While Nintendo’s E3 2012 Press Conference was surprisingly devoid of a lot of concrete details regarding the Wii U, the biggest non-announcement was undoubtedly the price. We had known going in that Nintendo wasn’t keen on revealing a price point for their forthcoming console, but nonetheless the hope was that the publisher would at least give some idea as to how pricing would break down.
Unfortunately, aside from acknowledging that at some point the Wii U will support two tablet controllers, Nintendo made no mention of what type of price point gamers could be looking at. Thankfully, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has come out to give us a better idea of what types of pricing his is looking at, and it’s really good news.
Obviously the Nintendo 3DS launch, and subsequent price drop, was a learning experience for Nintendo, and they plan to use the lessons learned from that launch in regards to the Wii U. That means, according to Iwata, the price for the Wii U will be affordable.
Iwata still believes that the Wii U is unlike any other gaming experience out there – a bold claim considering the presence of SmartGlass and Vita’s Cross Play at E3 – but pricing should allow it to sell well right out of the gate.
Factoring in the presumed $99 price tag for a Wii U tablet controller, most are putting the Wii U at carrying either a $250 or $300 price point. That’s still pretty high for the casual consumer that Nintendo hopes to attract, but for the hardcore that is in line with the Vita or the Wii when they launched.
However, when the Wii launched it came bundled in with Wii Sports – an instant opportunity for new console owners to show off the tech – but apparently Wii U does not come bundled with Nintendo Land or any comparable Wii Sports title. It’s going to take a very specific price for Nintendo to convince gamers that the Wii U is worth picking up.
What price point do you expect Nintendo to announce for the Wii U? Will anything over $300 spell less than desirable sales for the console?
Nintendo’s Wii U is set to hit store shelves this Holiday.
Source: Andria Sang
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We’ve heard the same thing a billion times. Top Nintendo people keep saying the Wii U’s price will be “reasonable and “affordable.” We get it. Now just announce the price so game journalists will stop writing speculation articles about it again and again.
Wont get it till its $250 or lower.
Not on the market.
I think any price above $300 would hurt sales a lot. Especially for the holiday season they are trying to sell to first.
the wiiu should be $250 becouse it is not in 1080p like ps4 will be and xbox 720 will be
You sound so confident… Perhaps you should take another look at Sony’s financial situation?
Ouch. As a Sony stockholder, that cut like a hot knife in butter.. But you have a VERY good point there. Sony has to do EVERYTHING right from here on out if they want to keep their ship sailing. If not, Microsoft will just dominate the market.
jajaja ashley ashley ashley…. yes it does..
The Wii U actually runs games in full 1080p, unlike the 360 and PS3 which usually just run games in 720p or 540p. It’s completely worth $300, but I do wish they would give us a release date and pprice (I’m expecting November 1st at $250
Where do you get your information Raleigh Danish? Did you pull that out of your bum?
The PS3 does 1080 on a lot of games, especially now, and it does 1080p and 1080i. Most of the older games do 720p, but even the older big releases are 1080p.
Go tell your fanboy lies somewhere else.
These articles on the Wii U have become tedious. What new information have we gained? None, once again there is no price point and lots of unanswered questions.
Hey Gamerant, I have an idea: let’s stop reporting everything Nintendo’s CEO says and start reporting facts. What have I learned from reading this article? Nothing. Judging from other comments, I’d say that I’m not alone when I say that you should just report facts. Also, stop going out of your way to link past articles, especially when it doesn’t make sense. For instance: “Unfortunately, aside from acknowledging that at some point the Wii U will support two tablet controllers, Nintendo made no mention of what type of price point gamers could be looking at.” What on Earth does supporting two tablet controllers have to do with the price point? This sentence was stated as if it was relevant, but it isn’t. It is related to the Wii U, but you basically said “Aside from the fact that one day, the Wii U will support two tablet controllers, they have not said anything about the price point.” What does that have to do with it? Learn how to be a journalist, for crying out loud.