Gamers and Nintendo fans are certainly a bit distraught that the Wii U price wasn’t revealed at E3 earlier this week. European retailers have begun to list the prices, and while not a definitive answer it certainly gives us a ballpark estimate.
Retailer ShopTo places the console at £279.85, which equates to about $433.13 USD. It’s worth noting however, that console manufactures rarely sell their consoles for the same price in North America. For example, a 160GB PS3 can be bought from GAME UK for £199.99 ($310 USD). However, in North America that same system retails for $249.99 USD – $60 cheaper than the Pounds Sterling equivalent. It’s seems more likely then that the system could retail for a price between $350 and $400.
This is especially important considering that GAME’s Swedish website has the console listed for 4,995 Krona (£450). In US dollars, this is around $696.49 – more than the cost of a launch day PS3. GAME also listed possible pricing for the Wii U gamepads. The controllers – which have undergone a redesign – are listed for 1,499 Krona (£135), or$209. That’s a lot to pay for a controller, even with the tech inside.
Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime says gamers will be pleasantly surprised by the price Nintendo has in mind. Judging by his words, that would make ShopTo’s price the most likely estimate. $350 is still a bit of a high price, but it’s at least more affordable than the price GAME has listed. The high cost could also be attributed to the tech in the Wii U and the Tablet Controller – it’s probably not cheap to manufacture tablets with each console.
Of course, let us all remember that this could just be speculation on the retailers’ end. While shops have outed unannounced games in the past, nothing is official until it comes from Nintendo – and the discrepancy between prices is even more reason to be skeptical. Still, this should give gamers some idea of what the console may cost.
Ranters, how much would you pay for a Wii U?
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Follow me on Twitter @AnthonyMole.
Source: ShopTo, GAME Sweden (via CVG)
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Best buy website lists it at 299.99
Nintendo must be smoking crack if they feel I’ll buy into this.
Surely they could care less about someone named after Bobo The Clown buying into their console!
I always imagined $250 to $300. But even that is too much for me.
Waaayyyy to much. You are basically paying for something that should have been 5 years ago. No IMO it should be $150-200.
Yeah, it should be $150-200 if it’s using 8 year old tech…which would be more expensive than using modern tech, actually.
Do you really think Nintendo should launch the Wii U for a lower price than the Wii? The Wii U is an upgrade from the Wii, not a downgrade.
That much to play Mario!? Not a chance in hell. Nintendo is releasing hardware tht is already dated. Anyone think to question HD size? Is it DVD format? All these things are relevant and if it is only DVD based media than youll pay less for better graphics and game size by buying a, now, 6 year old ps3. I watched that Nintendo e3 press conference and that CEO is really errogant and his attitude towards this new hardware left me feeling a “how dare you question our product”. Just saying.
I totally agree. Especially when one of the audience members asked a question about the difference between super a mario u on wii u and 2 on 3ds for consumers and he just brushed it off with no response. I think they owe the buying public a response to important questions like this.
I may have pondered at $200, but with it more than likely more than and with their e3 announcements being ports of things I already have its looking like I won’t buy at launch.
ill pays as much as i did for my wii 250 but i would like a free game with it like Wii u sports or maybe New Super Mario Bros.U
Does it come with Mario Paint? If not, whats that price for? The controller? This well be the N64 all over again.
I think the system is worth $250 and the controller at least $50… so I’m guessing the total system cost will be $299. That controller is basically a TABLET + Gamepad. You can’t get a tablet for $50.
So maybe $350. I’d pay as high as that, but hoping for $299.
+1
Nintendo hasn’t led the market for a long, long time. IMO they haven’t had anything worth buying for fifteen years. If they want to win back the traditional gaming crowd, they need to be focused on putting one of these systems in EVERY gamer’s living room. Let’s face it, xbox 360 is popular because PS3s cost an arm and a leg. I read somewhere that the PS4 might drop at $800 or more. I wasn’t willing to pay $250 for a Wii, I’m not going to pay more than that for a Wii U. The ONLY reason I want one at all is for Mario and Zelda.
I used to like God of War, but Sony got a little too big for their britches. $300 for a console that’s months away from being obsolete? That’s insane. If gamers aren’t willing to pay that kind of money for the best, they aren’t going to pay it for #3. If PS3 had hit the streets at $250, Microsoft would have either been done, or they would have had to come up with a superior system.
Nintendo, if you want to continue to have a presence in the industry, help me help you. Keep this system under $200. It is NOT the next generation console that ANYONE is excited about. Be honest with yourselves about that. If it’s under $200, everyone will buy one. If it’s a good system, and you make good Nintendo games for it you’ll make money. Third party titles are probably not an attainable commodity for you right now.
That’s not what sales say. o_o
I thought the Wii was definitely worth buying for Monster Hunter Tri, Xenoblade, and the Silent Hill remake.
The Xbox 360 is popular because it had a better pricing scheme than the PS3. Nowadays, that clearly isn’t the case. I personally don’t see the reasoning behind getting an Xbox 360 now, because most of its exclusives come to PC with much better graphics and improved gameplay (Alan Wake, Left 4 Dead 1 and 2)
Funny that you should say the price of the PS4 whenever it hasn’t even been announced at all by Sony.
If Sony had released the PS3 at $250, they would’ve gone bankrupt very quickly.
dZa19, if you want to think about this more intelligently, let me help you. There is no reason for the Wii U to not be next-gen. It would cost more for it to NOT be using recently released processors and RAM chips, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are examples of that. They’re using six-year-old tech, and they’re JUST NOW making profit on it.
The Wii was $250, and it sold more than the PS3 and Xbox 360 combined for several years. I don’t see why people wouldn’t pay $300 or even $350 for a next generation console with Nintendo franchises, Nintendo Land as a pack-in for the casuals, and a 2D Mario platformer from the start.
The only reason for third party devs to NOT make titles for the Wii U now is, quite simply, because they’re absolutely lazy.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/1/2763225/nintendo-wii-u-easy-to-develop-for-team-ninja
http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/comments/vigil_games_says_wii_u_easy_to_develop_for
Both Vigil Games and Team Ninja have stated that the system is very easy to develop for, so the only true excuse for not even porting games over is because, quite frankly, they’re lazy.
I’ll consider buying this, and people need to stop and think a minute about what they’re saying. This Wii U is MORE powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360. IF they’re using DVD format discs, and I honestly hope they still are, then that means less laggy, freezy gameplay like with games on PS3 crammed with DLC (game of the year edition games like Fallout 3, you know what I mean). Seriously, PS3 debuted at $600, but people still bought that because they weren’t whiners and complainers like everyone here. It’s a NEW piece of technology whether you think it is or not. I don’t believe there’s another console going with the same design, and it’s an interesting setup. I’m sure Nintendo would be right in pricing it at anywhere from 300-400 USD, it is a new expensive piece of equipment, especially considering the tablet controller probably taking at least half the price.
You all make good points but the question is what price would YOU pay for the wii u? And its up to Nintendo and from the way it seems it would probably end up between $200-$350.Just My opinion.
hi there what do you think if you had a mini ipad for controler the 9.7 ipad cost $699
I would pay 300 for one no more, i got wii for mario, zelda and metroid, needs to say they met my mario goals, zelda fell way short only 1 real zelda game skyward swords for wii which was real good, twlight dont count it was just mirrored gamecube game which i beat on gamecube before i got wii, metroid well, last one was well u know, the first person shooter ones like the first 3 is what they need. And who knows maybe third party games are not the best for them look at all the crap ones on the wii while there are alot but most i wish i never paid $3 to rent them lol. But if they do get the games like mass effect, assissans creed etc all the blockbuster ones like xbox and playstation they should do good. And would love to play madden with tablet so other players cant have a clue as to what plays u pick.
In the US, the Wii launched for $250. With the much-improved hardware of the Wii U, and the innovative controller, I would pay $350 for one at launch. I’d say that’s pretty fair.
hi there i will still buy wii u