Tue, Sep 18, 2012 | 08:13 BST
Wii U price: ‘We think $299 is really strong value’ – Fils-Aime
Wii U release dates and pricing were blown wide open by Nintendo yesterday, and Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime has spilled the beans on why he feels Nintendo’s price is right.
In an interview with GI.biz, Fils-Aime discussed the decisions that led to Wii U’s final pricing.
“The way that we approach consumer value is we want to make sure we give the consumer a lot for what they pay,” he said, “and when you look at that basic model you get the innovation in the GamePad – and all of the gaming options that presents – you get Miiverse in terms of a gaming community, you get Nintendo TVii, you get video chat…all of that is included in the base proposition. We think $299 is a really strong value, and it’s a value that’s going to be strong for a long time.”
Fils-Aime also stressed that pricing then re-pricing consoles like Nintendo did with 3DS shortly after it launched isn’t a habit the companyw ants to get into, “we don’t believe in pricing a product and then having to reduce the price some short time later. When we had to do that for 3DS, it was a very painful proposition for us.”
“And what we did with the Wii at $249 and leaving it there for, I think, about three and a half years is very much consistent with our pricing philosophy.”
Fils-Aime concluded, “In terms of profitability, we don’t comment on our internal byproduct P&L, but as a philosophy, we believe in making money on our hardware, even if it’s small amounts of money at the start.”
“We don’t believe in losing a lot of money on hardware. I brought up 3DS – after the price cut, we were losing money on 3DS hardware and that’s what led to our posting our first operating loss ever as a public company.”
Thanks again GI.biz.
27 comments
#1
GetUpKidAK
14/09/12, 10:07 am
Well, thank fuck for that. Imagine if Nintendo didn’t think it was good value?!
#2
Fin
14/09/12, 10:19 am
£185 ($300) is great value, £250 still alright, but not as good. Even with 5% tax, it’s still 25% more in the UK.
#3
vodka-bull
14/09/12, 11:28 am
“The way that we approach consumer value is we want to make sure we give the consumer a lot for what they pay,”
lol
#4
The_Red
14/09/12, 11:43 am
I don’t think it’s either the overpriced disaster some gamers claim or the really strong value Reggie claims.
It’s a decent price for an mid gen console. Maybe it will prove to be a real value indeed via great selection of exclusives. Maybe it will prove to be an overprice last gen system filled with lame ports. Right now, things don’t look too bright OR too dark.
#5
DrDamn
14/09/12, 12:33 pm
@2
US Price is without VAT. So £185 + 20% = £222. So it’s £28 more expensive here which is ~10%.
#6
Psychotext
14/09/12, 12:41 pm
It’s an arcade model 360 with a tablet controller… I guess if you look at it that way then the price is a touch high.
#7
fps_d0minat0r
14/09/12, 2:10 pm
sorry, theres no value what so ever.
when this launches, sony and MS will cut the price on their systems making it harder for this to sell.
Nintendo will have no option but to drop the price. by then the 720 and ps4 will be announced. Hardcore gamers wont mind paying the extra £/$100 or 150 while the casuals will probably find better value in the ps3/360 over the wii U.
theres no way a tablet controller will be as popular as wii’s motion controllers.
…thats my prediction anyway.
#8
zinc
14/09/12, 2:13 pm
^ A PS360 price cut will make no difference, if you want to play Nintendoland you will buy the WiiU.
As always it will be the GAMES that sell the system.
#9
Sini
14/09/12, 3:01 pm
Sounds like utter shit for $300 to me, and launch line up is pathetic.
#10
Clupula
14/09/12, 3:34 pm
Is this news? Did anyone expect him to say he thinks they’re ripping people off?
#11
Dave Cook
14/09/12, 3:37 pm
@10 I think it’s more the fact that he said it to begin with is news in a ‘He feels it’s a competitive price in today’s market, now what do you think?’ sort of way.
Plus he’s the US head of a major corporation. He opens his mouth on a new product launch, we report it.
#12
Erthazus
14/09/12, 3:40 pm
for 300$ you can build a PC that will be ready for this gen (with AA, great resolution) and even Next Gen Launch titles.
300$ for that? No way in hell.
#13
Clupula
14/09/12, 3:42 pm
@8 – Nintendoland?!? You could have said Bayonetta 2 or even some people are biting at the Monster Hunter game…and you said Nintendoland?!? Who the fuck besides people who are lost in Nintendo nostalgia want to play that shit?
#14
Erthazus
14/09/12, 3:46 pm
Intel G540 CPU 2.50 GHZ – 48$
G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333MHz – 24$
Intel HD – Integrated – enough and it’s free.
Western Digital 320 GB Caviar Blue SATA 6.0Gbps – 65$
Sony SATA 24X DVD Burner – 18$
Antec VP-450 450W – 38$
NZXT GAMMA Classic 1x 120mm fan – 40$
BIOSTAR H61MGC Intel H61 LGA 1155 – 55$
= 288$. Cheaper than THAT ****. Don’t forget that this thing have more memory and much bigger HDD. you can play games on it. You can watch every shit you see on the internet and etc.
I’m laughing so hard right now at Nintendo.
#15
monkeygourmet
14/09/12, 3:50 pm
@12
Your really missing the point here I think…
You can’t play Wii U games on anything else.
If you don’t like the games, don’t get one. But comparing the power of systems in this situation is stupid.
#16
monkeygourmet
14/09/12, 3:51 pm
@13
So much hate, don’t get an ulcer!
#17
Erthazus
14/09/12, 3:53 pm
@15, Soon on some Emulator I Will.
I like games because PC absolutely have much bigger library than Nintendo WiiU or i’m not correct?
#18
Erthazus
14/09/12, 4:02 pm
I can’t wait for WiiU.
“I’m Sitting on the couch with kitchen sink waiting for some games or Bayonetta 2 to be released. Nintendoland with mini games straight from http://www.newgrounds.com with pseudo 3D will probably entertain me for a while… Hmm, maybe I should play some PC,360,PS3 ports on the new system that plays Only Games that I bought for 299$.”
Awesome. My dream right now.
#19
monkeygourmet
14/09/12, 4:09 pm
@17
Emulator…
How are you going to emulate the pad doofus?
Even if they get It working, you’ll still have to fork out £100 for one,
Smooth move exlax…
#20
ManuOtaku
14/09/12, 4:10 pm
#14 Earthazus do you know they are other direct and inderect costs in the total cost of the WiiU console, especially including all that is contain in the box,of course adding profits, if you take those into account i think you will see the margin is not that off IMHO.
#21
bitsnark
14/09/12, 4:20 pm
Nice price point.
I can’t wait to see what benefits the Wii U ambassadors will get.
#22
Da Man
14/09/12, 4:20 pm
Erzatwat can’t comprehend that his shitty Windows OS eats up memory, thus PCs need more than consoles.
And even if he could comprehend, he would still deny it being the dishonest fool that he is.
#23
monkeygourmet
14/09/12, 4:22 pm
@21
Nintendo gifts are always fun fan service!
…puts on Kirby hat…
#24
Erthazus
14/09/12, 5:27 pm
@Tardman,
” his shitty Windows OS eats up memory, thus PCs need more than consoles.”
My PC with Microsoft windows 7 Professional only require 1.4+ gb of memory ram (I use 64 bit OS) which is enough especially if you have G.Skill 4GB that is with DDR3 1333MHz. It is enough to run every game on max if you have only 4 GB of Ram so as always DaMan, go F yourself.
P.S. you can always install a 32-bit system that requires only 1GB of Ram if that will change something ofc.
@monkeygourmet, “How are you going to emulate the pad doofus?”
by using Android device, Tablet or ehm… WiiU GamePad like you can use Nunchucks and Wii mote on the PC with Dolphin emulator.
SCHWING!
P.S. There is a tablet controller from Razer that is amazing. Oh yeah, i’m going to get That one for sure if I will play WiiU games on my PC.
“you’ll still have to fork out £100 for one”
Yeah, sure, but not 300 freakin dollars for the cheap electronic device box that will collect dust.
#25
Da Man
14/09/12, 5:36 pm
Svinia sovkovaya, I’m not even sure what you’re trying to prove with that wall of mentally unstable babbling.
PCs need more ram than consoles. Whether you agree with this or not.
#26
monkeygourmet
14/09/12, 5:49 pm
@24
Yes, and how much does the Razor pad cost?
how are you really sticking to the man?
It took a long time to get Dolphin as smooth as it is, have fun playing smooth Wii U emulation around Xmas 2015!!! By that time you might as well have bought one…
It take it you would be buying games to? At £39.99, wouldn’t want to think you PC guys would ever pirate anything now, would we?
I used to think it was the language barrier, now I just think you have too many chromosomes…
#27
sh4dow
15/09/12, 12:41 am
“when you look at that basic model you get the innovation in the GamePad – and all of the gaming options that presents – ”
Not a good enough reason for this price.
“you get Miiverse in terms of a gaming community,”
No reason at all.
“you get Nintendo TVii, you get video chat…all of that is included in the base proposition.”
Yet another non-reason.