Nintendo could be following Sony and Microsoft's lead with a Wii price cut in the US next month, claim reports.
According to supposed early retail listings forwarded to Kotaku, Nintendo's box will receive a price "rollback" (which in Walmart language means, 'price cut') in October - just in time for the console's fourth Christmas on the market.
Less you forget, the Xbox 360 Elite saw a worldwide price cut last month and the cheaper PS3 Slim debuted on September 1. The Wii has retailed for $250 in the States and £179.99 in the UK since launch, so it's high time for a drop.
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When contacted, Nintendo expectedly issued the statement: "Nintendo does not respond to rumours and speculation."
We haven't heard anything on the UK retail side yet, but if the Wii slash does happen it's likely to be announced at the Kyoto Cross Media Experience, where Nintendo's participating on September 26.
In the US I can see it being $50 off. Over here, I reckon we wouldn't be so lucky. Its about time. They've sold more than 50million of the things and sales are dropping even though they are higher than other formats (for now)...
you guys forgot to mention the fact that over here, the Wii has now INCREASED in price to £199.99. Since then, sales of the Wii have dropped in my work. Add to the fact that the 360 is now the cheapest console on the market.
"Nintendo could be following Sony and Microsoft's lead with a Wii price cut in the US next month, claim reports."
The key word here is could -- they might not. Though they'd be foolish not to. As much as I love Nintendo, they have been more than a little arrogant about the pricing of the Wii, especially putting the RRP here up when the manufacturing costs had by then become so low.
But I'll put up with it for another experimental gem like Pikmin. It's a small price to pay when they're the only real innovative console makers left.
if the wii came with 2 wiimotes and 2 nunchuks, it would be good value at £179....the wii is advertised as a "family" experience but you don't even get a nunchuk to go with the wiimote.
The word 'Rollback' (Like Wallmart/Asda)can only be used if something was cheaper before... So I am guessing tha RRP will be £179.99 again... *ahem* That would be rather crap. I would say drop it to about £120 would be a fairer price.
There ya go! There's me speculating now!
Good call with the Wiimotes suplied btw, Davidc. That's a good idea.
if the wii came with 2 wiimotes and 2 nunchuks, it would be good value at £179....the wii is advertised as a "family" experience but you don't even get a nunchuk to go with the wiimote.
Er, yes you do. But yes, it would be nice to get two of each.
At the same time, that's how they make their money, by making everyong buy stuff extra. There's nothing sinister about it. Business is business, everyone does it. I remember the good old days when you did get two controllers with a console. Even the SNES had it at one point...
i'm a Wii owner but i think its fair to say it has been overpriced from day 1.
i reckon a price of £99 would get everyone buying them again as that's in the impulse buy sweetspot. or as another poster rightly said, get some additional controllers onboard, preferably with motion + added in by default.
they've just about to have 6 months of sales decline in the states so something needs to change.
or maybe more and more people have HD and want a HD console to get the best out their new screen?
or maybe more and more people have HD and want a HD console to get the best out their new screen?
I don't think its this. I read an artical somewhere that said a reason why Sony and M$ don't include HDMI leads is because there's not been a the big take up of HDTVs as they predicted. Not that Sony ever included one anyway even though it was them who kept blasting on about Hi Def. Of course, its also because both consoles were making huge losses and they need to cut costs.
But the Wii is overpriced and even more so here (the UK is a stupid place though so its not surprising for us to get the shaft again). At £100, it'd be a real steal but I doubt Nintendo would be able to make enough of them. They need to sort it out though. Not just with prices but games too. Casual people can be fickle and they'll move on to something new, even though admittedly they've done a good job so far with the amount of casual games they've sold
It makes sense to drop the price when it is the right time. Up till know they have been selling the Wii and £179 etc. without any problem so it would be plain silly business sense to drop the price. I don't think it was overpriced, you just have to remember that Nintendo sold the machine at the price that made a small return as apposed to selling it at a huge lost aka Xbox 360 & PS3 are.
I can go to websites like Amazon or Play and find the standalone console for £175, or find it for £179.99 with Mario Kart thrown in for free.
It's no wonder other places are seeing their sales of Wii's decline if you can get it for £20-£25 less elsewhere.
Knock it down to less than £150, and the sales will shoot through the roof again. Not that it's really in that much trouble, it's still outselling the 360 and PS3 worldwide each month, although obviously this month may be different, which would probably be for the first time since launch...
i'm a Wii owner but i think its fair to say it has been overpriced from day 1.
i reckon a price of £99 would get everyone buying them again as that's in the impulse buy sweetspot. or as another poster rightly said, get some additional controllers onboard, preferably with motion + added in by default.
they've just about to have 6 months of sales decline in the states so something needs to change.
or maybe more and more people have HD and want a HD console to get the best out their new screen?
If it was dropped to £99 I would go and get one tomorrow but I reckon £150 is probably more realistic knowing Nintendo they have been screwing European gamers since the NES days
why is everyone saying that M$ are selling the 360 at a loss? They were to begin with, however they have been making profit on the system for at least 18 months now according to a press release ages ago. Sony are still making a loss due to the extra ordinarily high manufacturing cost of the PS3 since day one, and even a re-design has not brought them to profit, however their loss margins are now lower. Nintendo have already said that the Wii is only a Gamecube with a few added extras and were pretty much making profit from day one, but they have probably been making up for the losses made on the Gamecube, so have been reluctant to drop the price, also if its selling well at a price point why would they reduce it?? The thing Nintendo are famous for is taking a very long time to reduce prices, maybe thats just in their business model? But ultimately the idea of a business is to make moeny... so we are never going to get a real bargain as the companies will make so much money! Plus our lovely government in the UK likes to whack on stupid amounts of taxes onto imported goods which does not help at all (not the exchange rate)plus has anyone noticed the lower VAT of 15% seems to have vanished from the items in shops now? things seem to be the same price as before?? F**kers
if the wii came with 2 wiimotes and 2 nunchuks, it would be good value at £179....the wii is advertised as a "family" experience but you don't even get a nunchuk to go with the wiimote.
Er, yes you do. But yes, it would be nice to get two of each.
At the same time, that's how they make their money, by making everyong buy stuff extra. There's nothing sinister about it. Business is business, everyone does it. I remember the good old days when you did get two controllers with a console. Even the SNES had it at one point...
...its that long ago i bought it, i would have sworn there was no nunchuk....ah well...my mistake......its an expensive little machine the wii...nunchuks, wiimotes, batteries etc...
they need a players choice/platinum/classics range in games,i can't believe the official price is still £39.99 for Twilight Princess that came out with the machine nearly 3 years ago
they need a players choice/platinum/classics range in games,i can't believe the official price is still £39.99 for Twilight Princess that came out with the machine nearly 3 years ago
Yes it is but try and actually find one to buy at £39.99 and you'll be hard pressed to find the game at over £30. same goes for most wii games. they may have the same RRP as thier 360 and PS3 counterparts but it's very rare to see a wii game in a shop for more than £35. (obviously ommiting anything bundled with a peripheral)
Whaen the wii first came out it was a bargain compared to the compettion. Wii £180 360 £250 pro £300 elite PS3 £425
however 3 years later its become the complete opposite.
Wii £180 360 no pro £200 elite PS3slim £250
its seriously in need foa price cut or a rejiggering of its initial bundle. They could do bloody good business if they included Sports resort with Motionplus as well as sports and kept the price.
Microsoft are still losing money on each 360 sold, Its just that the Xbox division as a whole is now making profit, I.E. off the games Xbox live & accessories.
P.S lol it doesn't matter how many times people correct them but people still insist that the Wii is a gamecube in another box...oh well.
The wii is a gamecube in a box, a slightly enhanced gamecube granted, but still very similar performance wise.
If it dropped to £99 i'd be tempted, imo that's all it's worth. Even then it would only be for mario galaxy and metroid 3. Two games since its launch that only interest me(terrible really).
I've taken a real stance regarding the wii from day 1, i refuse to pay for something that(i feel)is completely overpriced. I've stuck with those views as well.
All these excellent games like 'Batman Arkham Asylum' on the 360 and ps3(i own both consoles)and the wii gets 'wii fit'.
Like Monkey said, the Wii was good value. Now, for a machine that is less technically capable than a machine that costs £20 less, it is a tad overpriced. It is a great machine and it does have some great games, but £180 is too much.
That said, I honestly can't see a price cut happening. The machine still outsells it's competitors by a large margin, and Nintendo would basically be throwing away money if they dropped the price.
WHERESMYMONKEY, Good point, about the gamecube, I had a Wii when they first come out but only kept it for a few months, Then sold it on, To be honest i prefer my old gamecube, Better games and a hell of a lot cheaper, plus i'm a 360 owner the only thing i liked about the wii was the games you could download and i have them all on my SNES (greatest console of all time), Im a Nintendo fan and have had every nintendo console since the NES but i'm not keen on the wii at all.
because serious gamers realise that there is so much more to the wii than wii fit.
Then again, from your post it is clear that you either
a) never bothered to look into the wiis games library past tv commercials or b)you are the proper definition of a casual gamer. someone who only ever buys games based upon what gets a hefty marketing budget and lots of colomn space.
The wii has truckloads of core games and a good lineup of interesting titles on the horizon.
Although you single out wiifit as an obvious casual game. it doesn't stop the balance board itself from being a pretty nifty bit of kit that has enhanced other games on the system and wii fit itself from actually being quite a bit of fun as well.
Serious gamers look at a games machine and its software on thier merits and will play something based on whether its fun whether that be something as simple as bowling in wii sports or complex as commanding your forces in Total War.
the whole casual/hardcore gamer moniker was a split made by insecure basement dwellers that felt threatened that thier exclusive lil club had now hit the mainstream proper.
It's a tricky one, I've always felt the tech in the wii is in the controllers - I suppose that makes the console itself seem even more overpriced. And for £30 for a wiimote and £15 for nunchuck, I thought it better value than £32 for 360/PS3 controller - considering what's inside it.
Still, few companies look to cut RRP when they are leading the market by so much and making so much profit. Although gaming is different to most due to the revenue continuing to pour in after the initial sale.
Although it is overpriced now, I like the wii. I must not be a serious gamer then.
They won't bundle Wii Sports Resorts with the Wii as its sells so well on its own, just like Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart would be less likely to be bundled since they still sell s**t loads
no microsoft are not loosing money on the console production now! you are right that the overall xbox division are making money, but they do not loose money on the xbox 360, not only was there a report about this a while ago i have a relative that works for them in their legal department and he confirmed this to me earlier
you have to think the actual gubbins in the system are not anythin particularly special in terms of hardware now, and tbh there was nothing in it at time of launch that was that expensive. sony have gone over board putting "cutting edge tech" in their system which they are still paying high costs for.
How is a PS3/360 pad at £30+ better value and got more in it than a Wiimote. The 360 pad is a standard pad with wifi in it and its £30 then its £15!!! for a play & recharge kit. The PS3 is £35 for again a Wifi pad with some sloppy tilt controls in. While i love all my consoles i feel that the Microsoft do take the p!ss the most with their accessories (coming on 4 years now and still charging £60 for a Wifi adapter is just wrong).
Oh and for the record they are still losing money on the elite 360, and thats from a friend i have who works in the Microsoft purchasing department.
Apparently Game and Gamestation are giving £120 for Wii trade ins and they have been innundated with people wanting to off load their Wiis...Check it out...
they need a players choice/platinum/classics range in games,i can't believe the official price is still £39.99 for Twilight Princess that came out with the machine nearly 3 years ago
Yes it is but try and actually find one to buy at £39.99 and you'll be hard pressed to find the game at over £30. same goes for most wii games. they may have the same RRP as thier 360 and PS3 counterparts but it's very rare to see a wii game in a shop for more than £35. (obviously ommiting anything bundled with a peripheral)
it was in HMV last week for £39.99..i made a hissy fit in the middle of the store,and people who was with me immediately disowned me
they need a players choice/platinum/classics range in games,i can't believe the official price is still £39.99 for Twilight Princess that came out with the machine nearly 3 years ago
Yes it is but try and actually find one to buy at £39.99 and you'll be hard pressed to find the game at over £30. same goes for most wii games. they may have the same RRP as thier 360 and PS3 counterparts but it's very rare to see a wii game in a shop for more than £35. (obviously ommiting anything bundled with a peripheral)
it was in HMV last week for £39.99..i made a hissy fit in the middle of the store,and people who was with me immediately disowned me
Who the hell buys games from HMV. Then again I paid my £40 for Twighlight Princess on launch day. I'd do it again a billion times over. Its a bloody classic and one of the best games out this gen.
I've been told by the staff that the general gist of things are that they're hoping that getting a good trade in price that they'll 'upgrade' to a new PS3 Slim or price dropped 360 and aparently it's working...
As for Twilight princess, don't know what all the fuss is about...Probably one of the better games on the Wii but it just feels the same as any other Zelda, with the same tasks, similar graphics, same equipment and even the same musical scores...Similar with Mario...I just feel a bit of variety and less deja vous won't go amiss sometime Nintendo...
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