(Rumor) WiiU price set at $299

[quote name='TheLongshot']I've been saying this for a while, but I think Sony is going to be the last of the console makers that will come out with a new console. The PS3 just became profitable, they have a new CEO, and they just slashed 10,000 jobs. I just don't see them rolling the dice on a new console anytime soon.

Microsoft I can believe, because they have goals beyond just making a game machine. But, not Sony at this point.[/QUOTE]
If PS4 launches 2 years after Wii U, it will be pretty far behind. Wii U could be maybe 20 million strong and next Xbox 10 million by holiday 2014 if they launch 2013. Devs will target the sure thing of 20 million+ users and port games to the PS4 but it won't look much better even if the hardware is better. Plus Wii U could be a lot cheaper after 2 years. A year out is the most you really want to go after the first console releases unless they have something radically different they could market. And "moar grafx" isn't it. Plus it doesn't seem to match what Kotaku and IGN are reporting with PS4 timing.
 
So...Sony just announced they lost $6.4 billion last year. Me thinks it means a less powerful PS4 is in their future. If PS4 is in their future at all. That's good news for Wii U then.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']So...Sony just announced they lost $6.4 billion last year. Me thinks it means a less powerful PS4 is in their future. If PS4 is in their future at all. That's good news for Wii U then.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I think the days of free MP on PSN are numbered, given how much MS boasts how much they rake in. Changing that with a PS4 launch would make the most sense.

Question is, can Nintendo keep it free on the U?
 
It's going to be free, but developers, like on PS3, 360 and PC, will have the option to do Online Passes like they do now. But the thing with Wii U is that all DLC will be handled in-game and not through an online marketplace.

And I agree about Sony, they'll probably rebrand Playstation Network and start charging for it so they can save face and say 'PSN was always free.'
 
The price would be fine but mark my words, Sony and MS will announce aggressive price drops during E3 in preparation of the Wii U launch. These aggressive price drops (maybe 100 off) will hurt Wii U sales significantly. We don't know the Wii U's power but it's widely axpected to be slightly more powerful than ps3 and x360. Nintendo needs a 249.99 or 199.99 price point. Let's see if they learned the lesson of the 3DS launch.
 
I don't think Sony can afford to cut the PS3's price and I don't think Microsoft will cut the price of their $199 SKU. They MIGHT cut the price of their $299 SKU to $249, but I doubt it, considering they have Halo 4 coming out this fall.
 
[quote name='Blaster man']The price would be fine but mark my words, Sony and MS will announce aggressive price drops during E3 in preparation of the Wii U launch. These aggressive price drops (maybe 100 off) will hurt Wii U sales significantly. We don't know the Wii U's power but it's widely axpected to be slightly more powerful than ps3 and x360. Nintendo needs a 249.99 or 199.99 price point. Let's see if they learned the lesson of the 3DS launch.[/QUOTE]


The other flaw in your thinking is that the average consumer gives a crap about the wiiU being only a little bit more powerful than the xbox 360 or ps3 and will compare value based on that.

Nintendo needs to make it very clear that the wiiU is a new system so that all the wii buyers will go "oooh new system!" as opposed to "is it a new system or just a new controller? Can I buy the controller separately?"

$299 might not be day 1 purchase for me. $249 would. The original wii was $249 wasn't it?
 
[quote name='KingBroly']It's going to be free, but developers, like on PS3, 360 and PC, will have the option to do Online Passes like they do now. But the thing with Wii U is that all DLC will be handled in-game and not through an online marketplace.

And I agree about Sony, they'll probably rebrand Playstation Network and start charging for it so they can save face and say 'PSN was always free.'[/QUOTE]

didnt they change it to Sony entertainment network? or did that not fly
 
Yes, the Wii started out at $249.

And Sony basically merged PSN into SEN, which is essentially PSN, but for all of Sony's internal digital properties.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Here we fuckin go again. Look, if the machine doesn't have games you want to play just don't buy it.

fuck's sake.[/QUOTE]

Agree, features are meaningless unless a console has GAMES, and not just 1-2 good games at launch. As of now all the new consoles will need to have a strong launch lineup and keep that momentum going, no after launch drought in order to sell. If not buyers will go for the previous gen's much cheaper hardware, with huge game libraries already established. After all games are what we are buying these machines for, not to be dust collectors.

The 3DS has an abysmal lineup (for me), as I see nothing on that console that I personally want to play, however there is plenty to play on the regular DS which I already own and Nintendo is still releasing the games I want to play for the regular DS (Pokemon) so I see no reason to buy the 3DS right now. I also find a lot that I want to play on the Xbox 360 and enough exclusives on the PS3 to also own one of those especially at current prices.
 
I think considering that the WiiU isn't pushing the tech borderline $300 is a touch high. I'd like to see it at $250 but $300 would be my limit. I hope they try to maintain a single model unlike the PS3/360. That's one thing I've appreciated about the Wii. Aside from colors it's been the same console until.. what March last year when they introduced the gimped version? Which to be fair kind of replaced the original. I don't think anyone else has done that since the PS2/Slim.

With a good game bundle I think I could be happy with $300, and for the record I never thought WiiSports was that hot of a game. Fun demo, fun for the casuals (if i can somehow say that non-insultingly) but that was never gonna be a long term game.

[quote name='Josh5890']I'm more focused on game prices at launch. I hope they stay at $50 msrp.[/QUOTE]THIS. This is the most important thing. If they can get games to stay at $50 rather than climbing like PS3 and 360 has I'll buy the WiiU before PS4 or Next Xbox guaranteed. Arguing price online is the most frustrating thing because there's always someone who wants to argue that, with inflation, games are the cheapest they've ever been since the Atari.

[quote name='crunchewy']Agreed. As long as they make it HD and it looks good, and it's got good games, it's all good... well, actually I hope they get friends lists, multiple accounts/profiles, achievements and online right too.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='moothemagiccow']I'd be all over that crap if it had upnp and netflix. Then I could throw my ps3 in the garbage[/QUOTE] [quote name='coolz481']One major change I would like to see is Virtual Console purchases tied to a username/account like PSN going forward, rather than hardware though.[/QUOTE]
Friends list is why I play my PS3 more than my Wii. If I want a solo experience I can sign out of my PS3. But on my Wii there's no way I can sign in and connect with people. A friends list would go a long way towards stuff like finding someone to just Brawl with or something. I'm not saying I would hate an achievement system but it's no big deal if it isn't there. I think people put way to much weight on them as is. Netflix is almost a given. Wii has Netflix as for upnp... I know Nintendo is trying to take steps forward who knows if they'll allow DVD playback but I think upnp might be asking a bit much for them.

[quote name='setai']I think it's likely that Pikmin 3 will be a launch title as well as perhaps a 2D Mario game.[/QUOTE]
Just the thought of Pikmin 3 makes me all giddy inside.

[quote name='Vinny']What would be more interesting is if Sony or MS fully unwieldy their next console at E3 this year to steal Nintendo's thunder. Unlikely, I know, but still...[/QUOTE]
Well Sony has confirmed no PS4 news at E3

[quote name='techtonic']If PS4 launches 2 years after Wii U, it will be pretty far behind. Wii U could be maybe 20 million strong and next Xbox 10 million by holiday 2014 if they launch 2013.[/QUOTE]
Good sir, thank you for not saying "Xbox 720".
 
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I'll probably bite on day one at $299 assuming VC stuff carries over and we get a slew of new titles. I'd also like to play slightly prettier versions of some of my 360/PS3 favorites. GOTY versions of Skyrim, Batman AC, maybe some sort of Fallout 3/NV bundle, etc. would all be welcome.

We'll see. E3 shall be interesting this year.
 
They are just so loathe to do functional firmware updates on the Wii. Short of that I just don't see any way to carry over the VC. If they do it however.. that's a big + in their column. I think VC sales would spike up just at the announcement.
 
I heard $350...what about internal storage? Transferring of data from the Wii? If it comes out holiday 2012 what's going to make it sell well? I would think if there was a solid 1st party Nintendo game as a pack in
 
[quote name='Halo05']I'll probably bite on day one at $299 assuming VC stuff carries over and we get a slew of new titles. I'd also like to play slightly prettier versions of some of my 360/PS3 favorites. GOTY versions of Skyrim, Batman AC, maybe some sort of Fallout 3/NV bundle, etc. would all be welcome.

We'll see. E3 shall be interesting this year.[/QUOTE]

I doubt they would. Unless something has changed in the past year, I couldn't even transfer from wii to wii when I bought a new red one.
 
[quote name='confoosious']I doubt they would. Unless something has changed in the past year, I couldn't even transfer from wii to wii when I bought a new red one.[/QUOTE]

They allowed it from DSi to 3DS but not from DSi to DSi. I have to believe that they'll allow the transfer. Perhaps they'll push out a firmware update to the Wii to force everyone to create an account and actually tie your purchased content to a user account instead of a console?
 
[quote name='Blaster man']They allowed it from DSi to 3DS but not from DSi to DSi. I have to believe that they'll allow the transfer. Perhaps they'll push out a firmware update to the Wii to force everyone to create an account and actually tie your purchased content to a user account instead of a console?[/QUOTE]

The DSi -----> 3DS thing is what gives me hope for a Wii ----> Wii U transfer. If I can't, I won't bother with the Wii U for a long time. I'm not done with my VC games and I don't really want to hook another system up to my TV without taking one away.
 
[quote name='Halo05']The DSi -----> 3DS thing is what gives me hope for a Wii ----> Wii U transfer. If I can't, I won't bother with the Wii U for a long time. I'm not done with my VC games and I don't really want to hook another system up to my TV without taking one away.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. If they don't allow the transfer, the only way I'll buy a Wii U is if the rumors are true that the PS4 and Xbox 3 don't allow used game sales. If that's the case the the Wii U will be my ONLY next gen console for many years until all games in stores are very cheap.
 
[quote name='Halo05']The DSi -----> 3DS thing is what gives me hope for a Wii ----> Wii U transfer. If I can't, I won't bother with the Wii U for a long time. I'm not done with my VC games and I don't really want to hook another system up to my TV without taking one away.[/QUOTE]

I've been telling people for weeks this IS going to happen. Yet no one believes me.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I've been telling people for weeks this IS going to happen. Yet no one believes me.[/QUOTE]

I believe you man! The idea that they would force everyone to create a user account and tie content to that like on PSN/XBL was a bit of a pipe dream on my part though.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I've been telling people for weeks this IS going to happen. Yet no one believes me.[/QUOTE]

You think it'll happen right of the bat though (like day one)? Or something that will come along later, like the online shop for the 3DS?
 
[quote name='Vinny']You think it'll happen right of the bat though (like day one)? Or something that will come along later, like the online shop for the 3DS?[/QUOTE]

The U Shop is going to be there on Day 1. That is what I was told. Same goes for the transfer channel (I'm going to guess it's a Channel), but I imagine that'll come out a little bit before-hand. I was told that Virtual Console games, Wii Ware games, Channels and Locked Saves (Brawl, MKW, MH3, etc.) would transfer as well.
 
[quote name='BLink']Channels will transfer meaning Wii U will have channels too? I hope so[/QUOTE]

KingBroly in the other thread was suggesting that the Wii stuff could be running as a virtual machine on the WiiU, so it could be the only channels are on the Wii side of things.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']KingBroly in the other thread was suggesting that the Wii stuff could be running as a virtual machine on the WiiU, so it could be the only channels are on the Wii side of things.[/QUOTE]

Pretty much. I don't know how or what the Wii U OS will specifically entail (besides the obvious 'loading screen to get into the store' will be there). It could be a modified version of what the Wii has (I.E. like the 3DS OS) or something entirely different. However, given Nintendo's OS's are always 100% functionality I doubt it.

EDIT: Forgot one thing

Adding friends and such will be server side like Xbox 360/PS3 and not client side like 3DS/Wii.
 
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We're debating about the price but if this is region locked, no thanks. Don't insult me by trying to force me to buy games you think I want.
 
If it helps, don't think of it as region locking. Think of it as immigrant proofing. Those out-of-region titles steal sales from hard working North American titles.

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