Nintendo aims for 2008 Wii launch in China, South Korea

Apparently, the Big N has had just about enough of all this Vii / Wu nonsense, as it has recently announced plans to launch the real deal (that'd be the Wii) in China next year. According to company president Satoru Iwata, Nintendo is planning to bring its hotter-than-hot console to China and South Korea in 2008, just as soon as the whole "global shortage" thing gets worked out. Furthermore, he stated that its current priority was to "deliver as many consoles as it could to existing markets," but we're still betting that these things will be a coveted commodity this holiday season.

[Brian K @ Oct 26th 2007 12:05PM]

Didn't the Vii beat them to it in China?

[farfisa @ Oct 26th 2007 11:56AM]

Well, if it doesn't work with my Wu nun-chuks, I don't want it!!!

[charlie @ Oct 26th 2007 11:59AM]

I can only speak for china, but uh, the wii has been available all over china since it launched in japan. launching the console domestically doesn't make a big different imo because the console costs about $300 here (chip included & installed) and all of the games are of course copies. it's been this way since the wii modchip came out - before that only real games were available at retail price.

[jase @ Oct 26th 2007 3:54PM]

I was about to say something similar. i only had the opportunty to spend about 9 days in Shanghai and i am pretty sure i saw the Wii there several times. For that matter I also saw in in Bangkok and i can go arond the corner and pick one up in Singapore (albeit for $800 sing, which is outrangeous)

[yelohbird @ Oct 27th 2007 9:05PM]

uh, Charlie, i dunno where you've been looking...I picked up my wii in beijing, chip installed + 10 free games for RMB 1800, which is something around US$230. Additional remote and nunchuck for RMB 200 (US$25)

[charlie @ Oct 28th 2007 3:41AM]

Okay - whatever, I don't have one. It used to be US$300. My point is, it's been available in China for a long time.

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 26th 2007 12:03PM]

i smell a lawsuit from wu and vii!!

[aeo @ Oct 26th 2007 12:53PM]

Haha! Yeah the locals will be going, "What? like we're going to buy a more expensive version of what we knocked-off months ago?"

[chris @ Oct 26th 2007 12:57PM]

Whoa! why hasnt wii been released there? i didnt even know about that... if nintendo sold it there it would sell like 10 million in the first week!

[MARSHAK @ Oct 26th 2007 3:51PM]

next time you see or hear about 10 million wii's available for sale in one country, let us know.

[Jamar0303 @ Oct 26th 2007 10:34PM]

And that would be China. Not officially available, but they're damn near everywhere, and not a single gaming shop I've been to has been out of stock of them despite throngs of shoppers buying them.

[Alexander @ Oct 26th 2007 1:06PM]

Oh, to be in China where all the American jobs are...

[JD @ Oct 26th 2007 1:18PM]

They can't make enough to support the North American market.

[belial20xx @ Oct 26th 2007 2:03PM]

I should have gotten a wii a not a brick60.

[Kenban @ Oct 26th 2007 7:35PM]

Wonder how the author missed the fact that Nintendo also announced that they are increasing production to 1.8 million Wii's a month (an increase of 80%). The increased production started before the end of last quarter so shipments should be a little larger soon.

[firefly @ Nov 12th 2007 6:05AM]

Dear yelohbird, where in Beijing did you get Wii for RMB 1800? I just saw them today for 2200.

[vii2007 @ Oct 30th 2007 6:49AM]

welcome big N to china.

i am exciting to see how the japanese launch their business in china.

stay tuned.