Nintendo has officially detailed its Wii U launch details with an online presentation in Japan. Now, bearing in mind that I am still quite keen to see how this all rolls out and I can’t wait to try the console for myself, I have some deep concerns about this launch considering how critical it is that Nintendo gets the Wii U off to a quick start.
1) The price. It’s never a precise science to use exchange rates, as console prices do vary greatly between region, but according to the exchange rate, the Wii U will cost $335 for the basic model, and $405 for the premium one.
Please note that this is only marginally less expensive than the iPad. For a piece of electronics that will be seen as a complete luxury if Nintendo wanted to attract families or non-gamers to buy this console, like they did with the Wii (which had the fortune to launch before the iPad), then this price is, frankly, excessive. Fingers crossed for some deep discounts outside of Japan.
2) The paid online subscription. Nintendo’s track record for online goes from average to horrific, and now they want us to pay for the privilege. Of course the Wii U’s online infrastructure is going to be superior to the previous consoles, but the problem is in convincing other people to give it a go. (note: this one has been proven to be false. Thanks to the readers for pointing it out!)
3) No bundle-in game. What got the Wii off to such a great start was Wii Sports. It showed off the technology, and psychology helped to convince people that the price of the console was fair – after all the consumer was getting a “free” game with it.
Of course, the Wii didn’t launch with a bundle-in game in Japan either, so there’s every chance that the US launch will include what should be a critical way to boost initial interest.
4) So little built-in storage. The expensive Wii U bundle has just 32 GB of internal storage. For anyone with a PS3 or Xbox 360 connected to the download shops, that is entirely inadequate. I guess we can kiss goodbye to those 15GB download retail game options.
5) Launch date in December? Japan will likely launch with the rest of the world for that date, but that seems to be a bit too close to Christmas. A bit of retail theory here: you want about a month to sell a Christmas product to maximise the launch sales cycle. Nintendo’s given the Wii U about half that time.
I have my fingers crossed that this is not a Nintendo 3DS launch version 2, but I have my concerns. What did you all think about this launch (click here for the summary)?
I worry about the mass-market-friendliness of it all. It took aaaages to persuade my wife that we needed a Wii, and we only play it every now and again. There's no way I'll get a Wii U past her at that price. I suspect that many families use their Wii in the same way. Do we really need another dust-gatherer?
not a good sign …..i'm a playstation fan 😀 if they really wanna get back those hardcore audience and also maintain the casual fanbase…..they need immediate launch games….cuz what they were bragging on both their E3 conferences is they have now multiplatform AAA and AA games but looking at it..all of the multiplats that will probably be release on it are already past a month or a year games that are already out on other consoles…exclusive wise..zombiu is the only game yet to show the Wii U's capability and it is not even their prime exclusive team/etc….
few corrections for you.
Regarding 2. Online Subscription: There is none. People who buy the premium Sku of the Wii U are given a special 2 year only membership that gives them a 10% discount on any digital titles they buy. Its not an Xbox Live Gold situation or anything like that.
Storage space is larger than the baseline Xbox 360 and soon to be released 16Gb flash memory PS3. Plus you can use External Hard drives or SD cards to greatly expand storage.
Wii Launched in December for Japan while launching November 18th in the US
I'm just waiting to see what they announce at the NoA conference in about 6 hours now, for the pricing. If they have a basic Black Wii U 8GB system for $249.99. I'm there. Anything over that, and I'm going to have to do some searching and serious thinking. I'm cheap.
Probably should wait until the dust settles tomorrow though, because from what I'm seeing on this….. "The paid online subscription. Nintendo’s track record for online goes from average to horrific, and now they want us to pay for the privilege. Of course the Wii U’s online infrastructure is going to be superior to the previous consoles, but the problem is in convincing other people to give it a go." is that the service is a discount service aimed at heavy downloaders (hmmm, what site am I on?)….. it gives a 10% discount on game downloads, but they didn't detail anything else really. It seems more like a "carrot" to buy the 32gb, than an actual monthly charge.
"No bundle-in game. What got the Wii off to such a great start was Wii Sports."
You acknowledge it didn't launch with it in Japan, so again, this is more not knowing what/if they will bundle with the U.S. version.
"So little built-in storage. The expensive Wii U bundle has just 32 GB of internal storage. For anyone with a PS3 or Xbox 360 connected to the download shops, that is entirely inadequate. I guess we can kiss goodbye to those 15GB download retail game options."
Being that I don't download many LARGE games, I'm not that concerned with it. As a matter of fact, I was not happy to see the Black Wii U get the 32gb memory, BECAUSE I'M CHEAP! I want the black Wii U console, but I won't pay $350 for it (at least based on what I know now), and probably not $300 for the White. I'm picky, and I don't want white electronics now that Bean 1 is gaming more.
"Launch date in December? Japan will likely launch with the rest of the world for that date, but that seems to be a bit too close to Christmas. A bit of retail theory here: you want about a month to sell a Christmas product to maximise the launch sales cycle. Nintendo’s given the Wii U about half that time."
As for this, this announcement caused me to raise my eyebrows, and check I was drinking caffeinated coffee. I hope that outside of Japan, they get the Wii U out before Black Ops 2…at least if they are trying to be serious with third parties and online.
Being that I'm not from Japan, don't know many people there, don't know much about the culture compared to America's, I'm not sure how they celebrate Christmas. Is it a toy fest like it is in America (maybe Australia too)? Or, is it more spending time with friends and family, and not getting run over by a mob trying to find the last stuffed Furby?
Well, I'm going to perhaps try and get 4 hours of sleep now, we'll see if that happens…
It's a pity. The Wii U coulda been the best console ever for those strategy games with that gamepad. I shall start praying it's anything but a dust-gatherer 😀
Agreed, I'm a big fan of Nintendo consoles – had them all since the Game Boy and SNES, and I'm just not as excited about this one. Nintendo games aside, there just isn't much there in terms of third party games that I would actually buy on the Wii over the PS3 version.
I mean, I've already finished Ninja Gaiden 3…. twice. I like it (unlike almost every other critic out there), but this is a really old, critically slammed game, and it's one of the premier 3rd party releases? Ouch.
1) you cant exchange like that
2) You can use EXTERNAL STORAGE
3) this article is freakin stupid if they dont know that
Def worried, I started having high hope for the wii u, but if its over $250 it'll be awhile b 4 i get it, n i def agree about the hard drive storage i have a 360 n ps3 that i use regularly n im starting to run low on space on both lol.
I hope that the Premium isn't just a 10% discount. PS+ does so much more than that, and if that's all Nintendo can offer… walking backwards…
I feel your pain, seems every day I'm deleting a game I like off my PS3… And for the price of the Wii U I don't want to have to buy storage too, haha.
Yeah, PSPlus really set the standard for premium services…. Red Dead Redemption for free… I can't see Nintendo giving away New Super Mario Bros somehow 😛
IIRC, US launch is in November, and of course the price is a tad cheaper, but it's still PS3 price with barely any memory. I decided to go to the game details and actually got excited when I read up on some of the unannounced games. A Rayman that makes good use of the Wii U pad? Batman with all the DLC? Bayonetta 2? A Lego game that looks creative and fun? A retail version of Warriors Orochi 3 with even more content? 2 new IPs that actually look very interesting? Pikmin 3? Seriously, Nintendo's got themselves covered when it comes to games. Most of these are launch-window games, too.
But as soon as I saw the price, release date, and online stuff, I nearly gave up my newly breed hope for owning a Wii U all together. As much as it pains me to let all these games slide, I'm gonna have to wait for at least a $50 price drop, since I'm going to need the extra $50 for a freakin' external hard drive. I don't know about paying for online (I didn't hear anything about it, and I don't care either way).
I certainly hope this does better than I think it will, that Nintendo still has some card up their sleeve, but with such a close release date, they are running out of time to get things straight.
Nintendo seems to be taking some baby steps for this service. Maybe they didn't want to lose their standing with developers, whether they're Nintendo developers or noobs for the Nintendo platform? Just speculating though.
@GamesAndBiz:disqus I'm almost certain they wouldn't want to discount their own games any further than 10%, but maybe there will be more bonuses for 3rd party games in the future.
You really should have waited for the US Nintendo presentation to end. This just looks somewhat outdated now. At the very least, you should update this post to reflect your thoughts after all of the commotion is over.
Much of my thoughts remain the same though. The price remains a point of concern to me, as does the launch window (Japan is a crucial market for Nintendo, releasing on time in the US doesn't help that). Storage and no bundle-in game are still problems.
The subscription thing is wrong, yes, but that's what the comments section is for and I'm very glad that we have great readers who are able to point these errors out 🙂
Hey Frog! Welcome back! I hope you like the new look site 🙂
I completely agree with everything you've said here. The games especially are starting to impress me – Warriors Orochi 3 IS a game that I would rebuy for extra content, and Bayonetta 2 exclusive? That's a real win for Nintendo. I hope that momentum keeps up.
I know Nintendo likes to insist that its games are full-priced, and worth that price, and I'm actually glad that Nintendo is taking a stand against the flight to the bottom of the other publishers.
But I do wish that Nintendo set up a subsidiary or something to focus on free applications, minigames, mobility and all that. When I see the PlayStation Vita, which now has six high-quality free mini-games, five of which are published by Sony, I can't help but wish Nintendo did something comparable.
I'm actually having trouble adjusting. You really need to get some kinda filter for the reviews up before there's too many reviews to sort through…
Oh, and while you're here: What happened to the forum? And can I send review requests through the contact form? I actually found a few things you guys might be interested in.
Back on topic, yeah, I can only hope they keep up the momentum. I'm not sold on a lot of things about the Wii U, so the games right now are the biggest thing I'd need to push me over the edge, and I have a feeling I'm not a lone on that one.
Hm, I like to think of the situation this way: when learning how to swim for the first time, one wouldn't want to start by jumping in the deep pool immediately. Nintendo may be setting themselves up for a harder-time later on, but it…just seems to be a natural thing to be careful and start small 😛
I want this console, but I surely won't be getting it on launch day due to budget constraints and my time in college.
Oh, and I'm starting feel a bit of suspicion that Nintendo is rushing this release since the Wii suffered a painful ending, unfortunately. Had anyone ever considered the possibility that Nintendo couldn't present more Wii U information at the E3 conference because they didn't finalize the release specifications in time??
"The paid online subscription. Nintendo’s track record for online goes
from average to horrific, and now they want us to pay for the privilege.
Of course the Wii U’s online infrastructure is going to be superior to
the previous consoles, but the problem is in convincing other people to
give it a go."
Where was this info? Are you referring to this?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=42058680&postcount=37
"Storage and no bundle-in game are still problems."
The $350 Deluxe has NintendoLand bundled with it in the U.S. and every region, except Japan. Just like the Wii. Also, like the Wii as mentioned above, they released the Wii first in North America, then Japan, then Europe. They have slightly changed it and done North America, Europe/Australia, and then Japan.
Japan though does have a bundle, the Premium, which will be bundled with Monster Hunter and a Pro controller as well; so really, all regions are offering a bundle with a game.
I'm still not sure with what they showed today, and what they did at E3, what is going on. E3 was very poorly done, and today they skipped over things during the conference I wanted to know about, and most others did too that are the "core" that will be buying them day one.
Do I think the system is rushed? No. Do I think the services they are offering on it are such as Miiverse? Yes. Which is why Miiverse isn't being talked about and might not even be ready at launch.
Thanks for the feedback on the site – I can promise you we are working on that reviews database to make it more accessible 🙂
We removed the forum for the simple reason that we wanted people engaging with us on the website – Disqus is proving a great chat program in its own right, and this way no one needs to make extra clicks to get in touch with us 🙂
Please do keep sending us review ideas – you can always use my email matts@digitallydownloaded.net for that.
And be sure to signal for our rewards program! Lots of games on there, lots more to come 🙂
Really am glad to have your insights back, Mr Frog. You are banned from leaving us again 😛
Retrying posting my comment:
"2) The paid online subscription. Nintendo’s track record for online goes
from average to horrific, and now they want us to pay for the
privilege. Of course the Wii U’s online infrastructure is going to be
superior to the previous consoles, but the problem is in convincing
other people to give it a go."
This is incorrect. There is currently no online paid subscription, but we talked on Twitter about that already.
Monster Hunter?! This is news to me.
It was also covered in the comments, no offense. @GamesAndBiz:disqus you sure you couldn't just cross it out and say "Oops, my bad! Guess this was wrong!" and be done with it?
The standard model still lacks the bundled game – once again, Wii Sports was an absolutely crucial part of the Wii's early success.
Yep, I have done this – thanks for the feedback everyone!
Holy long post, Batman! Seriously though, thanks for the input 😀
To do the whole discussion thing:
""The paid online subscription. Nintendo’s track record for online goes from average to horrific, and now they want us to pay for the privilege. Of course the Wii U’s online infrastructure is going to be superior to the previous consoles, but the problem is in convincing other people to give it a go." is that the service is a discount service aimed at heavy downloaders (hmmm, what site am I on?)….. it gives a 10% discount on game downloads, but they didn't detail anything else really. It seems more like a "carrot" to buy the 32gb, than an actual monthly charge."
That would make far more sense, and from further reading I believe this is the case. My reaction was based on NintendoLife's report that stated "Nintendo Network Premium sees Nintendo enter the world of paid subs for enhanced online, similar to PlayStation Plus"
Nintendo is in no position to charge anything for online subs, optional or not.
"Being that I don't download many LARGE games, I'm not that concerned with it. As a matter of fact, I was not happy to see the Black Wii U get the 32gb memory, BECAUSE I'M CHEAP! I want the black Wii U console, but I won't pay $350 for it (at least based on what I know now), and probably not $300 for the White. I'm picky, and I don't want white electronics now that Bean 1 is gaming more."
I (and a growing number of others, judging from the sales data) do care about this though. I really can't believe that Nintendo doesn't have a 250GB+ option for people who like downloadable games. If Nintendo was serious about online, this was essential.
"Being that I'm not from Japan, don't know many people there, don't know much about the culture compared to America's, I'm not sure how they celebrate Christmas. Is it a toy fest like it is in America (maybe Australia too)? Or, is it more spending time with friends and family, and not getting run over by a mob trying to find the last stuffed Furby?"
Japan is more of a consumer culture than even the US. This release date for the Wii U is… baffling, as it flies in the face of retail sales wisdom.
Thanks for making the change. That should reduce confusion at least.
Also, email sent. 🙂
None taken! When I tried to post the comment originally there was nothing on that. Thanks, though.