Nintendo Wii Launch Date Announced!!!

[dannbrownn]

Well the news is in... it's official... The Nintendo Wii will be launched on Friday the 8th of December!... And Twilight Princess is gonna be a wii launch title with Red Steel!!!

 

Only Joking... of course i have know about this since it was announced, i was one of the nutters online for over two hours watching the live text feeds! ho ho!

 

What i really wanted to discuss was the whole of the launch...

 

How does it compare to what you were expecting back in the old days of E3 this year?

 

Now we have a clear idea of the games that actually really are launch titles and the prices of all the bits and bobs, what do you think?

 

I was hoping for cheaper controllers, but it was obvious they would be expensive, i just wasn't expecting £45 expensive. The console though is cheaper than i was expecting, i was expecting it to be £199.99 with a game thrown in.

 

All in all though, its pretty much as i expected, what about you?

[mcj metroid]

oh god i was ready to slate your ass!

 

anway i think game wise it is a good launch .But no mario game?Why not nintendo they tried this with the gamecube and it didn't work

[conzer16]

Nintendo promised Europe a sub €250 console, and we're certainly not getting that.

[AshMat]

Don't lock this thread, good discussion topic!

 

Perosnally i'm very happy. £180 is really what i would've expected, The controller, well it's the same as a retail Wavebird (£30). Though as this is my first proper console launch, i'm naturally going to be vvery excited.

[Samdecahedron]

I think the whole console apart form the games is a rip-off. I'm still buying it because it looks great, but i think it could be made cheaper with no problems. Games-wise at launch, if they only had Zelda, I'd be so happy. I actually think it's good that they're spreading their big titles across the year.

 

Edit:the most disappointing thing is that Nintendo led us the believe that the blue light was on all the time. it really makes the console look unique, and it actually looks a little dead without it.

[Rummy]

Heh, good way to get attention.

I'm overall a bit disappointed with prices, kinda hoped things would be cheaper all round, console and accessories, I expect the games will be the same price as games are already.

[Nicktendo]

I'm really looking forward to Friday, my local store, ironically "360 Games" is opening at 7AM where I have the pre-order. This is the first time a console has launched where I don't need to borrow money or rely on my parents so I'm gonna be walking out with --->

 

Wii Console + Wii Sports

Extra Wii-mote and Nunchuck

2 Classic controllers

Wii Play

Zelda

Red Steel

Monkey Ball

RGB Scart Lead

4000 Wii Points

 

I'm debating whether or not to get Downhill Jam though...

 

I think it is pretty expensive but not so in America or Japan, I thik living in Britain we kind of have to expect price hikes. I'm really hyped up though much more so than N64 or Gamecube.

[Nintendork]

I wanted DVD. Got no beef with paying £180 but I expected it to be £150.

[dannbrownn]

When you put it into the context of the PS3 price it makes it a lot cheaper.

 

I have said it before and i will say it again;

I am getting:

Wii Console

Wii Remote

Wii Nunchuck

Wii Classic Controller

 

Wii Sports (bundled)

Wii Play (bundled with remote)

Zelda

Red Steel

Rayman

GT Pro Series

 

That is going to cost me £405, a console an extra controller and six games for £20 less than the price of one PS3 alone! That is amazing!

[DCK]

Compared with E3 it actually sucks quite bad... No Metroid, no decent VC support, no online, most games are disappointing and the Wii and accesories are expensive. Nintendo is lucky I'm still a loyal fanboy

 

If it wasn't for Zelda I wouldn't be buying a Wii this year I think.

[Charlie]

Don't lock this thread, good discussion topic!

 

We weren't planning on locking it. The title is a bit misleading though.

[david.dakota]

The Wii's price is, i think, too high. It was promised to be affordable, but £180 is not what i'd call affordable for pensioners and non-gamers (a so called target for Nintendo). But I suspect that its a method to reduce demand at launch - and enable a European price drop when PS3 is released. I suspect Nintendo has price drops planned worldwide. Its also not making the system look cheap.

 

However, the accessories are incredible expensive - especially the Wii-motes. As pointed out, £45 for a Wii-mote and Nunchuk is rediculous - although its not stopped me from getting them.

 

There are some major ommissions on Virtual Console - in particular the Mario Bros series on NES and SNES. Further N64 games, perhaps smaller titles like Tetrisphere would have been nice. The evil strtch-o-vision for VC games needs to be sorted - Mario is fat enough already.

 

 

I'm still concerned by the 512 Flash. This is essentially going to store everything on your Wii (at the moment, it seems you are unable to lift VC titles stored on you SD card and play them, you are said to have to copy them into your 512.).

 

However, all said and done. I'm pleased dispite a few niggles roll on Friday

[LazyBoy]

Zelda at launch = best launch ever

 

Scientific fact.

[Charlie]

Nintendo promised Europe a sub €250 console, and we're certainly not getting that.

 

Its got an RRP of €250. It's not Nintendo's fault if retailers sell it for more.

[AshMat]

We weren't planning on locking it. The title is a bit misleading though.

 

Yeah but you can never tell with this week's mad thread making rush.

[Jasper]

I think the whole console apart form the games is a rip-off. I'm still buying it because it looks great, but i think it could be made cheaper with no problems. Games-wise at launch, if they only had Zelda, I'd be so happy. I actually think it's good that they're spreading their big titles across the year.

 

Edit:the most disappointing thing is that Nintendo led us the believe that the blue light was on all the time. it really makes the console look unique, and it actually looks a little dead without it.

 

They couldn't really have made it cheaper. It's that SD-memory that's in it, the LED_light (yes, it's expensive to make in that shape), the WiFi build-in and the Bluetooth that rack up the price a lot. It's not cheap having wireless technology.

 

I'm pretty happy with the €249,99 as a launch price, but I remember (back in 'ye olde days') that GameCube went down €40 just mere weeks before launch. Don't know why, but I paid €209,99 for my black GameCube. I'm not dissapointed with no Mario at launch. First, we got Zelda, second, the GameCube launch was just a huge mistake and does not show that 'without Mario it doesn't work'. It had wrong timing, few games (though they promised a lot, just because they launched late), Nintendo was arrogant over the Xbox, the console was called GameCube and it was purple. Oh, and it's freaky ads were - thgough sublime - not attractive to the huge audience.

 

But Wii has all these things in it's advantage. Before Christmas, lots of games (16!), Nintendo is the underdog and realizes it, it called Wii (pronounce it with a deep, steady voice. Not like shouting that you're happy, or it'll be the same as GameCube) and it's sleeky-apple-ipod white.

[NintendoRevo]

Nintendo promised Europe a sub €250 console, and we're certainly not getting that.

 

Nintendo promised Europe a sub €250 console and, at least in Greece we do. Wii costs 249.99!!!

[Nintendork]

Moria it is Nintendo's responsibility to maintain good relations with the retailer and to offer good enough incentives so they don't rip off consumers.

 

That is the demise of many indie retailers in America who got PS2s in and put all their stock on eBay for profits. They fucked over all the kids who support indie stores through and through.

 

Large retailers held people with honest pre-orders to ransom last year, claiming that it was policy to make everyone buy 5 full priced launch games if you want a premiuim 360.

Buying the hard-drive, wireless controller, component and network cables seperately isn't cheap.

 

Microsoft cocked up there. I see it as Nintendo responsibility to prevent this, by either providing sufficient stock so there is competition in the market place or ensuring that only reputable retailers get stock (as in Sony's case)

[conzer16]

Its got an RRP of €250. It's not Nintendo's fault if retailers sell it for more.

 

But surely if Nintendo promised that a product will be available for under €250 and is isn't available for under €250 they have lied to us?

 

Nintendo promised Europe a sub €250 console and, at least in Greece we do. Wii costs 249.99!!!

 

That's pretty damn sweet. When you hand over you €249.99 remember that here in Ireland we'll probably be spending €20 more.

[Nintendork]

€250/£180 was estimated, I've not seen it at a legitimate UK retailer for over that.. I don't know the situation of European game stores but surely you have chains?

Is there no competition in the European website/high street domain?

 

I find it hard to believe you have 1 game store in your town or country that is ripping off everyone.

[conzer16]

GAME, GameStop, Smyths Toys are probably the biggest retailers in Ireland for games.

 

GAME havent confirmed a price to me yet. Every time I ask them they mumble oh probably about €270, give or take a tenner.

GameStop have been confirmed to be retailing Wii for €269.99. And I will presume Smyths are more expensive as they always are.

 

Even http://www.komplett.ie are selling for €275.

[Nintendork]

Does Ireland pay sales tax? That's the only reason I can think of.

[conzer16]

We have a VAT rate of 21%. But that doesn't account for difference.

 

Greece has 19% VAT and retailers sell for €249.99

Ireland has 21% which is 2% more than Greece.

 

Thus: €249.99 * (1 + .02) = €254.9898.

 

And a nice handy mark-up for the retailer

[DCK]

They couldn't really have made it cheaper. It's that SD-memory that's in it, the LED_light (yes, it's expensive to make in that shape), the WiFi build-in and the Bluetooth that rack up the price a lot. It's not cheap having wireless technology.

No, not at all. Nintendo themselves have said that the Wii could be a lot cheaper but the retailers actually requested for a higher price. It's disappointing really.

[Nintendork]

We have a VAT rate of 21%. But that doesn't account for difference.

 

Greece has 19% VAT and retailers sell for €249.99

Ireland has 21% which is 2% more than Greece.

 

Thus: €249.99 * (1 + .02) = €254.9898.

 

And a nice handy mark-up for the retailer

£180 / 100 = £1.80

17.5 - 21 = 3.5%

£1.80 * 103.5 = £186.30

 

186.30 GBP = 276.698 EUR (what you'd pay if you bought a Wii from the UK.)

 

With your sales tax you're still paying about the same as us, no need to complain.

 

I have a suspicion that the Wii costs about £130 to make, but we'll see.