Nintendo not planning to announce price point or release date for upcoming next-generation console at this summer's LA trade show.
Gamers hoping to learn the Wii U's price point at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo are out of luck. Nintendo confirmed today that it will announce the price and launch date for the new system sometime after the show, which runs June 5-7 in Los Angeles.
Nintendo has not given any clues as to what the Wii U will cost, but Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter believes the company must launch the system at $250 or below. The reason for this, Pachter says, is that he believes the Xbox 360 Kinect bundle will be priced at this level by the time the Wii U launches.
Another report suggests that the Wii U will carry a higher price tag. Forget the Box claims Nintendo will launch the Wii U at "no less than $300" later this year.
Nintendo may not be revealing the Wii U's price point at E3 2012, but it will show off the system's final hardware configuration. Additionally, the company said it will highlight the system's 2012 software lineup at the show.
THQ's Darksiders II is the only Wii U launch title to be announced thus far. The Wii U is currently scheduled to be released globally during the 2012 holiday season.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
To be quite honest, I don't care about the launch price. Even if it's $400, it's only an investment I make every 5 - 6 years, so it's not such a big deal (It'd be $6/month). What I care the most is the launch lineup, because if they pull another 3DS, I sure as hell won't be buying it anytime soon.
they need to make quality games that aren't based on dancing or backyard sports if they want "gamers" to buy it, which is the population that buys consoles and games right at launch
Looks weird. Hoping to see some actual gameplay with the controller soon :) Because now I think they should have put the money inside the console instead.
2 Like Why does some people still think it's a handheld? It is a controller that just happens to have a second screen (the first screen being your TV). It's not like you can play it on the bus or anything.
@waZelda Because all they ever show is a controller w/ a screen. Also, if I understand correctly, it can function like a handheld (you don't need a TV, but you do need to be within range of the console).
1 Like @EugeneSax And being near the console to make the tablet work just kills the "it's a handheld" argument.
nitendo is going down the drain, financial problems with loosing money, making price cuts because their consoles aren't good, and now making the wii u cost too much, the way i see it, nobody will buy the wii u, nintendo will be in debt, and it will become like sega, making games for other consoles
1 Like @wiseonebrian789 You don't have to like Nintendo, but if you don't know what you're talking about (and you don't), shut up.
1 Like @wiseonebrian789 Yeahhhh, good to know that you have a magic ball, maybe you can use it to get the numbers of your local lotto, and I am sure you will be more successful, than giving business analysis on Gamespot.
I don't think nobody predicted the fall of Sega when they released the Dreamcast, and no matter what people say about Nintendo's (or any other company's) next console, time will tell if it is the end or not.... And in the end, whatever the outcome of the next console, I am sure that Nintendo (and any other company) will know what to do.
I would buy the Wii U for 250.00. It shoulden't be more then that considering the harware is current gen. We need a new Mario game created from the ground up like they used to with system launches. I don't want a 3DS or wii port. We also need a new starfox and FZero. Forget the motion controllers and tablet size controller. Create some great new games. Owning a Wii it was dissapointing the amount of great titles out. It seemed like they forgot the Wii when the 3DS came out.
Also you are thinking of the vita; which is an Ipod touch with control sticks and buttons.
1 Like the Wii U is not a tablet. It looks like a tablet. But don't come cringing to me when you can't use it out of you'r house.
4 Like call me crazy, but I think the Wii U will sell pretty well. Why do so many gamers hate about the Ipad? No controls or buttons. The Wii U addresses that.
1 Like @fredwv I think is because many gamers and developers are afraid of change; and instead of trying something new, they output sorry and non-logical excuses excuses.
Nintendo needs to be innovators oh wait they are innovators Dual Screen handheld,1 Analog stick,a sensor bar that you plug into the back of the Wii and you set on top or bottom of your TV.
Nintendo not announcing the price at E3 who cares Nintendo sucks.Do me a favor Nintendo hang it up just tell the truth for once 3rd party support isnt gonna happen because you have problems with building proper relationships
Here's another announcement: Me and 20 of my friends won't buy anything made by Nintendo EVER! Even though they had a change of heart and release Xenoblade & Last Story we will not forgive them for treating us Americans like $hit. We got rid of our Wiis and painful it might have been but we did not buy Skyward Sword. We will make sure that all our other friends would never support this company ever again. (raises A finger @ Nintendo).
@RitsukoEX Don't count on it. Nintendo hardly ever attends TGS. They have their own meetings around that time.
Nintendo choosing not to announce a price at E3 is not a big deal at all. They didn't announce a price for the GameCube or the Wii at E3. Nintendo needs to use E3 to announce the following information: Final system specs Revealing new launch games Revealing information about games already confirmed to launch with the Wii U More information about the "Nintendo Network" In particular, the "Nintendo Network" is important because Nintendo needs to try and win the support of hardcore gamers who like playing online with their PS3 or Xbox 360.
If the release of the Wii-U is this year I would say it will probably be October-December like the Wii. And I think odds are good they will announce the price at $249.99. I looked to see what prices Nintendo announced their other consoles and $250 seemed to be it.
I'll say this much nintendo has good sales rep cause they got me to buy the wii and i haven't even bought 1 game for it as of yet, so i sold it.
oh please like nintendo is dumb enough to overcharge for this system like they did the 3ds. they will price it at around 250 at the highest barring them actually adding a bluray dvd player and better online and store features (which i don't see happening either). they can't possibly charge 300 for a system when it still uses the same controller as the wii and is so far only confirmed to be prettier.
i'll be waiting till i hear how much this thing costs as so far its just a prettier wii with a touchscreen controller only one person can use. I'll need at least 20 games at launch for me to buy this as i'm not falling for the same trick twice. too few games on the wii and the only reason i even still own one is for xenoblade.
If the launch lineup for the games is good then I'll be buying it, and it should also have strong third party games.
1 Like $299.99. Throw in a new Super Mario Brothers or Zelda and you got a deal. And me camping overnight in line to buy it.
$250 US is my max for what I'm gonna pay for. The Vita was $250 US for a handheld. Hope the upcoming next Gens won't make our wallets cry.
SamehH99 "i dnt care if it sucks or not, if its a new console, IM GETTIN IT" Console developers love customers like you.
guys relax nintendo is probably trying to figure out what point in time to release the wii u and how much it is going for lets not forget they only announced it last year and probably had to go for a few changes to try to keep the cost low (though the fact the controller is a tablet dosn't make my wallet feel any better) heck after the 3DS launch im pretty sure they wan't to extra careful this time to keep from scaring away any potential buyers/
I predict that Nintendo is going to steal the show this time around. Considering both Microsoft and Sony don't plan on revealing any new consoles of their own. I think we're going to see a much more solid and finalized version of the Wii U @ E3. This time around they need to impress people, what I think we're going to see is a large list of third party titles, details on the new super mario brothers game and finally 1 more flagship title reveal in HD graphics.
The only reason why Nintendo isn't revealing the price tag of the WiiU is to avoid a counter move from Sony and Microsoft early in the game as these two companies would drop the price of their respective hardware to match or even beat the WiiU. The "Wild Card" in this whole equation remains the WiiU's system specs, Nintendo Loyalist are going to buy the system regardless of these characteristics because this section of players only care about Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. regardless of 3rd party support of not. But hardcore players that actually care about 3rd party support will pass it up if they see that there is no firm 3rd party offering on this new machine. It is no secret that 3rd parties did not do well on the Wii at all because their software had to compete with Nintendo's own games which had an "evergreen" effect where titles like Mario Kart remained within the Top Ten seller charts months and even years after its release, something 3rd party games can't accomplish or compete against. It is precisely that precarious condition 3rd party games suffered on the Wii that may act as a deterrent from many of these developers to repeat such an experience on WiiU again.
@SciFiCat Hardcore gamers are multiformat gamers - and generally buy most new systems/games on release day - so the
'WiiU is not for hardcore gamers' argument is completely invalid.
A gamer who has never played Mario, Zelda [or even Segas Sonic]games could ever call themselves an hardcore videogamer.
1 Like Not giving a price range is a smart move by Nintendo I think. This will keep the interest in the level of tech that the console actually has. If they announce a low price now people might be quick to dismiss it as being inadequate.
For any of these rumored next-gen consoles (or the Wii U) to be truly next-gen, these companies need to put something into their machines that they have been lacking in great abundance all these years. Give the developers more RAM!
@Vodoo so u have traveled to the future, tried the wii u, and decided that its "low-tech" and not suitable to be a next gen console?
The more i read about it, the more i'm convinced that i'll be disappointed by this Wii U. I mean,i'm sure there will be tons of people that will love it,but probably it's not for me :(
People people. What's all the fuss as the article states the price point and release date will be released shortly after E3.
The price of Wii U not so important, but this is important that this will release with huge games.
This is not surprising. I'm sure this is a move much akin to the release of the 3DS. They want to gauge customer interest before they set the price point (gauge demand). But chances are they will still play it conservatively. With the 3DS, excitement and hype did not equate to demand and it was very overpriced when it was released. Let's hope they've learned their lesson!
I'll play it safe I'll get either the successor to X-Box or Playstaion. After being swindled into getting a Wii by Nintendo as a former fan of theirs I will not bother!
Well this is bad I mean WTH does Nintendo just want us to guess. I mean if I was planning on purchasing a WIIU I'd at least like to know how much it cost or at the very least know when it's doming out I mean we know it's this year but we don't know what day what week hell what month it releases. Come on Nintendo giva dog a bone.
New controller to boast actual analog sticks, Wii U branding, and various button location changes, according to image leaked by Lego developer.
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