Nintendo Wii U Launches on November 18, Costs $299.99 for 'Basic' Model

Rob Williams · 09-13-2012, 03:11 PM

Haul that suit of armor and javelin out of the closet, because Nintendo has finally announced the release date and pricing for its upcoming Wii U console. Why the armor and weapon? If the Wii U's launch is anything like the Wii's, you're going to need any advantage you can get to score one on launch day. For those who might not recall, Wiis remained very difficult to purchase for an entire year after its release. Whether or not Nintendo has the goods to make that happen again, we're not sure.

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

Rob Williams · 09-13-2012, 10:17 PM

Well, it seems the reason the gamepads don't have pricing yet is because Nintendo won't be selling them separately until games support two of them:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/13/n...not-at-launch/

Better hope you don't break yours.

madmat · 09-13-2012, 10:38 PM

What's with the display on the game pad? It looks like a handheld gaming device by itself.

ET3D · 09-13-2012, 10:50 PM

It's a pity the base price is $299. This doesn't provide any incentive for Microsoft or Sony to lower prices further.

I have a Wii, and I like it because of the new method of control it provided. I think that the next step up in that respect is the Xbox 360 + Kinect. I hope that even though the Wii isn't forcing Microsoft's hand it will still update that combination for the holidays.

Rob Williams · 09-13-2012, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmat

What's with the display on the game pad? It looks like a handheld gaming device by itself.

That is indeed what it is. If someone wants the TV, you'll be able to play your games on the gamepad, and likewise there will be special games available for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET3D

It's a pity the base price is $299. This doesn't provide any incentive for Microsoft or Sony to lower prices further.

I have a Wii, and I like it because of the new method of control it provided. I think that the next step up in that respect is the Xbox 360 + Kinect. I hope that even though the Wii isn't forcing Microsoft's hand it will still update that combination for the holidays.

Welcome to the forums! And I agree on the price, though it's that gamepad that's responsible for that. It no doubt will cost at least $100 per unit when the individual units are eventually sold.

As for Xbox, I just can't wait until the 720 or whatever it might be called gets released. While I have no interest in the Wii U, I would have interest in the next Xbox for sure. The 360 has just grown long in the tooth for me.

Optix · 09-14-2012, 12:03 AM

Hey ET3D, it's been a while.

I'm still curious to see what Nintendo can pull off with this system, however it's still Microsoft that will have the best system in my opinion. I'll likely pass over the Wii U for the 720 so I (sorry, so my wife) can get serious games. Enough of the happy fluff, but kudos for the backward compatibility on the controllers.

Take this with a grain of salt...

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3826...aked-specs.htm

09-13-2012, 03:11 PM	#1
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Nintendo Wii U Launches on November 18, Costs $299.99 for 'Basic' Model Haul that suit of armor and javelin out of the closet, because Nintendo has finally announced the release date and pricing for its upcoming Wii U console. Why the armor and weapon? If the Wii U's launch is anything like the Wii's, you're going to need any advantage you can get to score one on launch day. For those who might not recall, Wiis remained very difficult to purchase for an entire year after its release. Whether or not Nintendo has the goods to make that happen again, we're not sure. Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

09-13-2012, 10:17 PM	#2
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	Well, it seems the reason the gamepads don't have pricing yet is because Nintendo won't be selling them separately until games support two of them: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/13/n...not-at-launch/ Better hope you don't break yours. __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

09-13-2012, 10:38 PM	#3
madmat Soup Nazi Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: No soup for you! Posts: 1,636	What's with the display on the game pad? It looks like a handheld gaming device by itself. __________________ M4N82 Deluxe Phenom II 940 Black Edition quad core @ 3.5Ghz 2x1 gig OCZ PC26400 Platinum, 2x1gig GSkill PC26400 EVGA GTX260 Buncha drives, Some other stuff, Even more stuff, If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside. --Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld magazine Sign Me!

09-13-2012, 10:50 PM	#4
ET3D Obliviot Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2	It's a pity the base price is $299. This doesn't provide any incentive for Microsoft or Sony to lower prices further. I have a Wii, and I like it because of the new method of control it provided. I think that the next step up in that respect is the Xbox 360 + Kinect. I hope that even though the Wii isn't forcing Microsoft's hand it will still update that combination for the holidays.