Wii pricing: $250 or less

There's been a lot of speculation about how Nintendo will price the Wii, with most of it centered around some very low figures (do we hear $200; $150 -- sold, for $99!). Now, Nintendo has finally revealed the official pricing of its next-gen gaming console: under $250 in the US, and ¥25,000 in Japan. We assume that means the US price will be $249.99, and that there could be some interesting arbitrage opportunities based on exchange rates and release dates (at current rates, ¥25,000 is about $220). Nintendo also said it plans to ship over 6 million consoles by March of next year. And at a price that's now officially about half that of the cheapest PS3, they may just be able to pull it off.

[Z @ May 25th 2006 9:00AM]

The Wii costs next to nothing to make but of course Nintendo got greedy and is selling these things with huge profit margins.

[callused @ May 25th 2006 9:01AM]

So that'll be £250 in the UK then...

[G Money @ May 25th 2006 9:02AM]

I'm 24, male, I have an HDTV, am a working professional, and I still dont see myself paying 600 dollars for a PS3. Sony fcuked up i think. Looks like I will be getting my first nintendo well since i got my first nintendo in the mid 80's.

[Ben @ May 25th 2006 9:04AM]

I'll be getting one along with a PS3.

[chris @ May 25th 2006 9:12AM]

i have 2 N64's and this Wii looks so cool and so cheap! I must get it to play and downlaod my old N64 games and the lower price is just icing on the cake for me to buy it! I might even buy 2.....

[Matt @ May 25th 2006 9:12AM]

"The Wii costs next to nothing to make but of course Nintendo got greedy and is selling these things with huge profit margins."

How can you make such a ridiculous comment in light of the pricing of the XBOX and PSNewOne?? "Oh, it's worth it because there's so much candy inside!" As opposed to, say, "it's worth it because there's nothing else like it in the world, and it's half of what the competition is charging for essentially the same thing!"

[Brian from Texas @ May 25th 2006 9:13AM]

I second that #3. Now, if Rainbox Six: Vegas will get released on it, I'll truly be happy.

[Simon @ May 25th 2006 9:14AM]

We're in the same boat, callused. I can easily see the Wii going for £250 here in the UK, because we're treated oh-so-fairly when it comes to pricing here. This is a shame, as one of the many reasons that I was going to buy a Wii in the first place was that it WASN'T expensive.

[John Doe @ May 25th 2006 9:22AM]

*shrugs* $250 is a good sweet spot right now. There is simply no way in hell either MS or Sony can touch that price point. Best of all it’s a console that I can actually afford to get along with 3 or 4 games out of the gate. Vs. the PS3 or 360 that would sent me back close to a cool grand. (OK the PS3 would. Not so much the 360) I'm sold. Where do I preorder one?

[shirizaki @ May 25th 2006 9:25AM]

After I purchase a 360, this is next on my list. I'm so stoked for red steel. I also want to see other games that take advantage of the wiimote.

It makes me sad hat the PS3 is priced so high, but I remember the Saturn. It was around $600 or so when released, then it was dropped to $400 or something in 1 year. That might happen.

I still get shivers when I think about the ebay pricing for the PS3.

But this comment is about the wii. Hopefully they offer some outstanding old games to download.

[steveg @ May 25th 2006 9:29AM]

So presumably it will come with a wiimote and nunchuck, but what about a bundled game - $250 should include something, how about WiiTennis?

[Korey @ May 25th 2006 9:33AM]

No.6 The XBOX original was priced perfectly with he Harddrive and Modem Built in the graphics are still very good and The 360 in my city has wierd pricing theres 3 levels of premium systems topping out at 650 and core systems at 299-399 but the 360 is gunna be the top of the
NextGen for awhile I hate microsoft but love my XBOXes

[Jake @ May 25th 2006 9:33AM]

Does anyone else see this as a little much? It's basically a Gamecube with a fancy controller. Hell, even the E3 games were running on Gamecubes. I could understand $150-$200, but $250 (when you can buy a new Gamecube for $79...)??

[manc @ May 25th 2006 9:33AM]

greed? maybe it does cost next to nothing to produce but I suspect that the R&D cost them some money which always has to be recouped. Maybe they should slap a Sony logo on their to justify the price, just a thought :)

[brian @ May 25th 2006 9:38AM]

that the box has normal stuff, 2x controllers, and 3x Virtual Console Games. What a way to get people online than to offer free, full version, their choice for packin games! Thats one hell of an incentive.

[mike @ May 25th 2006 9:39AM]

Nintendo's pricing is genius. They're only real competition costs almost double, so they can set the pricing at a level that almost assures them of making a profit on the hardware ... that's probably a first in this business.

[brian @ May 25th 2006 9:40AM]

13. Should have stated: "I hope that the box..."

[JinKazama @ May 25th 2006 9:42AM]

Gotta hand it to Nintendo, if nothing else they know how to turn a profit. If people will keep buying the 1,267th Mario, Zelda, or Metroid game...heck keep selling it. If people will plunk down $250 for a current gen console with a new style of controller heck sell that to.

I used to be a huge Nintendo fan, I was the fanboy prototype... but unlike 90% of this board I have grown tired of paying a premium for cheap under powered consoles, and retreaded games and game characters. I don't mind paying $300-$600 for a piece of electronics if it's going to deliver me a cutting edge experience. I do have a problem paying $250 for a console not considerably more powerful than a $99 gamecube, a $129 PS2, or whatever the XBox is selling for now. Yeah the controllers cool, I liked it at E3...but I see myself growing very tired of it very quickly then what do I have left...same old Starfox, same old games with Mario characters, same old Metroid games. What I can download old games...wow those are great for the first five minutes until I realize I already beat these games as a kid and have no desire to play through again.

And with all the recent Sony bashing, I can almost hear Nintendo laughing all the way to the bank.

****takes cover as current Nintendo fanboys report to their battle stations******

[ECM @ May 25th 2006 9:44AM]

#12: For the last time: games were NOT running on GameCubes at E3 and if Mario Galaxy, to you, looks "basically like a GameCube" game, graphically, you need to get your eyes checked (I say this having actually played it.)

[Jake @ May 25th 2006 9:47AM]

13: Are you saying that they should do that, or they are doing that?

[Quite keen @ May 25th 2006 9:48AM]

It's interesting Nintendo don't seem to be hyping their product, just doing all the right things to make it utterly desirable.

Of course I may change my mind when they announce the exorbitant UK price...

[Ad @ May 25th 2006 9:48AM]

I hope that price includes 2 controllers and a few virtual console games. Also didn't they say none of their 1st arty games would be over $40/£30? I hope they stick to that

[yuppicide @ May 25th 2006 9:49AM]

Have you seen the graphics on this?! They scream nothing of next-gen and look like Gamecubeish crap. I only want the system for it's library of old games, but even that looks like it will be crap if it's going to use a memory card. I'd like to see an external hard drive because I want every old game I can get my hands on without having to switch anything.

[Semi @ May 25th 2006 10:08AM]

wiith that kiind of priice
ii'll buy one along wiith my ps3!

smashing.super.great

[Timerider @ May 25th 2006 10:13AM]

I wanted it to be sub $200. Since they did cut back on a lot of features.

[Semi @ May 25th 2006 10:13AM]

if they sell it at £250 in uk, then just import it.

have the importers wrap it in xmas/birthday wrappers and call it a gift (Avoid the import custom).

[ResidentGamer @ May 25th 2006 10:15AM]

This is good news for the gaming industry. I think the Nintendo Wii will be a big success. It will be able to bring everyone tot he caming table at an affordable price. Urban communities will be able to pick one up with out feeling like they are giving up their rent money, food, and other things to enter a Next-gen gaming level. While the graphics might not be all fancy I think the game play and high level of interactivity make the difference.

[JetJaguar @ May 25th 2006 10:17AM]

Well, the US price is pretty much where the pundits were predicting it would be, so no major suprises there.

But I expect there'll be some worried faces at Sony HQ. The Wii is going to be cheap. PS3 won't enjoy exclusivity on some of its most important console-selling games (GTAiv). And the folks at Redmond are almost certain to drop the 360's price in time for the holiday season.

I count myself as a PS2 fan (though my meagre collection of games probably doesn't mark me out as such), but even I'm finding it hard to resist the temptations of a 360/Wii combo. I suspect there are a few of us who are holding back on because of our back catalogue of PS2 games, and PSPs. (And whatever happened to the PSP/PS3 comnpatibility thing, by the way? The fact that it was going to double as a PS3 controller was one of the things that originally sold me. Is it my imagination or has it all gone quiet on that front? Or is it just that Sony are working on a way of retro-fitting motion sensors to its pricey handheld? I hear e-bay a-calling.)

I can only hope that Sony comes to its senses and realises that it's not the 1980s anymore, and that there mere presence of their brand name is no longer enough to justify a premium price for their products.

[John @ May 25th 2006 10:33AM]

Even though that probably means £250 in the UK, thats still pretty good and il still buy it!

[personal finance @ May 25th 2006 10:38AM]

Good news for those of us living in Japan with those price points. It looks like I'll be able to pick up some extra money on the arbitrage.

[Kevin @ May 25th 2006 10:43AM]

What features are you speaking of, TimeRider?

You must mean the innovative gameplay?
Maybe the free online service?
Virtual Console?
Wireless Controller?
Rumble in the controller?
USB Ports?
SD slot?

Oh I know, you mean grahpics right? because that is all you are concerned with. I get it now.

[Wry Cooter @ May 25th 2006 10:49AM]

If Nintendo can only ramp up quality game production to keep it going. GameCube development stagnated quickly.

[Russell @ May 25th 2006 10:49AM]

The price is not terrible. Initially, it's going to be a tad overpriced since I'm sure Nintendo is banking on it being a hit with big demand at the holidays. I would expect it to go down by the spring or summer to $199.

Hopefully the fact that Nintendo wants this to be a social game console, they will include 2 wiimotes.

[Jimmy Broadleft @ May 25th 2006 10:51AM]

I have a question: (if you dont mind).

So you have three choices - xBox360, PS3, or Wii Nin... The New Nintendo comes in at a very very nice price. In my opinion the only distinction then has to be with the games that are offered... So question: Will the new Nintendo have cool games? Will it have CS, BF2, Halo, Tribes, or any other first person shooter like the above? Will it have cool sports games?

Cause lets face it, the choice between which console to buy is less a factor of the price of the console than say which games are on it. I currently have the PS2 and I play Battlefield 2 religiously. I borrowed a friends XBOX360 and played Call of Duty 2 and actually in all honesty the Call of Duty is better and so is the wireless controllers with "trigger" buttons etc.

I would only consider replacing my PS2 with the Nintendo if it had cool shootem ups... Any thoughts?

:) Jim-bo

[Russell @ May 25th 2006 11:02AM]

I think that if Red Steel is a success then you'll see alot of first person shooters on Wii. I'd say that using the controller as a gun and sword in a first person shooter qualifies as pretty cool.

[33degrees @ May 25th 2006 11:07AM]

Keep in mind that the gamecube was ¥25,000 at launch in Japan, and was $200 US, so there's still a good posibility the Wii will be $200 as well.

[Adam @ May 25th 2006 11:08AM]

Wii Fanboy reported that they only said that it would not be more than 25,000 yen (~$220), but didn't say anything about US prices. Usually, (i believe, but correct me if i'm wrong) consoles are slightly more expensive in Japan, so a $200 price seems more likely.

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2006/05/25/confirmed-wii-not-to-cost-more-than-220/

[Silverfrog @ May 25th 2006 11:10AM]

Re:

"It makes me sad hat the PS3 is priced so high, but I remember the Saturn. It was around $600 or so when released, then it was dropped to $400 or something in 1 year. That might happen. "

Actually, Sega Saturn launched for $400. At no point was it $600.

Re:

"Gotta hand it to Nintendo, if nothing else they know how to turn a profit. If people will keep buying the 1,267th Mario, Zelda, or Metroid game...heck keep selling it. If people will plunk down $250 for a current gen console with a new style of controller heck sell that to. "

I can tell you're not much into the Nintendo first party games, but speaking for myself, I love them. I can't think of many examples where Nintendo plagarized or rehashed their other games. Each one is new, fresh, and most importantly fun. Sequels are sometimes a bad thing, but not in all cases. I will continue to purchase Metroid, Mario, and other games as long as they are fun to play.

And it's funny you're calling the Wii a current gen system. Last I checked, no other system sports the kind of play mechanics that Wii can. Graphics are not the end-all-be-all. Take Nintendo DS for example. It's graphics (including dimly lit screens) are sub-par when compared to PSP, but DS is better in terms of games. But seriously, Wii DOES have better graphics, better (new) gameplay, and downloadable classic games, which is vastly different compared to current gen systems, so it's illogical to call Wii a current gen system. I do agree that the Wii should include HD outputs. Even if the focus is on gameplay, you can't exclude the newer technologies that produce sharper and crisper pictures.

But, you're not really paying $250 for the console. You're paying $250 for the ability to enjoy the content that Wii provides. Right? Saying it's not powerful enough is a moot point.

[morgan @ May 25th 2006 11:36AM]

#36 - awesome point about paying for content. It's not just about specs. I've got a GC, xbox, psp, and ps2. I think I'll start with the wii for the next round. I'm just not inspired yet by the ps3 or 360, and the wiimote seems too cool to pass up. I may actually sell my psp for a DS. As cool as the psp is, there's very few decent games for it.

[Richard Garrison @ May 25th 2006 11:53AM]

Just FYI:

I'm old. They announced Nintendo 64 as under $250 and the day it arrived it was $199.99. So under $250 means under $250. Not necessarily $249.99.

[Andy Briggs @ May 25th 2006 11:53AM]

Go Wii, go!
Ah, good times!
I have owned every Nintendo console for varying periods of time, all the PlayStations and the Xbox. Nothing compares to how great this could be. If the Wii really launches at $250 (about £135 here in the UK)then that is as much as the DS debuted at! Absolutely outstanding! You've done it again, Nintendo! Just like the Gamecube was actually the better console than the PS2 and (in some respects) the Xbox, so is the Wii. As can be seen in computer gaming - people don't care solely about graphics. They want graphics that are good to an extent, but the majority of people don't want to pay the outrageous prices for the little improvements. Here is where the Wii lies with the majority. Here is Nintendos stand. Here is the homecoming.

[Andreas @ May 25th 2006 11:54AM]

After E3, Wii is the only thing people are talking about. 360 and PS3 just lost the game of anticipation because they presented themselves as boring, stiff and conservative options. Nintendo presented themself and Wii as a step into a new world of interactive experience. Wonderful.

I don't care for the other guys. I'm just looking forward to Wii. Actually I haven't been this excited since the launch of Sega Megadrive.

[Axon @ May 25th 2006 11:56AM]

$250? Sold.

[zak @ May 25th 2006 11:58AM]

#1 you are probably/possibly the only person i have ever heard complain about the pricing of the wii. it's quite obvious that if youre not willing to pay > $250 for a console that you sure as hell dont have the 360 nor will you buy the PS3. in other words, why respond to a post about a gaming console, when youre obviously not a gamer (because a gamer would not be complaining about a $250 console price, compared to the others out there).

like someone else mentioned, when i buy my wii, i will be able to buy a few games with it and still be under the cost of a xbox 360 HD/wireless bundle. and not to mention im definately looking forward to downloading all the old school nes/snes games and playing them on it, then i can get rid of all my ROMs.

[IcerC @ May 25th 2006 12:04PM]

IT WILL BE AT MOST 200.

Every Nintendo to date has been 199.

200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200

Thankyou

[cmonkey @ May 25th 2006 12:07PM]

There have been at least a dozen items identical to this posted on the front page of Engadget. This is not only not news, its misleading not news. Common sense (and a look at history) shows that the Wii will debut at $200.

[Lord Kuragari @ May 25th 2006 12:15PM]

they said it would be 1/3 of the ps3 ... well in japan that works out to 25000 yen, us $200, europe 200 euros

[Alex @ May 25th 2006 12:15PM]

Since dual SKUs seem to be this generation's fad, I think Nintendo will go with:

$250 - console, two remotes/nunchucks, traditional controller shell, free VC games, and WiiSports

$200 - console, two remotes/nunchucks, free VC games.

[Kevin @ May 25th 2006 12:24PM]

I think I was dreaming when I was holding out for $200... Oh well $200 isn't that much different than $250.

[Winterhead @ May 25th 2006 12:30PM]

From a PC gamer's perspective, this is all really funny. These console thingy's are getting so expensive, you might as well buy a gaming PC and never have to worry about platforms again. Yes, at this point there are games on (some, not all) consoles that aren't on the PC, but that's only cause you guys are putting up with the limitations of console controllers.

Having said that, I would buy Wii cause it has the potential of controlling a game even better (faster response, more accurate control) than a mouse/keyboard setup. Assuming, of course, World of Warcraft somehow becomes boring years down the road.