Nintendo Wii to sell for $250?

Almost lost among the hubbub of Sony's keynote extravagance was a little forum-derived rumor about Nintendo's Wii. It claims to be based on an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly with Zelda on the cover and a whole lot of Nintendo gems inside, including a purported $250 launch price. The tipster hasn't shown any scans of the magazine's actual content, but he did manage to get a picture of the magazine's cover up on the forum after work, so our legit-ness meter is looking pretty good. Along with the console price, and screenshots of Monkey Ball, Tony Hawk, Rayman and Red Steel, he mentions the Virtual Console gaming, Wii-remote tech, and some vaguely defined "ALWAYS online" functionality (the console is always hooked to the Internets, even when off). There's also a supposed built-in speaker in the controller (a DS-like mic seems more likely to us, but that's what he says). As we said, the rumor looks fairly solid, though we don't have long to find out, since Nintendo's keynote is kicking off early tomorrow. And being that we really don't have anything better to do, we'll be sure to liveblog it to pieces.

[Via Joystiq]

[7of7 @ May 9th 2006 1:57AM]

The Wii is definitely shaping up to be the lamest console. It's said that they're trying to make up for the lack of gaming quality in their console by adding in all these gimmicks. I wish they'd just stick to good old gaming like the PS3 and Xbox have done.

[solowCX @ May 9th 2006 2:07AM]

Hows the trolling going 7of7, caught anything recently?

With PS3's high price I think Nintendo is in a very good market position here. Despite the corny name I find my interest in Wii to grow each week.

[jeff @ May 9th 2006 2:14AM]

I am actually disappointed by a potential 250 dollar price. It is far too high when the PS3/XBox360 offer astronomical performance compared to the Wii. I'm guessing a PS3 is at least 5x as powerful as the Wii, offers BD functionality, and HD support, things all missing from Wii.

[Zadillo @ May 9th 2006 2:16AM]

Wow, you're right jeff, I guess the only reasonable price for the Wii would be $50-100 then, right?

[Clark @ May 9th 2006 2:17AM]

Wii is looking better all the time!

PS3 = Way too expensive.
360 = Nothing to die for (at least not until 2nd gen games)
Wii = Innovation.

I think Nintendo Wiill sell a ton of consoles to families with young kids who don't need to see the hardcore gaming that those of us who grew up with Mario have come to expect from our consoles. The parents will want something that they can all play along with. And what better that motion-based sports and party games?

And what a price?! You could get two for the price of the PS3!

Maybe it's not so Wii-tarded after all.

[Guy @ May 9th 2006 2:20AM]

NEO GAF FTW

[Oddmanout @ May 9th 2006 2:26AM]

Good points 'jeff', I largely agree. I remember a $99 intro price point being rumored...but I guess that's what rumors will get you.

But consider, since nintendo has only about 10% market share, it looks like they are taking the wise course and going after the niche market (their loyal fans and people interested in what the nunchuck has to offer). But as such, they obviously won't have the sales volume that MS and Sony can expect, so Nintendo likely can't loss-lead on the console as much. ie The intro price of the console is going to have to be much closer to the actual manufacturing cost than is so for the PS3 or the 360.

But, I think Ninty should try to find a way to get it down to $199, with a good launch package. Fun, Innovation, and Price seem to be their weapons of choice in this round of the generational console wars. And they will be going up against technical superiority (ie raw POWER), entrenched fanbase (obviously Sony's got the numbers worldwide, and MS is not too shabby in the biggest market, the US), and Hype.

It would be best for nintendo NOT to blunt one of their most effective weapons at the outset...

But all of course is just IMHO...

[jon @ May 9th 2006 2:30AM]

Sony is in a heap of shit right now. Blu-Ray is far from proven enough to warrant anyone shelling out $200 above what a 360 cost. And forcibly so...at leas MS gives you the option to purchase HD-DVD which is looking more and more promissing everyday.

At $250...I can imagine the Wii is going to steal allot of umph from Sony especially in Japan. It seems to me that a Wii and 360 are the combo to have if any. You can buy both for the price of one PS3.

1. PS3 showed no graphical advantage over 360.
2.Sony didn't reveal anything about Online features that resemble anything like Xbox live.
3.Sony has removed Rumble feature from controllers to instead put in some bull crap motion sensors that will be used in like 3 games at best. That's right...they have axed the freakin rumble pack!!!!! Aaaarrggghhhh!
4. No HDMI port in $499 and NO DUAL HDMI as promissed at last years E3.
5. Polyphonic still doesn't have online portion of GT ready...what does that tell you about Sony's Online plans!!!
6. No announcement of Launch Titles. 360 is going to whoop ass on the amount of available Titles this Fall.
7. Nothing said about streaming media from PC...no answer to 360's Media Center functionality. (MCE is not to be underestimated...as nearly all new computers come with MC and nearly all Windows Vista computers will come with Media Center)

$499 entry level compared to $299...wow what a glaring difference. Blu-Ray certainly feels to be teatering on the edge of a precipus (a big damn hole). I for the first time truly feel that Blu-Ray may indeed become the next UMD, Beta-Max...etc.

I see your true colors shining through.

[idioteraser @ May 9th 2006 2:33AM]

People game devs have praised the wii because the games are unique.

The PS3 doesn't have any more power then the 360. The gamecube had games that beat out the 360 in terms of quality. No load times.

Something the PS3 could have in abundance due to it's untested blu-ray.

Wii has wifi out of the box.

The PS3 has wired controllers with no rumble. A severe latancy on these controllers by the way.

The wii games due to the controller have the potential of having FEAR like AI implemented. The PS3 will have standard enemy AI.

The PS3 499 version doesn't have wifi, doesn't have many memory storage options so forget taking your games on the go to play at a friends house unless you drag your ps3 over as well.

The ps3 499 version doesn't have HDMI meaning the image you get is 480p if at that. You will only see anything higher while using the 599 version if you have a HDMI HDTV of the latest version.

Enjoy your this gen games on a ps2 that costs twice to three times more because that is what a PS3 gives you for the money you spent.

[Sony's Loss is Nintendo's Gain @ May 9th 2006 3:13AM]

I don't doubt PS3 will sell well, but it will disappoint in the end.

Meanwhile, the Rev/Wii will sell just as many units in most territories and will surprise you every minute.

Which will sell well? Which brand will go downhill, and which up? Can't say I like the Wii name, but I love their game.

[[e-mail] @ May 9th 2006 3:27AM]

IdiotEraser? Are you retarded? Wired Controllers? Gamecube higher quality than 360? Severe Latency?

I do believe you are talking out of your ass.

I hope the Wii takes the competition by storm. PS3 is shaping up to be mediocore in my opinion. Games weren't that impressive and the controller "six Degree" shit seems "Tacked on" if you ask me.

Personally, I do find it appauling that Sony has the balls to rip of MS and Nintendo's innovative idea, then at their press conference, say " Our controller is innovative! "

I would love to see a lawsuit of some kind. But that won't happen.

I hope to god that Nintendo doesn't sell their console for $249. I was really really really looking forward to a console under $200! I don't have the kind of cash to be spending on a $600 console.

I'm crossin my fingers for the Wii and the DS in the future!

[Geir E @ May 9th 2006 3:33AM]

"The PS3 has wired controllers with no rumble. A severe latancy on these controllers by the way."

if you call bluetooth wired, sure.

I can live without rumble. I can even come slap you around each time you screw up in a game, for a decent fee ofcourse.

What comes to mind is that Sony had to put out quite a deal of money because of the dualshock feature, and something tells me that this is the reason they chose to remove it and adding the motion sensor was a way to make up for the loss. I've always liked the rumble-feature - and for what i know the wii doesn't have rumble either. so what we are left with is some 1.5 generation xbox with rumble feedback and some 3 generation playstation with motion sensor in a regular controller and a new generation nintendo with a new controller interface and motion sensor. So you can stick with the old proven concept of the xbox, try the beefiest solution with sony or go with what seems to be the fun and special wii. Last generation it was three pies of the same pie compared to three rather unique machines.

[Revrant @ May 9th 2006 3:44AM]

Hey, that's a great price, I was hoping for 200, but it's still a good price, especially when your competition is over double that. C'mon Full 3D combat Super Smash Bros. Melee. *Crosses fingers*

[mb @ May 9th 2006 3:47AM]

snore... zelda has always been lame. OOH LOOK AT ME PLAY THE FLUTE TO SUMMON FAIRIES!

[Preston @ Nov 7th 2006 10:32PM]

how dare thou offend zelda like that and the faires are cool i mean they are little balls with wings its awesome

[sabre @ Dec 17th 2006 10:40AM]

Zelda might be lame, but there are other games too, you know.

[Spiritualized @ May 9th 2006 3:59AM]

For $250--and even less once it's been available for a few months, a lot of people will buy this a 2nd console anyway. The Wii really can't fail.

[anon @ May 9th 2006 4:19AM]

I haven't owned a gaming system for at least 20 years. I'm not much of gamer. Freecell is pretty kick ass, though. I am, however, looking forward to Nintendo's Wii. The unique controller feature intrigues me, plus I have found memories of Zelda (the last adventure game I played).

[cloud @ May 9th 2006 4:20AM]

Watching fanboys fight is so hillarious. I am more than amused to see people argue on which console is better when none of you got the chance to play either one of them in its final form. What ever happened to the saying "If it has good games, I'll get it."?

Do you always buy brand name "stuff"? Is it always the same brand or do you support others as well? Do you wear only fruit of the loom socks or do you wear Hanes? Does it really matter so long as its good?

[ryuryan @ May 9th 2006 4:25AM]

what would be good is if they INCLUDED A GAME OR TWO with their Wii for that price. i'd preorder one.

[S.A. @ May 9th 2006 4:41AM]

I really like the concept of the Wii despite its name. I hope it goes for cheaper. I was thinking like $199.

[Dennis @ May 9th 2006 5:01AM]

"I think Nintendo Wiill sell a ton of consoles to families with young kids"

Nintendo is the Disney of console gaming.
Nintendo makes the best handheld gaming device.
Nintendo has the most recognizable characters and the longest running franchises.
Nintendo generates increasing amounts of nostalgia as the majority of gamers have never experienced the Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivision, or any of the first generation finger-mashing, joystick-breaking consoles.

Nintendo World Theme Park: watch for it.

[Jeff @ May 9th 2006 7:45AM]

The amount of cluelessness around here astounds me on an almost daily basis.

Some of you guys predicting the imminent demise of the PS3 are probably the same guys who predicted the imminent demise of the PS2 in the face of the mighty Dreamcast.

It ain't gonna happen. Give it a rest.

The battle is between the PS3 and the Wii. Xbox 360 is going to come in third this time around. (Hey, somebody has to.) The reason why is the goddamn games. Some of you are so focused on the tech or the pricing that you're absolutely blind to the reasons why people buy consoles in the first place. They buy them... to play games! And specificially, they buy one console over another to play the particular games they can play on that console that they can't play anywhere else.

People will buy the PS3 because it's the only system they can play Final Fantasy XIII or Gran Turismo HD or MGS4 on (well, at least for the first couple years). They will buy the Wii because it's a unique experience and it's cheap. Why will they buy the Xbox 360? To play friggin' Halo? (Some probably will, but compared to the PS3, the Xbox 360 is a bit light in the exclusive games category.)

Maybe you're all just disappointed that mommy won't shell out $600 for a PS3 on launch day, but there are plenty of people who can and will pay that. Those who are just interested in saving money and don't care about what games they're going to be playing can buy a Wii.

$250 is too expensive for the Wii, though, and I'm not convinced that rumor's true yet.

[Nick @ May 9th 2006 8:24AM]

@Jeff

You actually made some sense until your last para,

"Maybe you're all just disappointed that mommy won't shell out $600 for a PS3 on launch day, but there are plenty of people who can and will pay that. Those who are just interested in saving money and don't care about what games they're going to be playing can buy a Wii."

Why would people buy a Wii if they didnt care what games they were playing, when the only reason people buy gaming systems is to play the games they like? It seems like too much for you to swallow that Nintendo is doing something different, and less than half as expensive as the stripped down PS3.

@Dennis

Sony and Microsoft's marketing teams both want to give you a job.

[Joe @ May 9th 2006 8:31AM]

To the first poster - Gimicky?? Everyone said that about the DS before it came out and, hmmmmm.... Nintendo is still the strong leader in that market. I own a DS and a PSP, and the DS is just more fun - the PSP is a great and beautiful device, but the Nintendo really knows what to put into a system to make it fun. That kind of mentality is why the Wii will be able to pull off a "revolution" in the console gaming market. I honestly believe Microsoft will be the leader this time around among the hardcore gamers with their price point and early release, but the Wii will become the system to get this holiday season.

[James @ May 9th 2006 8:38AM]

I was quite interested in the Revolution for quite some time. Especially when I read that the Super Nintendo and N64 were both having many games as backwards compatible. I would say, though, that the name Wii is the biggest turn off for this system. If I were to buy this product, I'm still calling it the Revolution. No Wii for me.

[eric @ May 9th 2006 8:54AM]

i can't see how Nintendo won't make pantloads of cash on the Wii. at a couple bucks a download for the virtual console (hopefully it's that reasonable), everyone i know is likely to pickup a wii for $249, and grab all the NES/SNES games they played as kids for another $50-100. it's the "give the razor, sell the blades" thing.

[Korey @ May 9th 2006 9:10AM]

Me too james, If it is a bundle pack for the revolution i will be getting rid of my PSP because it chews UMDs after 15 plays unless you keep it in which isnt good PSP is also pointless since i bought the plam lifemanager and i like being able to download games. Does anyone know if this all wifi or can you get a hardline to it cuz it'd be way faster i gotta go see if lik-sangs taking preorders

[Ag @ May 9th 2006 9:26AM]

I thought it was suppose to be $99 and no more then $199? So this will be the most expensive Nintendo launch console ever, but will be hell of lot cheaper then the cometition.

Whatever, I'm still gonna buy at least two (one for my GF).

[dsharp @ May 9th 2006 10:07AM]

I was seriously considering whether or not to get the "new" nintendo. I passed up on the Gamecube because I had a bad experience with the ultra64. But the wii is looking more and more promising every day. I guess you can say "Nintendo's Wii has caught my eye". (that's kinda nasty). But I might be one of the first people in line saying "please give me a powerful wii". Especially if the games catch my eye.

[Sean Crago @ May 9th 2006 10:08AM]

The speaker actually makes a lot of sense. If true, it'll probably be a wonderfully intuitive way of sending targetted messages in a multiplayer game.

Think FPSes: Alice gets shot, Alice holds the speaker where the shot rings out from, or at least is repeated through. Vibration would be good enough to to get this across in single player, but if Alice is cuddled up with Bob while shooting aliens, it'll be a nice way to get the message to Bob.

Same applies to monkeys flying into bananas and Mario grabbing coins. This sounds like it could be a really cool feature.

[Hoffer @ May 9th 2006 11:02AM]

There was a rumor a month ago that when the PS3 launches, the Xbox 360 core will drop to $220. If a guy can get a 360 for $220 and a Wii for $250, I'm thinking they might go for the 360.

Saying that...I have a 360 and can't wait to get a Wii. I loved the Gamecube and might have actually used it the most in the previous gen. I've been going nuts lately playing my 360. It's an awesome console. The only thing that gives me pause about the Wii is no high def. If it at least puts out 480p in 16x9 I might forgive them.

[David @ May 9th 2006 11:11AM]

249.00 seems like a fair price to me. If the 360 drops to 299.00 and the newly released titles are priced @ 49.00 i'm there. If not they can keep it. Fight night 3 looks great on my ps2 with the rgb cables.
Sony is hell bent on heading toward bankruptcy with all their bad decisions, losing ground to apple for portable music, betamax, minidisc, umd failure. Now the price point for the PS3. I own the playstation, ps2 and two psp, gamecube and 2 nintendo ds (I have two sons)No need for the xbox which we owned for a little while but we just weren't halo fans. (we're big on the 2d and 3d fighting games (street fighter, tekken, virtua fighter) madden and sega sports titles and metroid zelda die hards) Nintendo and Sony were always the perfect fit (seems like it was meant to be since the days that the playstation was supposed to be the external Cd-rom drive for the snes) This is the first Sony console I cannot afford. Let me rephrase,
249.00 for the Wii and a 299.00 360 with new games @ 49.99; I can definitley swing. Games I like; like fight night and madden don't need motion control and the graphics don't make those games, the gameplay does, so 360 wins there. Old school gaming on the Wii, that's some cool shyte. I can't wait to play the original starfox and the super star wars, empire return of the jedi games, those were so much fun on the SNES. Punchout on the original nes, Yep; i'm there, Wii is a definite. Nintendo needs to scrap the DS, both screens are too small and the bulky unit is awkward to carry.

The portable gaming market IMO is almost non existant. Thank the Ipod and cell phone companies for destroying it. I have a treo 650 with a 1gb sd memory card. I still refuse to play any games on it; movies yes, pda yes absolutley and phone calls absolutley. Music and mp3's???; lol that's so last century. You can pretty much get music from anywhere these days.

[Barryke @ May 9th 2006 11:26AM]

What a load of troll here! My 2 cents:

XBOX360 and PS3 are. 'lets make some money'
Wii is 'lets offer something better'

To most of the world population, the cpu power of the XBOX360 and PS3 is utterly unimportant. The game experience is.

Nintendo is innovation.
Wii is the latest proof of the latter.

[Barryke @ May 9th 2006 11:42AM]

Interesting to note that a lot of people don't seem to grasp the way marketing works. Nintendo is succesfull in EVERY way possible.

To name a few:
- A lot of media attention and thus commerce (obvious)
- 'Wii' has a hidden meaning (in many languages, psych-wise), brain will link the meanings of words like 'we/us/friends play fun game' to the console, thus commerce.
- A *lot* of respect for their innovation drive, thus commerce.
- A public image even better than Google. (think: wat would you buy? Google could actualy hurt me, you have no idea how much they know about their users)
- ..
Could name a lot more, but you get the picture.

[Ianscot @ May 9th 2006 11:53AM]

I'm a parent of two 12-year-old kids. There is absolutely no way that Sony and Microsoft have any chance at my money. Nintendo is positioning itself extremely nicely both in terms of cost of ownership -- remember to add the price of an HD screen to the others, right? -- and in terms of the actual fun to be had in playing the games.

This market is about to see a major, major shakeup. Sony's atrociously clumsy pre-E3 press conference yesterday, along with MS's poor 360 sales so far, are just the pre-quake tremors.

[Nick Pang @ May 9th 2006 1:50PM]

all except price confirmed at Nintendo E3 Media Briefing Live, at 9:30 AM PST this morning.

speakers in controller, always on, sound feedback, etc.

[Dennis @ May 9th 2006 3:29PM]

@Nick:
"Sony and Microsoft's marketing teams both want to give you a job."

Lol. I actually have a certain respect for Disney. They exert a single-mindedness that directly results in their strong place in the market. They are a trustworthy empire to anyone who has children, because they have an ironclad reputation, because they are incredibly controlling of their image and their assets.

Nintendo is a little less ambitious than Disney, but in general they offer fun games that no adult would find noxious or concerning. In my own gaming, I like blowing stuff up and feeling like I'm in the middle of warfare and carnage. If I had kids, I'd feel a lot differently. I'd get the family a Nintendo, and I'd keep my XBox 360 or PS3 locked in my secret multimedia hideout built under the stairs, using a biometric lock built into the head of a statue. Yeah.

[Kittany @ May 9th 2006 7:39PM]

ya know, despite the names, which if you look, are all pretty lame (Xboc [number], PS [Number], and Wii... wtf...) the systems all seem pretty okay... PS3 sounds crazy though... $600? It's a gaming console, not a computer.

Xbox 360... ya know, if you'll buy that just for halo, I love your dedication. But I heard Halo 2 was kinda lame anyway; the first though was amazing. Still, with the first batch being so defective (In the Western Wa. area, a huge amount would break or stop working after 30 mins of game play) I don't see the point in it.

The Wii... Nintendo will always come up with some silly or quirky idea that tweaks the industry, and Wii is one of the latest. The price is a little disappointing, but hey, with games like Twilight Princess coming into play and a console on the market weighing less than your mom's old hard-drive computer, it sounds like a good buy to me.

[the guy @ May 9th 2006 9:05PM]

well the ps3 being as full of disappointment as it is, what with:
-no hdmi on cheaper model
-7 controllers (why seven?)
-a contoller that is nearly the exact same as it was in the 64 bit era
and probably more disappointment coming (i saw 3-4 sony disappointments on digg today)

and the 360 being much the same
-i heard the core model was being eliminated
-if not it still cant play xbox
-an hd-dvd add-on thing which cant comply with the whole no analog hdtv thing
I think that the wii's got it made.
and if i remember correctly, the big N still has one big secret yet to reveal. well if i stray from my pc, ill be getting a wii.

[KEVIN @ May 11th 2006 7:26AM]

does anyone remeber the first and greatest football game made that if brought out in a crowded room with guys playing madden i guarnatee u madden would be turned off....TECHMO BOWL....remeber when...more power to u nintendo. u can get my money...

[Tim @ May 11th 2006 11:28AM]

I have to agree, $600 for the PS3 60 Gig HD combo is hugely overpriced. How many games are going to use these Blu-Ray discs from the get go. The option for downloading music, videos or game ad-ons i just another way for them to milk money. The 6th Degree idea in the controller looks to be lame. The Sony E3 Press Conference was just bad, you know its bad when the crowd has no reaction and you have to make you audience applaud because they just are not impressed with the demo's. 25 percent of NA has HD, ya right its just too expensive yet

[wolfmetal @ May 11th 2006 1:50PM]

Hi guys, this is my first time here. I dont know, but I'm a gamer since I was 5 years old (got my nes on my 5th birthday!)and feel that videogames are for playing, for experimenting, for innovating. I've played Xbox, Ps2, Gamecube, maybe all, even the virtualboy and found that each had its uniqueness. Although The xbox 360 is pretty powerful and the PS3 will look amazing, still they forgot games should be fun. Why should you need a blue ray disk if the game isn't fun. A 20gb hardrive if you already have a PC or mac or a dvd/mp3/dishwasher/console if you own all that and it cost you like half or maybe less. Ps2 was launched with awesome dvd capabilities but you could get a dvd for $50 and this add on costed hundreds. The name Wii doens't appeal me at all but, I just want the console to play, I dont need a blue ray/computer/camera/recorder for $600! all that may cost less separately. If you like awesome graphics watch Ice age 2 or FF movies, if you like gaming you can like me for the Wii!

[WII will rock you! @ May 12th 2006 5:17PM]

In reply to the very first comment on here

"1. The Wii is definitely shaping up to be the lamest console. It's said that they're trying to make up for the lack of gaming quality in their console by adding in all these gimmicks. I wish they'd just stick to good old gaming like the PS3 and Xbox have done."

Did you notice how many different 'gimmicks' and gadgets XBOX and PS3 have tried to incorporate into thier machines..HD's, DVD-playback,Burners, etc.Hence their rediculous high price tags. In complete contradiction to this stupid comment, Nintendo has always been the one trying to keep consoles strictly to gaming. When was the last time Nintendo tried to do anything to their consoles that didnt in some way attempt to enhance gaming rather than detract from it? I admit long ago i was losing faith in Nintendo, but everything they have shown thus far has made me want a Wii more than ever. As the comment by wolfmetal states, PS3 is absurdly expensive(im 21, a hardcore gamer, and have fairly decent income, and i would have a hard time shelling out that kinda cash for a gaming console + games + extra controllers + whatever else you'll more than likely need to buy to get the full functionality out of it)XBOX, aside from Halo, which I do not even play, i've never seen anything special about it. It's acquired GTA4 now, but honestly GTA style gameplay has been lackluster for a while now. In the end Wii, will get you more bang for your buck, will have more innovative games, be more fun to interact with, and demonstrates Nintendo is the only truly dedicated to gaming.

[Wii will rock you! @ May 12th 2006 5:36PM]

Wii will rock you!!

Oh, and i jsut had to reply to something else mentioned by civicdelslow. The PS3 'tilt' feature does SOOOO totally seem tacked on. I mean what a coincidence that nothing was mentioned of this feature until a few months after Nintendo unveiled its secret. The truth is, once Sony caught glimpse that Nintendo was truly being groundbreaking, they started shaking in thier boots, and had to do something about it, bring in the 'tacked on' tilt feature. I mean c'mon, 4+ years and millions of dollars in developement, and they couldn't find some way to incorporate both rumble and motion sensing into the remote, if that was their plan all along? B.S.

[Andrew @ May 12th 2006 7:15PM]

Have you seen the video for Call of duty 3 that is coming out on the wii? That has intense graphics and great interactablility. I got a Ds not for the good graphics really but for the interactivity. Even if the graphics do not come up to the 360 or ps3 the Wii makes it heaps more interactive then those and thats what some people like.

[Eric @ May 14th 2006 1:41PM]

Wow. I can't believe that there are people who still think the Wii won't come out on top.

Sony fanboys.

[Jesse @ May 14th 2006 11:20PM]

Nintendo absolutely stole the show at E3!

No other competitor can match the franchise faces that Nintendo has. Mario, Link, and Samus just to name a few.

Nintendo Wii appeals to all gamers of all ages. Graphical not as strong as PS3 and Xbox 360 with there HD compatibility, Wii still offers beatiful graphics, ingenious Wii Remote, and not to mention great gameplay which is what its all about. The virtue console will bring back some of the old school gamers with classics from NES, SNES, and N64. Sony and Microsoft for the most part targets only one type of gamer.

Although I dont think at first Nintendo will beat out Sony with consoles sold. In my opinion the $250 Wii is a much better buy then the $600 PS3 and $400 X360 or the $100 cheaper watered down versions of the two. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be the game of the year. In time Nintendo will be number 1 for the first time in a long time with the ingenious new Wii Remote. Gaming will never be the same because of the Wii!

[Aaron @ May 15th 2006 12:51AM]

Hahaha, some of you guys are just plain stupid. Anyone who bashes any of these companies and/or consoles is not a real gamer. Period. Gamers love games, not consoles or companies. That means that anyone who knows and loves this stuff can appreciate what Nintendo is trying to do. And that guy who said Zelda was lame because of the flutes and fairies, well, I guess the world just isn't manly enough for your 12-year-old self, is it.

Anyway. I think $250 is a little too high. $200 is good, $150 is better. Remember, the GameCube launched at $200, that's pretty standard for Nintendo. And there's no way it costs that much to make (example: the GB Micro is still $80-$100, while only costing $40 to manufacture). I really want one, but I'm not sure about shelling out $250 right away. If that is indeed the final price, I think it won't take long for it to go down.

[Timoteo @ May 15th 2006 1:16AM]

I personally believe The Nintendo Wii blew the competition out of the water. Nintendo is just getting better and better all the time. I'm a huge fan of the Zelda series and the fact that they're releasing two different versions of Twilight Princess (on for Wii one for GC) is great. I'll be getting it for Wii, but the people that bash the beautiful idea of the Wii-Remote, they can still play the game. I also think the idea of turning the Wii-Remote sideways for racing games is pure genius! I mean every single time I'm playing a racing game I always tilt my controller hoping that my car will turn so it won't go hurtling of the road. They took that idea and made it a reality. And FPS are going to be great, but the games I'm going to be looking forward to are games like Starfox (wonder if/how they'll do that), Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Crytstal Chronicles.
And being able to download the classics just means that Nintendo is more clever than Microsoft and Sony, and that Nintendo is about to get a buttload of mony off of it. My mom's going to buy it just so she can play Dr. Mario and all the other classics.

Pure Genius Nintedo. Pure Genius.

As for the price, it's going to beat the pants off of everything else. I'm just going to leave it at that because ya'll have already had you're "discussion" about that.