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Wii U priced, launching November 18 in US
Nintendo's Wii U console will launch November 18 in the United States, with a price of $300 for the white 8GB Basic set and $350 for a black 32GB Deluxe version. Nintendo announced pricing for Japan earlier today, with Europe not receiving a price, but penciling in a November 30 launch date.The 8GB Basic set includes a white console, matching white GamePad, AC adapters for both console and GamePad, Sensor Bar and an HDMI cable. Meanwhile, the black 32GB Deluxe set includes Nintendo Land, stands for both the console and the GamePad, a GamePad charging cradle and everything else that normally comes in the Basic set. Purchasing the Deluxe set also includes membership in the "Deluxe Digital Promotion," which rewards points for digital purchases that can later be used to buy eShop wares.
Nintendo Wii U arrives in the US on Nov. 18 in two versions for $300 and $350, Europe on Nov. 30
The Nintendo Wii U will launch in the US on Sunday, November 18, Nintendo America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime revealed in a New York City press conference this morning. It'll arrive in Europe on November 30, though no price was given for our friends abroad. Like its Japanese release, the console comes in two varieties: a base level bundle in white with just 8GB of internal memory for $300 and a premium bundle in black with 32GB of internal memory for $350. Each version contains the console itself, a WiiPad, a charging stand, a play stand, and a stand for the console. The premium version, however, adds a subscription to Nintendo's Premium Network, which offers various rewards for digital purchases -- it also gets a full 32GB of internal memory, which is a pretty major step up over the 8GB model. It's hard to imagine either having enough internal storage compared with current-gen consoles, but the Wii U's memory is expandable via USB. Fils-Aime also said that Wii remotes are getting rebranded for the Wii U, and will be available in retail shops shortly. Check out the official PR and an additional shot of the basic set after the break. %Gallery-165229% Joseph Volpe contributed to this report
Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract
Not sure if you want to splurge for that newfangled iPhone 5 just yet? Well, the folks in Cupertino are now offering a handsome discount on the previous model. That's right, the iPhone 4S will now set you back $99 (with a requisite agreement, of course) and the iPhone 4 is free on contract. In the midst of the all the excitement, Apple also announced that the 3GS will be discontinued. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!
Wii U price and release date to be announced tomorrow [update: Reggie's invitation]
Nintendo is revealing the Wii U's price and release date during its Direct presentation tomorrow, Thursday, September 13. Nintendo announced the news on its Japanese Twitter feed, setting a time of 3AM Eastern (Midnight Pacific, 8AM Brit-time) for company president Satoru Iwata to reveal the core launch details about the console. The translated tweet reads:"Good evening, it's Iwata from Nintendo. Tomorrow at 4pm [Japanese time] we'll broadcast online the Wii U's sale information. We'll tell you when the Wii U will launch and how much for."Nintendo is streaming the presentation on its website tomorrow, and we'll have coverage of all the reveals as they happen. We figure it's worth staying up for – for us, not for you, you look prettier with a full eight hours rest. At 10AM Eastern Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime will host a Wii U event in New York City, where we presume he'll reveal the US price and release date. There's a European Nintendo Direct scheduled for the same time.Update: Reggie pops in to let us know there'll be a stream of his NYC event on the Wii U Facebook page. We'll be covering what he has to say right here.
Sony reveals HMZ-T2 head-mounted display pricing, launch date and features in Japan
Sony rolled out its first head-mounted 3D visor last fall, and announced the HMZ-T2 followup recently at IFA 2012. Now in Japan it has revealed few more details about the changes it's made this time around as well as a release date and pricing. Scheduled to hit shelves on October 13th, the HMZ-T2 features all the upgrades we'd heard about: lighter total weight, redesigned head strap for improved comfort, ear buds instead of headphones plus 24p cinema support and a "Clear" panel drive mode for fast moving content. While we still don't have a US price the Japanese damage is 70,000 yen ($894), a 10,000 yen ($127) boost over last year's model which cost $799 in the US. Sony Japan has also put together an "Institute for Immersive Pleasure" Facebook page , and plans to show it off again at the Tokyo Game Show. Check out our hands-on impressions from IFA here, we'll let you know when there's more release information for other regions.%Gallery-163907%%Gallery-163650%
Wikipad costs $499 at GameStop starting October 31, gives Android a gaming costume
When we first caught wind of the Wikipad at CES, we picked up the distinct scent of vaporware. In the months since, we've seen the ten-inch tablet with detachable controls get games via Gaikai and from PlayStation Mobile, plus an impressive list of specs. And now we know it'll cost $500 and will officially be available on October 31st exclusively at GameStop. Of course, you don't have to wait until then to call dibs on your Halloween treat, as those willing to plunk down five bills early can reserve one via pre-order starting tomorrow. That's quite a chunk of change, especially considering the cost of other gamified Android tablets, but it does have an impressive set of internals, and it's tough to put a price on having Jelly Bean out of the box, right?%Gallery-164641%
Galaxy Note II priced for Vodafone: 640 euros of LTE phablet goodness
Wondering when you'll be able to get your hands on a Galaxy Note II and just how much it'll cost? Well... we can't help you. But, a placard spotted on the floor at IFA today should give us some hint as to pricing. When it lands in Germany in the coming months, the second-gen phablet will set customers back €639.90, or about $803, through Vodafone. That's quite the hefty price tag, even for an unsubsidized LTE device. Heck, the current model is only $549 commitment free from AT&T right now. Let's just hope the price in dollars is closer, numerically to the German price and not so close in monetary value.
Cowon's X9 PMP now shipping, features up to 110 hours of music playback
The latest addition to Cowon's line of portable media players is reaching consumers' hands in the good, old US of A as shipping is now underway for the X9. The PMP -- which comes in either black or white -- measures 72.5mm wide, 114.9mm tall and weighs in at 159 grams. It also features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, your choice of either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal flash memory, as well as a MicroSD slot. Although good sound quality is typically Cowon's calling card, the X9 also serves up a healthy helping of battery life with the company claiming up to 110 hours of music playback. Operating time when watching video is said to be up to 13 hours while charging time takes 4.5 hours via AC adapter and 6 hours when juicing through a USB connection. Supported file formats include MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV, XviD, WMV and ASF. Unlike the Plenue Z2 and the D3, the X9 opts out of using the Android OS -- which is either good or bad depending on one's preferences. Its 480 x 272 resolution is also decidedly lower than, say, the 800 x 480 seen in the Z2's 3.7-inch screen. As for cost, folks interested in getting the X9 will have to lighten their wallets to the tune of $229.99. For more details, check out the Cowon site via the link below.
Solar Walk updated, on sale now
During WWDC, we got a chance to see an upcoming Solar Walk update from the folks at Vito Technology, and that update is now available. It adds a redesigned information screen that's easier to access and more filled out, as well as a greatly improved graphics system. There are also preset bookmarks, which will show you around the solar system from different perspectives. There are a bevy of new objects floating out there in virtual space, including things such as asteroids, comets and dwarf planets. To celebrate the update and its back-to-school timed release, Solar Walk is currently on sale for 99 cents. This app, like most of Vito's products, has been everywhere already. It's featured in Apple's stores, and chances are you might have already bought it. But if not, at that price, it's a steal.
Apple reportedly price matching iPhone discounts from carriers and other retailers
According to a leaked screengrab hosted up at MacRumors, Apple retail shops now have the authority to price match carrier and rival retail discounts on iPhone. Specifically, the note informs employees that prices from Best Buy, "carriers," Radio Shack and Target can be matched, with $49.01 seeming to be the savings across the board. Curiously, places like Wirefly, Amazon, Negri Electronics and even Walmart aren't mentioned, so we wouldn't recommend trying to work the price down based on ads seen from any of those. The note also mentions the iPhone 4 and 4S exclusively, and we're fairly sure this sort of goodwill won't ever been applied to iPad, Mac hardware or pretty much any other Apple kit. Of course, crazier things have happened. We've reached out to Apple for comment, and will update this article should it choose to reply.
Sprint slashes iPhone 4S price to $149 with contract
We may not know exactly when the next iPhone is set to debut, but a deal's a deal: Sprint is already offering a bargain price on the soon-to-be-surpassed iPhone 4S. All Things D's Ina Fried reports that Sprint has cut the price of the iPhone 4S to $149 and is waiving its activation fee for online purchases. Fried says it's a Sprint promotion done with Apple's blessing. It's no surprise that this move is happening. Sharp's CEO reportedly admitted last week that the Japanese company is preparing to ship screens for the next-generation iPhone, and rumors call for an Apple media event in early September to launch new iOS devices.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon pricing spotted in Hong Kong
Lenovo floated the ThinkPad X1 Carbon past us in May without so much as a whisper of what the lightweight Ultrabook's price would be. The company doesn't mind shouting it out in what looks to be a Hong Kong back-to-school promo flyer, though. As long as the Newsmth.net post represents the final pricing, local residents can normally expect to pay about HK$12,880 ($1,660 US) for an X1 Carbon with a 1.7GHz Core i5, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. That's quite the premium if you compare it directly to what we see in the US for a PC like the Samsung Series 9, although it's tricky to tell if prices will be comparable on the other side of the Pacific: there's no sales tax in Hong Kong, among other factors. Even if the price varies by the time of the US launch later this summer, students in the city are already getting a discount to HK$9,180 ($1,184) that suggests at least some wiggle room if competition among Ultrabooks grows especially fierce. [Thanks, Sam]
Nintendo's Iwata says being first in next-gen race is 'not important at all,' pricing is
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently talked about how the Wii U's second screen was nearly scrapped due to cost concerns, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to once again hear him talk about the importance of pricing. While unfortunately not divulging a specific number, Iwata tells Gamasutra that the "pricing of Wii U is going to be one of the most important elements when it is going to be launched," adding that "the environment is different. Wii U is going to be launching in a different environment than when the Wii was launched." He also talked about the timing of the console's release (coming well before Microsoft's and Sony's next-gen consoles), saying that "being first in the next generation race is not important at all." So why now? Iwata says somewhat immodestly that "one of the reasons we believe this is the time for Nintendo to launch the Wii U is it's going to be important for the world," adding that its "focus is on how we can make our new console different" than its competitors.
Developer won't patch XBLA game because Microsoft would charge 'tens of thousands' of dollars
Seeing as how so much software is moving to online distribution, the significance of this controversy might extend far beyond gaming and XBLA. For now, however, the spotlight is firmly on Microsoft and the way it charges developers for testing their games and patches, after a well-known developer made an unusually public complaint. In a post on its official blog, Polytron said it would not patch a rare game-saving bug in its popular title Fez, because Microsoft would charge it "tens of thousands of dollars to re-certify the game." It added that "had Fez been released on Steam instead of XBLA," the problem would have been fixed "right away" and at no cost to the developer, which strongly hints that it'll jump to another platform as soon as its XBLA exclusivity expires. Responses to the story over at our sister site Joystiq are decidedly mixed, with some folks outraged that Microsoft's high maintenance attitude could hold back improvements in this way while others suspect Polytron of blame-shifting.
AMD chops up to $50 off Radeon HD 7970, 7950 and 7870 graphics cards
The recent release of the Radeon HD 7970 Ghz Edition is having knock-on benefits further down the stack. $20 has now been shaved off the regular 7970 rrp in addition to the last discount we reported, while the 7950 is down $50 to $349 and the 7870 has also been nudged $50 deeper into the mid-range sweet spot at $249. Other cards in the line-up may also drop by some degree, although there's no official word on those just yet. These summer prices should start having an impact in stores from today -- just in time to benefit from the latest Catalyst 12.7 drivers, which promise to bring significant performance gains and hence even more tension to your NVIDIA product comparisons.
Iwata: 3DS XL to be sold at a profit, 3D likely a 'minor element' in future Nintendo devices
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed one way Nintendo is working to stop selling the 3DS at a loss, which it has since last year's price drop. "First of all to the 3DS XL, we will not be selling this at a loss," Iwata told the Independent. "We don't have a huge profit margin on it, we intend to sell it at a profit." He wasn't as forthcoming about the Wii U's pricing, of course. "As for Wii U we haven't even announced price so it's too early to comment."He also had some thoughts on the future prospects of 3D. Though "3D is the normal state for human beings, it's how we see our environment," Iwata doesn't believe 3D television will really take off until it can work glasses-free. The 3DS was able to include 3D, he said, "because there are various circumstances on a handheld machine which make it possible. You have the screen and the console being one, normally you have almost constant distance between [the user] and the screen, so with the currently available technology it is possible to provide a high quality 3D experience without glasses. "That said, 3D in video games had a "surprise effect" that Iwata admits is wearing off. "But I think it's an important element, it makes graphics more impactful, it proves a sense of immersion that 2D doesn't have, so I would say generally that 3D is better than 2D." Iwata added, "It's nice to have good graphics but not necessarily on their own, so I don't think we'll present [3D graphics] as one of the key features of our consoles but will probably stick with 3D as one of the minor elements of our consoles in the future. "
Orbitz profiles Mac users with pricier hotels, here's how to block
Let's try a little Gedankenexperiment here. Imagine that you sell widgets of all kinds; some are drab and functional but cheap, while others are shiny and a bit more expensive. You're looking to improve the sales of your shiny, high-margin widgets by getting them in front of the type of consumers who are likely to be interested. What simple directive would be a handy, measurable shorthand for the target demographic; a group of people who like nice things and are willing to pay a bit more than absolutely necessary to get them? If you are trying to predict future buying behavior, the best way to do that is to look at what they've bought in the past. If someone owns an Apple product that they paid for themselves, chances are they will be receptive to an upsell (or, to put it more charitably, they'll be less price-sensitive) when you bring them a range of options. Yes, the "Apple tax" of years past has largely faded into legend when you compare products side by side today (especially with the iPad, which makes life difficult for other tablet makers), but Apple chooses not to offer computers in the $300 desktop or $700 laptop range where PC manufacturers are at home. Mac buyers are still choosing to spend discretionary dollars on a better computer, and that's a key insight into their shopping styles. This intuitive insight is all well and good (and something I've been saying for a few years now), but there's no substitute for data. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal's Dana Mattioli reported (paywall) that the travel site Orbitz has been experimenting with rejiggered hotel search results based on, among other things, the user's computer platform. Last year, Orbitz's data analytics team confirmed that Mac users are 40% more likely than PC users to book premium hotels (four or five-star rated properties) and that the average Mac-browsing shopper spends $20 to $30 more, per night, on a hotel room. What Orbitz is doing with this statistical segmentation is interesting and a little bit off-putting. The company's hotel searches already incorporate a lot of different factors (including past booking history, location and of course availability) but now there is a "finger on the scale" that pushes higher-priced and higher-quality results towards the top of the search list for Mac users. The effect can be subtle; the WSJ didn't see any difference for searches in some cities, but did see different Mac results for higher priced hotels (11%–13% more on average) in searches for Baton Rouge and Miami Beach. Orbitz executives took pains to make it clear to the WSJ that Mac users are not getting charged more on an identical room basis; the only difference is in the mix of search results they see. For the same exact room, they will pay the same price as a PC user; this detail has gotten lost in some headlines claiming "Mac users charged more for hotels" or similar, which is not true (Cnet's story is a prime example of getting it turned around). In fact, Orbitz searches can be sorted by price instead of by "best result," so both Mac and PC users can always see the cheapest property. Nobody's being deprived of a bargain; given the realities and habits of online shopping, however, having more expensive results on the first page of the search means that those properties are going to get a closer look. Is this fair to Mac users, or appropriate? Keep in mind that the trends Orbitz observed were already present in the market, discovered and developed organically; one could argue that the company is simply trying to serve customers more efficiently by prioritizing hotels that they will like over ones that they won't. A Mac user on a tight travel budget, however, might see it differently -- and might choose another online agency, a straight-up travel search tool or a deal aggregator, when it comes time to hunt for the best online deal. But who's to say those other companies aren't doing the same platform profiling, just a little more quietly? And what about the platform-specific filtering and profiling that other online retailers do every day? Amazon, Facebook, Google and Target already know loads about you, and they aren't shy about using every bit of that intelligence to put the right products in front of you at the right time. Right now, some of you are furiously deleting Orbitz from your bookmarks, or maybe even thinking about using the PC next door for the summer vacation hotel searches. Understandable, but not necessary. It's simple to change your web browser's "squawk" code, the user agent string, so that it masquerades as a Windows-specific version instead. You can do this easily on a window-by-window basis for Safari, Chrome or Firefox, or set up a custom single-site browser for Orbitz. You can even adjust the user agent setting on your iPad, with a little help from a third-party browser. Here's the process for Safari: Start off by going to the Safari menu and choosing Preferences..., then click on the Advanced icon. Look for the checkbox at the bottom that says "Show Develop menu in menu bar" -- make sure it is checked. The Develop menu should be showing up at this point (if not, quit Safari and relaunch). The second option down is the User Agent menu; just select a Windows browser and get shopping. Note that this setting only applies to a single Safari window and is not persistent. Another option is to use Fluid, the single-site browser tool, to make yourself an Orbitz-specific applet. TJ covered this approach back in February. Fluid lets you set the user agent once and forget it; each time you launch the app, you'll be masquerading as a Windows user and headed straight for Orbitz. On the iPad, you can run the free User Agent Switcher app, or a third-party browser like Atomic, iCab or Slepnir to change your string. There are also straightforward options for switching Chrome's user agent and a handy extension for Firefox. All of these approaches give you an excellent chance of showing up as something other than a Mac user when you visit Orbitz; if you try them out there or on other travel/shopping sites, do let us know if you see anything different vs. your Mac-and-proud searches. Interesting historical note: In the Hacker News thread discussing this phenomenon, one user recalled that the Travelmall.com site experimented with a similar search/price filtering approach for Mac users back in 2001. Although there was clear evidence that the upsell worked, the total population of Mac users visiting the site was too small in those days to make it worth the effort to distinguish them.
T-Mobile Galaxy S III pricing plans revealed, and they aren't exactly 'cheap'
Not interested in paying $200 on contract for a new Galaxy S III over at Sprint / AT&T? Fret not, lost souls -- T-Mobile USA will soon be willing to sell you one for more. Much more. We just landed our hands on an internal pricing sheet for the forthcoming Android superphone, with the 16GB model listed at $229.99 on a Value Plan contract, or $279.99 (after $50 mail-in rebate, no less) on a Classic Plan contract. Those on the latter can snag it for $449.99 if you're eligible for an early upgrade, while those who'd rather not extend their contractual relationship can pay $629.99 for a (still carrier locked) off-contract handset. The notice also states that no sales can occur prior to June 21st (that's tomorrow, folks!), but of course, it'll be even later if you aren't in one of those "top 29 markets." [Thanks, Anonymous]
Nintendo's Iwata says Wii U's second screen was nearly scrapped due to price
The idea of a second screen experience is fairly central to the Wii U as it is today, but it looks like it could have nearly been shoved aside as just another concept. In an interview published today by The Telegraph, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that the company "almost gave up on the idea of the additional screen" during its final discussions about the console, adding that "this was due to our concern over the expected high cost, it may not have been feasible to create this and sell it at a reasonable price point for the consumers." As Joystiq notes, that does suggest it was ultimately able to land on a "reasonable" price for the console, although we're still only hearing unofficial numbers tossed around at this point. You can find the full interview at the source link below.
Iwata: Wii U idea was almost scrapped over price concerns
The Wii U's second screen was born out of the idea of allowing someone to play a game while the TV is being used by the whole family, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told The Telegraph. But Iwata admitted that the idea almost didn't make it to a final product."Sometime during that final discussion we almost gave up on the idea of the additional screen," Iwata said. "This was due to our concern over the expected high cost, it may not have been feasible to create this and sell it at a reasonable price point for the consumers." This should come as some comfort to those of us still concerned about the console's (and controller's) price point, as the continued development of the Wii U suggests that Nintendo hit upon a "reasonable" price.
