WiiU = $340, WiiU GamePad = $175
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Sep 14, 2012 00:00 JST
- Tags: Announcements, Controllers, Marketing, Nintendo, Technology, Wii U
Nintendo has finally announced the release of the WiiU, said to be “20 times” more powerful than the Wii but suspected to be less powerful than the PS3, with it getting a Japanese release on December 8th and prices starting at some $340 for the normal model, with the controller alone costing $175.
Japanese prices are set at ¥26,250 for the “basic” model (¥25,000 excluding consumption tax), and ¥31,500 for the “premium” model.
The basic model has 8GB of storage and a white pad indicating poverty, whilst the premium model has 32GB, a black pad signifying eliteness, a stand, dock and voucher for Nintendo’s premium network, although in performance terms they are apparently identical with both sporting 1080p HDMI.
The WiiU GamePad costs ¥13,440 when sold separately. Initial games including Super Mario Bros. U are set at the usual massively inflated Japanese prices of ¥5,000-6,000, and so will presumably be priced normally elsewhere.
Nintendo has not yet announced international pricing and release details (a US announcement is due shortly), but given the gaming industry tradition of offering bargain US prices whilst overcharging everyone else, US prices starting at $299 do not seem unlikely.
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US Prices - Basic is $299, Deluxe is $349.
Wich is kind of a Fuck U to everyone else, but that's to be expected, it is very normal for japan to give Gaming products a higher price than most of the world, specially in software.
Same goes for many many steam games, being much cheaper in the US than in UK and Europe.
All the companies are the same when it comes to international markets.
One of the reasons video game prices are more expensive in non-US countries comes down to their tax law. Brazil for instance suffers from insanely ludicrous import taxes, as games are imported goods not manufactured within the country. The UK, France, Germany, most of Scandinavia, and even Asian countries like Israel all tax imported leisure goods, and games are often specifically included.
Additionally US prices are always listed BEFORE TAX, as the sales tax varies by state. European listings are always AFTER TAX, and generally reflect the higher taxes Euro countries are expected to pay. Tn the randomly selected US state of Kentucky you may pay 6% sales tax, but in the UK you may pay as high as 17.5% in additional taxes.
Before you complain about cheaper prices in the US, please at least familiarize yourself with your local tax code.
Nintendo's business model is still just to sell people old-tech smothered in new gimmicks.
Not impressed.
No, Nintendo's business model is sell people Mario and Zelda along with out-dated hardware and gimmicks to play them.
I dont think nintendo needs to make a console that is as powerful or close to the PS3 since many game developers have yet to fully utilize the full potential of the PS3. The wii u prices seem reasonable enough.
Yet to fully utilize? What is this, some stupid joke?!
PS3 and 360 currently have specs that are already museum worthy. PC version of games from both consoles can be played with superior detail, better lighting and higher resolution even with GPUs that cost around only 80 bucks.
Is the Wii Us specs really that big a leap from PS3/360? Let the games talk.
I'm positivly suprised by the reasonable pricing on the console. But the problem with every new console is always the list of debut games. The upside is New Super Mario U and possibly the new Super Smash. The downside is well, that's 2 games total.
in conclusion : I hope this announcment will get more game developers intrested in seeing their games ported to the Wii U. 7/10
To me, the real problem would be the longevity of developers' attention. Save for a few games that many had to petition REAL HARD to get recently, the Wii is already near death right now.
Yay, another console to play Mario and Zelda.
Good enough reason for a Mario and Zelda fan.
Yay, more Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart!
Marginally better than PS3 or Xbox 360. Not sure if worth waiting for. If my PS3 and Xbox can play most of it's 3rd party games now, and I have to wait years for the Wii U to get them (even with slightly better graphics), I would stick with what I have now.
But wow! That's a pretty console. Just hope Nintendo doesn't pull a MS and keep 3rd party games of other consoles for itself as an exclusive.
Is it hacked yet?
Give it one more week.
You're a cheap bastard. Get a job, bum.
u mad bro?
Is this really how you want to spend your hard-earned money?
They still haven't even hacked the 3DS, or even the DSi, for that matter. :P
No one cares about the DSi, also there's tons of flashcards that work on it.
you wanna waste your money? Go ahead and buy Nintendo stuff
Well I could go waste my money on a Kinect or Move. Oh wait, thats right, people laughed at the Wii and it did just fine, then Sony and Microsoft jumped on the motion sensing band wagon. Can't wait to see how they try ripping off Nintendo later.
u r both retarded for arguing
Because arguing makes you retarded apparently. Anyway, to get the full potential out of the WiiU, you need to have then console, the special controller and three normal. That's a crapload of cash.
correction, 4 actual. and if you owned a wii, you probably have 4 of the fuckin' things already
though 5 person gaming seems pretty cool
Why, Nintendo was the company that ripped of Sonys PS3/PSvita compatibility, just that the PS3 and the PSVita is more powerfull.
They also now rip off the black color :O
Still cheaper then Xbox360+kinect and kinect alone.
But why get Kinect? And besides, making a sandwich is cheaper than going out for dinner somewhere. Do you play games to "get the job done" or to enjoy them?
kinect/move is for faggots
Maybe they'll do what they did with the 3ds and cut the price a bit or a limited edition...
Ha Ha Ha what the hell am i saying of course they won't.
I don't see myself buying a console with such a low storage capacity and that most likely is gonna have ports of games that PS360 already have, with similar tech specs. But I'm sure it's not gonna be a flop, there is a bunch of Mario games' fans out there.
About the low storage capacity, you apparently can hook any standard external hard disk for more storage capacity. But I do agree with 3rd party game, which mostly a port from ps3 and Xbox360
Gimmicky and ugly. Yeah, Nintendo fanboys will eat this shit up and ask for seconds.
There aren't even many games coming out for PS3/360 these days, as it seems everyone is jumping to handhelds or browser/cellphone-style games. I have absolutely zero interest in a new console until this trend improves.
Retarded prices the Big N is gonna crash n burn this time.
just another expensive paper weight by nintendo
and NES graphics
Knowing gamestop at least, they're going to offer a trade-in special where you trade in the Nintendo Wii and get probably like $50 or $100 off the WiiU... I won't buy it otherwise.
Already got and deleted the email for that. =P
$140 toward it when you trade in any slim model PS3.
$115 toward it when you trade in any original model PS3 or slim 360.
$90 toward it when you trade in any original model 360, Vita, or 3DS
$50 toward it when you trade in any Wii.
Will it blend?
Will it make julienne fries?
can it make phone calls and surf the internet?
who the hell wants a giant pad to control their games with?
I'll stick with my Xbox 360 thankyouverymuch!
ha! suck a dick.
Can you use your penis instead of the gamepad in order to pay porn games on the Wii U?
I'm pretty sure you'll need the gamepad, but what you point at it with is up to you.
all this crap is just gimmick. kinect, move, wii u, i tried all this motion crap and all it does i collect dust. I'd rather have fun playing a game relaxing sitting down with a normal controller in my hand.
and id rather just use a keyboard and mouse but alas the nintendo system is the only legal way to play the new zeldas and other games so we will have to suffer the gimmickery
Spoken like a true gamer.
Just as planned?
Zelda's been garbage ever since it became a puzzle-fest piece of shit, it's not a even game/toy anymore - just a retarded jigsaw puzzle
You have never played zelda in your life have you.
No, only Kinect and Move gimmicks because they are throw away, tacked on features. The Upad and wii-mote are not gimmicks as they are intended methods of play.