Nintendo Wii: November 19th, $250

Well, the details are in. The Wii's coming November 19th, and it'll cost you $250 damn dollars. Surprised it's not under two bills? Don't be, it's a lot less than a lot of people are willing to pay right now. At the Nintendo event later today in New York (we'll be there) we'll catch a glimpse of the 25 game announcements preparing to be made, as well as more official launch details -- but in the mean time we know it'll ship with Wii Sports (baseball, bowling, golf, and tennis -- all very addictive), Super Mario Galaxy will not ship in 2006 (boo!), it'll have a photo streaming service, news and weather channels (most likely a part of WiiConnect24, but still a bit bizarre), and Opera for browsing the web; new titles will run you $50, while Virtual Console games will cost between $5 and $10 apiece. But really this stuff is all you really needed to know, isn't it? November 19th, $250. November 19th, $250. And yes, they're still apparently on track to meet their four million unit goal for their 2006 launch. Still, stay tuned for more deets, they're inevitable.

P.S. -Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be reading Joystiq's live coverage of the Nintendo event going on in Tokyo right now?

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Update: We've heard from our Japanese correspondent that the Wii will not ship bundled with Wii Sports! Bummer!

[IngenRa @ Sep 14th 2006 1:01AM]

Finally! A price.

[Edblor @ Sep 14th 2006 1:01AM]

Not quite the "under $200.00" that we were kinda expecting, but definitely more reasonable than the competition.

[Maxwell @ Sep 14th 2006 1:05AM]

The 360 core will be dropped to $249 before November 19th.

[Robotron @ Sep 14th 2006 1:05AM]

I was hoping this press release was wrong.
$250US means $300 CAD (no matter where the dollar is).
I would like to see an extra controller in the box actually. Wii is suppose to mean WE. Kind of hard to be a single WE.

[Dave @ Sep 14th 2006 1:07AM]

Your basing this off of a seattle newspaper site? or NY TImes? Why not wait and see if that's the case its only a couple hours more... might be eating this or not who knows.

[Sean D. @ Sep 14th 2006 1:09AM]

Woah. I hope it comes with a 2nd controller at that price, but it seems reasonable. I'll be out of the US until mid-December, so I guess no Wii for me in 2006... but I'll definitely be getting one eventually. Hopefully I'll still be able to snag a copy of Guitar Hero 2 before New Years...

[jon @ Sep 14th 2006 1:12AM]

This info is bad, it's from some tabloid rag in seattle, not the press conference.

[Seanux @ Sep 14th 2006 1:22AM]

probably bad info, but I was on futureshop.ca's website and the games are 69 bucks canadian! ridiculous, I thought the point of wii was to be cheaper hardware and cheaper developement costs, so why are the games being raised to the same price as xbox 360 games? I won't be buying it now! and I love my nintendo hardware, but 70 dollars for a game is ridiculous I'm not shelling out that kind of cash.

[jm @ Sep 14th 2006 1:28AM]

wow disappointing on all counts I was really exited about the game wii before this.

-250 is way to much for a slightly upgraded game cube. why arnt they playing to their strength by seriously undercutting the competitions price

-10-50 is way to much for the virtual comsole games if they really want to sell lots of them and make vc a killer app they should be priced between 1-10

[Robert @ Sep 14th 2006 1:31AM]

IGN is reporting this information now at http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732669p1.html. I don't read IGN enough to know if they are reliable, but still. The news rings true and doesn't have the hype of a tabloid rag to me.

[Mac User @ Sep 14th 2006 2:03AM]

This is not true!!!

Where's your source???

The New York Times story has been pulled for being false. The TRUE price and release date have yet to be revealed!!!!!!!!!

Quit jumping the gun!!!!

Japan: December 2, $212.00

[tc @ Sep 14th 2006 2:03AM]

i knew it was going to be $250

[locomoco @ Sep 14th 2006 2:12AM]

It's $250 but it comes with a pack-in game... one that probably most people would've gotten anyway. In my eyes, that really adjusts the price down to $200 for the console... not a bad price if you ask me.

[Mac User @ Sep 14th 2006 2:12AM]

The U.S. Price and Release will not be revealed until 9am by Reggie!!!

Until then...

U.S. Release Date ????? Price ?????

[Robotron @ Sep 14th 2006 2:20AM]

Well in Japan the pricing for the Virual Console games is confirmed. What a mistake.
$5 for old NES games, $8 for SNES and $10 for N64.

These are old games that involve no programming to create. They just have to slap them online and their done. Gravy. It just seems greedy.

The iTunes 99cent model works, doesn't the big N see this? For 99cents people would download hundreds....at $5 they'll grab a few.

[x23 @ Sep 14th 2006 2:29AM]

hopefully what Robotron just said is true... cause the Engadget quote of : "Virtual Console games will cost between $10 and $50 apiece." would be absolutely completely ludicrous.

i still have a NES / SNES / N64 .... TG16 around somewhere. at $10 or $50... there is no reason to not just play the originals. at under $5... i'd buy them just for the convenience to have them all in one machine.

i'm hoping someone makes a 5-in-1 wireless adapter for the Wii as well. a small pod with NES / SNES / N64 / TG16 / Genesis ports on it... to wireless-ify your original controllers for use on the Wii. perhaps something plugging into the Wiimote expansion port?

[Pixelbox @ Sep 14th 2006 2:30AM]

Correction to the article:

the VC games are $5 to $10, not $10 to $50.

[Sean DL @ Sep 14th 2006 2:48AM]

See, I think this is going to be a lesson for blogs....

DON'T try to be first..TRY to be right...because watch words be crossed out again and again by noon tomorrow ET....

[CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Sep 14th 2006 2:59AM]

Price is fine i just wanted to controllers with the Wii but its funny how nintendo and ps3 is launching usa before japan(ditching them). I still am going to get Wii and with 360 and wait for ps3

[CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Sep 14th 2006 3:03AM]

The reason why nintendo isn't launching before ps3 to meet their goal of 4 million consules and have a complete worldwide launch unlike ps3 and 360. i just wonder how many systems per country and what the ac adapter for

[Yixian @ Sep 14th 2006 3:32AM]

I hope this is wrong. $250 is too expensive for this hardware. November 19th is too late for what could easil be shipped at the end of this month.

If it's true, it's not so much bad news, as utterly mundane, unexciting and anticlimatic news that will really take the wind out of the Wii's sales.

And Dec 1st in Japan? Wtf? Makes me wonder how badly we Europeans are gonna get screwed...

[CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Sep 14th 2006 3:37AM]

Also, the reason why the price is $250 is in japan u don't get the $40 game Wii sports and Wii will cost $213 in japan in yen but they don't get a $40 game they just include a game cuz the wanted the price to even out so we in america weren't losing $37 for paying $250 instead of $213

[Aztec @ Sep 14th 2006 3:40AM]

Its 25,000 Yen... thats about $212 US. Check out the link below for nintendos official press release translated in English.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fn10%2Fnews%2F060914.html&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

[Craig @ Sep 14th 2006 4:06AM]

I'm an actor Hollywood. I went on an audition for a Tony Hawk Wii game today. It will be one of the launch titles. If anyone cares....

[=['] @ Sep 14th 2006 4:44AM]

Balls to the US & Japan, when are we in Europe or more specifically UK going to get the damn thing!?

If it doesn't reach our shores this year I think people will hold out for a PS3, despite one of the worst PR disasters of gaming times...

I'd consider teh x360 if i have to wait for some ungodly reason for a Wii - I was hoping to have it in my stocking for chrimbo.

And i'm still holding out on a £150 launch price, but I seriously doubt it :(

[iTard @ Sep 14th 2006 5:11AM]

I have one question about the web browser.
A standard definition tv is not capable of showing text that is only one pixel wide, it's blurry as hell (dead rising text anyone?).
So how the hell can you browse web with a standard tv? As far as I know the Wii isn't even capable of outputting a high enough resolution to show the sharp text on web pages, even if you have a HDTV.

Try plugging your computer to your old tube. Blurry!

[Yixian @ Sep 14th 2006 5:15AM]

For what's in the box, £100 would be pushing it tbh. I love the thing, and I don't give a shit about graphics, but flogging dated hardware at this price is extortion.

[Mike @ Sep 14th 2006 7:43AM]

I just picked up a copy of USA today, and the front page of the Life section shows the Wii retail packaging, with a big "Wii Sports Included!" right on it.

[Esat Dedezade @ Sep 14th 2006 7:57AM]

$250 = £132

Though thats not taking into account the tax added on in the UK already, and the fact that the prices are never a straight conversion... but maybe still a £150 launch over here?... whenever 'over here' is.

[Mike @ Sep 14th 2006 8:03AM]

I put a scan of the packaging up here:

http://ohiomike.vox.com/library/post/wii.html

[kerbero9 @ Sep 14th 2006 9:08AM]

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/afx/2006/09/14/afx3016278.html

'With these new features, I believe that anybody, regardless of age or gender, will be urged to touch our Wii at least once,' Iwata said.

HILARIOUS!!!!

[dtrenz @ Sep 14th 2006 9:44AM]

from engadgets live coverage of the NYC Wii Event:

"9:35AM - Wii Sports will be included with the console."

wtf. make up your minds.

[Marcus @ Sep 14th 2006 10:03AM]

When the price was rumored at $150, I had every intention of picking one up just as an extra gaming console to have around the house. At $250, I doubt I'll be picking one up.

[Gilbert J. Garcia @ Sep 14th 2006 10:37AM]

I am totally outraged if this is the case: $10 to $50 dollars per downloaded game?! what happens if I accidentally erase it? And why the heck would I pay 50 bucks for an emulated download old skool game?! In any case I could find it used for the original system way cheaper. heck i could just buy a turbo graphx, a sega cd, 32x, and saturn and play the real deal not some crappy emulation. No way would I pay that much for crappy old games. plus who in their right mind would pay $10 for mario brothers now a days? you could pick up a copy at just about any swamp meat for at least a dollar. Several years ago funco land sold them for less than .50 cents. this is retarded now way its true. plus why would I pay $250 for a glorified non HD gamecube with one controller and no new mario game?! Im calling bologna from new york times. they is crazy.

[Jake @ Sep 14th 2006 12:48PM]

I don't get this. It's coming out in November where? and December 2nd where? I don't understand! Why would it come out in Japan later than everywhere else? What the hell is going on?

[Marco @ Sep 14th 2006 5:50PM]

Uh, Virtual Console games are gonna cost between $5-$10.... right? Not $5-$50...

[Mat @ Sep 15th 2006 4:52PM]

"WE. Kind of hard to be a single WE."

Announced for not more than 5 minutes and the complaining begins...

[Panther_V @ Sep 16th 2006 1:25AM]

Thats not cheaper than $250 like Nintendo Said :( geez they could have sold it at $249.99... then i wouldn't complain but one cent extra goes against cheaper than $250 statement they made few months back.

[TodG @ Sep 17th 2006 8:45AM]

Here's a link to today's USA Today story that mentions that Wii Sports will be included and includes the picture of the packaging. Not sure if the picture is supposed to be final version, but it also says Wii Sports is included.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-09-14-wii-date_x.htm

[Anake @ Sep 20th 2006 10:34PM]

At least it comes with Wii Sports....