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Skylanders Swap Force Wii U bundle assembling in November
Nintendo has another Wii U bundle slated to arrive in November: a Skylanders Swap Force pack. Priced at $299, the bundle includes a white Wii U basic system with 8 GB of storage space, a copy of Nintendo Land and a Skylanders Swap Force starter pack. Nintendo Land was recently dropped in price to $30 in addition to being replaced in Nintendo's Wii U Deluxe set with New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, another $299 bundle. The Skylanders Swap Force starter pack includes a copy of the game, three Skylanders figures, a "portal of power" dock and collectible stickers, trading cards and a poster. A stand-alone starter pack can currently be purchased for $130 on Amazon. The Skylanders Swap Force Wii U holiday bundle will be available on November 15.
Iwata: Wii U's price isn't the problem
While the Wii U hasn't sold particularly well, with Nintendo moving just 160,000 units across three months in Q1 2013, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is holding strong that the system's price isn't the problem - the price discrepancy between the two Wii U models is. "If the price is actually an issue [with Wii U], then there is some contradiction between the current sales balance between the Basic and Premium versions of the Wii U," Iwata told CVG. "The basic version should have sold a lot, but the fact of the matter is that people are buying more of the premium version. So the issue is not there," he said. Iwata cited the disparity in sales between the Deluxe and Basic Wii U models in January when noting that the system was selling "steadily," and stated plans in June to regain the system's momentum through the end of the year before establishing "successful third-party Wii U software titles." Iwata has been there before, after all; He took a 50 percent pay cut in July 2011 due to poor 3DS sales around the time the system's price dropped, later selling the 3DS XL at a profit. Of course, whatever version of the Wii U you choose to pick up, there's still the matter of what the heck you're going to play on it. "I understand that the real issue is the lack of software, and the only solution is to provide the mass-market with a number of quality software titles," said Iwata. Great idea!
Report: Wii U basic $199 at Walmart Canada next week
The basic version of Nintendo's Wii U console will be just $199 at Walmart locations in Canada starting Friday, August 2, according to a retailer ad that sprouted up online. The ad notes that the sale counts for online purchases. Walmart isn't the only Canadian retailer with discounts on Wii U systems, as The Source is currently offering the basic version for $250 and the deluxe system for $300. The basic model's standard retail price is $300, whereas the deluxe model is normally $350. Given that Nintendo moved just 160,000 Wii U consoles worldwide in Q1 2014 (April 2013 through June 2013), discounting its home console might just be a good idea. [Thanks, Kevin.]
Report: Best Buy also returning Wii U Basic
Best Buy is the next big retailer sending back its Wii U Basic units to Nintendo. Nintendo World Report has an image pulled from Best Buy's internal system stating "stores should pull all new in box [Wii U Basic] units and send them back" starting tomorrow. It also notes that stores should see more Wii U Deluxe units arrive in the coming weeks. GameStop is also currently going through a similar send-back of the Wii U Basic. Nintendo previously stated any notion of a recall of the Wii U Basic is a "misperception" and that the company is "working with its retail partners to simply rebalance the stock of the White 8GB and the Black 32GB Wii U models in the market." The House of Mario claims consumers will be able to continue purchasing both models. The Wii U has struggled since launch, with the regular Wii outperforming its progeny.
Rumor: GameStop discontinuing Wii U Basic after June 18 [Update: Nintendo responds]
Update: Nintendo of America Senior Director of Corporate Communications Charlie Scibetta has provided the following statement to Joystiq: "There is a current misperception about Wii U hardware. To clarify: Nintendo is working with its retail partners to simply rebalance the stock of the White 8GB and the Black 32GB Wii U models in the market. Consumers looking for either model will continue to find them available." Some GameStop locations will no longer sell the 8GB Wii U Basic console after June 18, according to a Kotaku source. CNET also says it's confirmed this with several GameStop stores. We've contacted both Nintendo and GameStop for comment. Other retailers have held sales for the Wii U Basic over the last few months, though it's hardly indicative of retailers looking to get rid of stock ahead of a recall. In its year-end financial report, Nintendo revealed Wii U shipments fell below the company forecast. As of March 31, 3.75 million Wii U consoles have been sold worldwide.
