Wii for $149 and comes out Oct 2? (Rumor)

For that price you could buy the system plus 9 $50 games compared to the PS3 without any games. I may have to buy one at that price too. But I have a feeling it won't be, but it would be nice if it was.
 
It's the middle of the night. Reggie's Wii (special edition) glows, and the Wii-mote that he sleeps next to makes a faint, pleasant sound. Reggie gets up quietly, in order not to alarm the wife or the kids, and walks into his office. His TV turns on, and NINTENDO SECRET NETWORK is lit up... "Conference with Iwata awaits..." Reggie flicks the Wii-mote, trying his best not to appear as sleepy.

Iwata's image appears on the screen, and the man is shining. He's playing The Legend of Zelda: Unconfirmed Title for Wii, but that isn't news to Reggie.

Iwata: I've been reading the wonderful words of people at Kh-Ah-Guh. They have a forum, and I've understood what must be done.
Reggie: Not another human sacrifice?!
Iwata: Reggie... I think we finally found the correct price! We can still come out ahead by selling Wii for only $149.99!
Reggie: What? That's... That's wonderful news!
Iwata: Get ready for your press conference, I want YOU, my trusty coadjutor, to spread the news in the morning.
Reggie: Wait, hold on... you mean 149 US DOLLARS? For the release in the U.S.?
Iwata: Yes, of course... Have you gone to bed already? I told you to practice Super Smash Bros. Melee for the company picnic next friday.
Reggie: Iwata-san, I beg your understanding: the american gamer community believes in money being power. They don't want the best - they simply do not know what "the best is," what they want is technology that is expensive.
Iwata: You mean...
Reggie: Yes. A low price may mean another N64. We can not possibly go that low: Sony will declare that we are cheap because we have nothing to sell in the first place, and children all over North America will buy into that, because they are gullable. Just look at the sales of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas!
Iwata: But that game was... Racist!
Reggie: Iwata-san... We've been through this so many times...
Iwata: Forgive me, Reggie. I have forgotten about the true meaning of your country. Your culture. Your conquest. Your Electronic Boutiques. Your Best Buys. Your Wal Marts...
Reggie: ... I hate my country.
Iwata: At the Tokyo Game Show, we will announce the price. Two hundred and fifty U.S. dollars. We'll sell them for $100 in Japan, I do not wish to anger the gods.
Reggie: Be that as you wish, Iwata-san. Good night.
Iwata: fuck America. Good night.


This is a real interview. It was recorded over two phone sessions through France. Really. I didn't want to tell you, because this may get Nintendo in trouble. You know... with Nintendo.
 
I think it will be $200 with a lot of added stuff. If it doesn't come with two remotes than the whole name is useless.
 
$149 could definitely be the real price and I wouldn't be surprised at all if this were the case. They are selling Gamecubes for $80 (and still making a profit) and the Wii is supposed to be basically the same thing under the hood.
 
Depending on what the controllers are priced, I can see this being true. I figure the controllers will cost more than normal due to everything that we know (and dont know) is in it.

I'm still buying if its $250, so $100 for games on top of what I was planning would be great.
 
[quote name='lebowsky']Only $20 more than the DS? I call bullshit.[/quote]

This once again sparkes my curiosity to know things I shouldn't. More specifically, I wonder how the manufacturing costs of the DS compare to that of Wii. Granted, the hardware will be more expensive, and Wii has a lot of peripherals. But just units alone...

Does that ever get published anywhere?
 
[quote name='David85']If it doesn't come with two remotes than the whole name is useless.[/QUOTE]

An excellent point.
 
Does anyone think that having a $149 price point will discourage non informed consumers to picking it up? IIRC, many analysts stated that the discounted dreamcast price didn't help it vs the ps2, as non informed parents felt that with such a difference in price the dreamcast must be junk. So during the Holiday season when parents are at the store buying there kids presents, will they discard the wii due to the MAJOR price difference between sony's & msfts systems being over $300 and then the wii costing $149. While I know some may argue the parents will buy the cheaper one, and that makes sense to me. But the analysts use the pricing as a reason why the dreamcast didn't hold up vs the ps2.
 
[quote name='Vegan']I'm not listening to anymore rumors.[/QUOTE]

No kidding... if the trend continues, soon we're going to hear that Nintendo will PAY you to take a Wii :D and it will be out in July!
 
I'm also no longer listening to rumours. I have since gone on to a greatest hits collection.

236859270
 
Wii will come out..in the year 2000.

But seriously, as much as I hate the idea of the Wii, I couldn't pass up any console launching at $149. The price tag will look absolutely ridiculous though, only $20 more than PS2, the same price as X-Box, cheaper than a PSP, relatively the same price as a Gamecube..

Then again..I saw Gamecube used for $49 purple and $59 platinum or black..
 
[quote name='io']No kidding... if the trend continues, soon we're going to hear that Nintendo will PAY you to take a Wii :D and it will be out in July![/quote]

I think we already heard both of those...
 
$149? That'd be shocking.

I'm gonna be damn suprised if it's THAT cheap... seeing $199 as far more likely. Who knows though, knowing how little growth Nintendo has had in their home console business in the past decade.
 
[quote name='scottman']That's crazy talk. You're crazy. Get off the road. Beep beep.[/QUOTE]

I agree, but if it comes at $149, I'll have one in every color. Then again, I'm still praying that E3 2005 colors actually hit shelves - white and black, obviously, but also cherry red and lime green.
 
[quote name='sarausagi']Wii will come out..in the year 2000.

But seriously, as much as I hate the idea of the Wii, I couldn't pass up any console launching at $149. The price tag will look absolutely ridiculous though, only $20 more than PS2, the same price as X-Box, cheaper than a PSP, relatively the same price as a Gamecube..

Then again..I saw Gamecube used for $49 purple and $59 platinum or black..[/quote]

I think $149 makes sense for what we're getting but I doubt that will actually be the launch price. BTW sarausagi where did you see the GC used for $49??
 
It won't be $149. This is just a case of over-excited gamers hoping against their better judgement that they will get some insane deal. I'd put money on it being $250, and with one remote. Come down from Cloud 9, folks.
 
[quote name='the ender']It won't be $149. This is just a case of over-excited gamers hoping against their better judgement that they will get some insane deal. I'd put money on it being $250, and with one remote. Come down from Cloud 9, folks.[/QUOTE]

Dude, shhh!!! We're all part of a viral internet campaign to get Nintendo to cut the price to $149.99 because they'll read the boards and believe that no one will pay even a penny more for the Wii!!
 
The idea that "Cheaper means inferior" is ludicrous. I can see analysts theorizing it, but they're looking at it from a professional economist's point of view - not a parent's point of view. Try this scenario:

Mother walks into Toys 'R Us in November. She is alone, and looking at a big holiday gift for her 10-year-old son. She sees three systems:

The Playstation 3, retailing at 500-600 dollars, with one controller. She doesn't recognize any of the game titles, and an employee tells her that it is an extremely complex machine. She keeps looking.

The XBox 360, Premium set, on sale for 300 dollars. This seems intriguing, but she knows nothing of the reviews for the games, and most of them are rated M. Also, they run the gamut from racing to shooters, with very few genres in-between. If she has any sense, she won't even consider the M-rated games. But she puts it ahead of the PS3 in her choices.

The Wii. Let's say, $250, maximum, for the system, 2 controllers, Wii Sports and some other little gizmos. Not knowing anything about what makes the system significant, she looks at the titles: Zelda. There's one she knows. Perhaps a Turtles game or an adaptation of the latest Disney/Pixar flick.

Now, I agree, that in the eyes of some ignorant teenagers, a game system called "Wii," which has "Totally gay graphix"and is $100-$400 cheaper than their other interests may seem inferior, but this isn't the market Nintendo is aiming at - they're aiming at everybody. That's why they chose the name they did. So, they may lose some potential sales there, but with the Mothers In Toys 'R Us Demographic, game name recognition, and especially cost efficiency will win out over Too Expensive or Too Complex or Too Inappropriate.

Just my thought.
 
$149 is a dream come true. But I think $200 is the reality. There will be enough demand without a cheapass price like that. Nintendo could sell it at $149 without a problem, but $200 makes more sense from an image/marketing standpoint.

And i have to concur with everyone who's said they'll pay any price for it. Price is no object when it comes to the Wii!

Does anyone really think the wiimote/nunchuck will cost more than $30? no way..
 
Who's The Twitch Now?;1934790]The idea that "Cheaper means inferior" is ludicrous. I can see analysts theorizing it said:
I've tried this scenario so many times, it's not funny. Except, it's not in November, but earlier. And there is no mother, just me. Well, actually, now that you've mentioned it... There is a mother. It's not my mother, though. It's just this super hot mother person from this website that I visit. (I know from her profile that she likes knitting, good books, and promiscuous sexual relations, which makes her exciting to have around!) And we walk in, and there's PlayStation 3, and Xbox360 and Wii. So we come up to PlayStation 3, and I say "what do you think?" and she says: "nothing. i feel nothing." We come up to Xbox360 and I ask: "what about this one?" and she says "mmm... we're getting warmer..." and then we get to the third one (the Wii) and I don't have to ask anything, because she goes "OH MY GOD THIS IS THE ONE" and she undoes her hair and starts dancing to this late-80s donna sumner's song called "I Feel Love." I guess that's not a very good song, but I bet it was super popular back when that mother lady was younger...

Yeah, that's the best scenario ever.
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='jer7583']And i have to concur with everyone who's said they'll pay any price for it. Price is no object when it comes to the Wii![/QUOTE]

Somewhere in Japan, CheapyD just belched sadly...
 
[quote name='jer7583']

And i have to concur with everyone who's said they'll pay any price for it. Price is no object when it comes to the Wii!
[/QUOTE]

Somewhere a Nintendo marketing guy just got his wings.
 
[quote name='jer7583']And i have to concur with everyone who's said they'll pay any price for it. Price is no object when it comes to the Wii![/QUOTE]
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally stoaked for the Wii, but the same rationale for em as to play in for Nintendo as does for MS and Sony. I will not pay $400 for a game console, no matter how revolutionary. Money is an object for this system... luckily, it'll be priced reasonably :)

I have a feeling I'll spend more time cheaply getting indie and old games off the VC vs. buying the $50 retail games... ah, being a poor newlywed. ;)
 
[quote name='mr ryles']Hell I'd buy one for my bedroom, and one for the living room, and hell maybe one for the bathroom too![/QUOTE]

At that pricepoint I would do the same!
 
[quote name='mr ryles']Hell I'd buy one for my bedroom, and one for the living room, and hell maybe one for the bathroom too![/QUOTE]

I'm not surprised Gayator wants multiple Wiis in his bathroom.

:)
 
[quote name='the ender']It won't be $149. This is just a case of over-excited gamers hoping against their better judgement that they will get some insane deal. I'd put money on it being $250, and with one remote. Come down from Cloud 9, folks.[/QUOTE]

I'll take that action.

What with all of the hints that Iwata has been laying out that it will be under $250. I also agree with a previous post that I'm too lazy to look for that without two remotes the whole philosophy behind the Wii is kinda lost.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'm not surprised Gayator wants multiple Wiis in his bathroom.

:)[/QUOTE]

SKELetor only wants one wii in his bathroom, not multiple. ;)
 
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