not much is appealing to me with the 'next gen' consoles. I've been gaming at "HD" res on my PC for ages... what's the big deal?

It all comes down to the control mechanism and whether or not you like the games. So far for the next-gen consoles I'm not particularly liking either. I guess I'm just a PC gamer afterall!

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