When is the right time to invest in a Wii U?

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Long time Xbox 360/PS3 (now XB1/PS4) user here. I've been pretty deeply invested in the typical AAA titles (Halo, Titanfall, inFAMOUS, Killzone, Skyrim, etc), but I feel they're getting a bit stale for my tastes.

I grew up playing NOTHING but the NES, SNES, N64 and eventually the GameCube. I absolutely LOVED the original titles these systems provided. However, I've completely ignored the Wii/Wii U scene and was thinking of picking up the Wii U soon so I can enjoy all of the old Wii/Wii U games I've missed out on.

However, the question is this - when should I do it? Is the Wii U at it's lowest right now? Are Wii games affordable? Are they raising in value over time or degrading? I've noticed games like Mario Kart Wii, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 (all games I'm interested in) fluctuate in price, but never seem to drop below $20.

Is it the right time to invest in the Wii/Wii U or should I wait a little longer? I'm just trying to time it right and be the best CAG I can be! :p

 
I finally picked up a Wii U this weekend when Newegg and Buy had it for sale for $259 + no tax + free shipping.  $60 savings when all said and done. 

In my opinion, there are plenty of quality games available right now to own the system, which is why I finally purchased it.  If you are content with what is available now, plus the few upcoming titles we know about (X, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros.) then I would say go ahead and buy it.  If you are a true cheap ass, then wait until Nintendo announces its discontinuation.  I just cannot see Nintendo officially dropping the price until it see's if Mario Kart 8 will push system sales at $299, though I imagine a price cut around Christmas if it doesn't.

E3 is coming up, so hopefully Nintendo will clear the air on the future of the system.  Hopefully it won't kill consumer confidence by killing it off early and will unveil a few more titles for it such as Zelda U, Star Fox, F-Zero, Metroid, etc.  Don't count on third party support.  Ubisoft has been pretty loyal but I think it is frustrated with results thus far.

 
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I'd wait and see if they announce a price drop and or new bundles at E3.

I sold mine recently as it just didn't fit my gaming tastes. But seems like it may be more up your alley.
 
Nintendo had a refurb 32gb for $224.xx with a wii mote plus & nunchuck and charging cradel for the pad. but i still didn't bite since i was just going to be playing wii games on it. the library just isn't there for me.
 
When you can find one for $199 or less. I think newegg and wal-mart had the skylanders bundle for around that price. Granted you lose out on some storage space but it came with Nintendoland. Deal has expired however.

It's getting some nice first party titles, but still has awhile to match even the magic the Gamecube had (RE4 before it went to PS2, Metroid Prime 1+2, Soul Calibur 2 w/ Link, Eternal Darkness, a F-Zero game, REmake and RE0, etc. But It's getting there.

 
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I don't think buying a depreciating product can be considered an "investment".

I don't think this is a good time to buy. They're going to need more price cuts or games bundled with it at some point. It is not doing well.
 
I'd say not to pay more than $250 for the Mario bundle.  At that price or cheaper, it's worth buying, especially if you have all of the Wii games to go back and play.  As far as games, if you want to buy them new, I'd imagine sooner is better than later because the shelf space for Wii games isn't going to get any bigger and it's only going to be harder to find them.  I'd say pick up Galaxy 1/2 if you see them cheap, even if you don't get the system yet...first Galaxy game is $20 on Amazon.  Personally, I think skipping NSMB Wii is fine, especially if you get the Wii U bundle, since NSMB Wii U is a far better game in my opinion.

 
Cheaper than the current bundle with both games. New Super Mario Bros U isn't a fantastic OMG ground breaking game, but it's still a pretty good one. The Luigi U game (I don't have) is just a harder version of that. Plus, it's a 2D side scrolling 'Mario' game that stars Luigi. That has to count for something. 

So, the bundle + good prices on DK:TF & Mario 3D World and you'll be good to go. They are putting out GBA games on the virtual console tomorrow if you care. I may pick up Advance Wars (one of my all time fav GBA games). Not to mention, May 30 is when Mario Kart 8 comes out. This is huge to me (so excited) but it may not be a big deal to you. 

Or, you can wait until E3 shows up and we can see what we'll be getting eventually. The last option (outside of just straight up not getting one) would be to wait until an official price drop happens or it has a better bundle (but not raising the price) and waiting for those to go on sale. A better bundle at a better price screams Holidays 2014, though.

 
rlse9 said:
I'd say not to pay more than $250 for the Mario bundle. At that price or cheaper, it's worth buying, especially if you have all of the Wii games to go back and play. As far as games, if you want to buy them new, I'd imagine sooner is better than later because the shelf space for Wii games isn't going to get any bigger and it's only going to be harder to find them. I'd say pick up Galaxy 1/2 if you see them cheap, even if you don't get the system yet...first Galaxy game is $20 on Amazon. Personally, I think skipping NSMB Wii is fine, especially if you get the Wii U bundle, since NSMB Wii U is a far better game in my opinion.
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I agree. Anyone paying 300 for a bundle right now is making a mistake. I was able to get the Wind Waker bundle LAST Christmas for 250. I'm sure they'll have bundles this coming BF for the same price or lower.

 
If you have never played any wii games then you should know they are discontinuing the online services for the Wii and Ds on May 20th, 10 days before MK8 comes out. IMO its probably not worth it to buy Mario Kart Wii at this point just because of that, but you should know its a great game and MK8 will hopefully be even better. With that being said I would highly recommend a 3DS. If you ever played starfox, zelda OOT, pilot wings, or Super Mario 64, on the Nintendo 64 then you will be in nostalgia heaven. Those were my reasons for getting a 3DS. 

With all that being said, you wont "invest" in the wii u. Like most other consoles the wii u will depreciate in value. The last best deal I saw on it was $260 for the mario and luigi bundle on ebay. IMO that is a great deal. You will also be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Program, meaning you will get 5% back on any digital purchase you make on the wii U until the end of 2014. 

Now, if you really don't care about when you get it, I would wait another year or two until you can get one for well under $200 easily. If you care about and support Nintendo I would purchase one immediately and enjoy the great games it already has.  

 
I would wait until you can pick up a good bundle for $200. Right now nintendo is selling the nintendoland one for $200. So it is likely that a regular price drop is coming.

 
codenamelenny said:
I would wait until you can pick up a good bundle for $200. Right now nintendo is selling the nintendoland one for $200. So it is likely that a regular price drop is coming.
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It should be readily available for that price later this year, even with games bundled in. I may get one when it hits the ~$150 range, just to play a few games.
 
nJoy7 said:
Are Wii games affordable? Are they raising in value over time or degrading? I've noticed games like Mario Kart Wii, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 (all games I'm interested in) fluctuate in price, but never seem to drop below $20.
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Most of the posters above covered the Wii U console well enough, but I would say that if you are going to eventually buy a Wii U, start looking now for original Wii games you are interested in.

You may have missed the boat on some series that have already gone up to premium values (like Skyward Sword and Kirby's Return to Dreamland, though that one was always a bit pricey), as well as some niche titles that have skyrocketed (Radiant Dawn used to be somewhat affordable, now it's just ridiculous).

Stock on used Wii games are still somewhat readily available at Gamestop, which when that disappears (who knows when that will happen), that is when you will see some price jumps.

 
Honestly, I'd shell out an easy $300 if there was a themed version I could get excited about. The Wind Waker gamepad is really nice, but I'm turned off by the fact that plenty of stores in my area still have them in stock (GameStops, anyway).

I am glad about the E3 point though, which seems to be where everybody expects price drops on stuff. If that Wind Waker bundle drops to $250, I'm totally in there, but if there's another theme on the horizon I would rather wait for that, methinks.

 
May 30 is the time. $329 or less for the Deluxe system, Mario Kart 8, Red Racing Wheel, and Mario wii-mote. And if you buy it before July 31st, you can download another free game from the eShop. The free games are NSMBU, Pikmin, Wind Waker, and Wii Party U.

You also get the free game if you buy just Mario Kart 8.

 
shaggy16 said:
May 30 is the time. $329 or less for the Deluxe system, Mario Kart 8, Red Racing Wheel, and Mario wii-mote. And if you buy it before July 31st, you can download another free game from the eShop. The free games are NSMBU, Pikmin, Wind Waker, and Wii Party U.

You also get the free game if you buy just Mario Kart 8.
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Eh, it's still a bit high. They could buy Mario Kart 8, register it, and get the code. Once they have the code they can just use it once they have the console. Then again, 330 isn't awful if he wants Mario Kart.

 
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The MK bundle is pretty sweet depending on if you need the wii remote plus or not. If you don't, I suggest grab a NSMB bundle for $300 and MK for $60 and download WW for free.
 
eataburger said:
The MK bundle is pretty sweet depending on if you need the wii remote plus or not. If you don't, I suggest grab a NSMB bundle for $300 and MK for $60 and download WW for free.
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Or get the Wind Waker bundle for $300 and download NSMBU for free. Then he can get that gamepad everyone seems to love. I've got one, it looks okay.

 
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