Nintendo Wii Fully Unveiled - Price, Packaging, Games

As all of you are likely aware, Nintendo has finally announced the full details about its upcoming Wii console, including price, packaging, and software lineup for the holiday season.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed at the price. $250 sounds a bit much for an over-clocked Gamecube. Then, thankfully, I discovered that Wii Sports will be included as a pack-in game. That makes all the difference for me.

I thought $200 would be fine, so $250 for console and game works. This also, I think, situates Nintendo perfectly for when Microsoft or Sony start dropping the prices on their consoles. Sooner or later, Xbox will go down to $300 (let's just forget the cheaper versions, which are completely worthless). Nintendo should be able to either a) introduce the "core" package sans game, or b) bring the pack-in model under $200 or eventually $150.

Bottom line, the Wii console will always be significantly cheaper than the Xbox 360 and the SIX HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS.

Wii Sports is a perfect pack-in game. It's more of a show-off than anything, and lacks the serious depth to compete with other titles. You can't move the players in tennis, for example. So it won't dethrone Virtua Tennis. but as a pack-in, it's a great introduction to the Wii.



Complaints? Sure. $40 for Wiimote and $20 for Nunchuck? You have got to be bloody kidding me. $60 for a fucking game controller? Booooo!!!! What a rip-off. So now I have to start making tactical decisions about my money. I get a couple more Wiimotes for Wii Sports and Excite Truck and maybe Sonic (if it doesn't suck eggs as usual). Then, later on, I score a couple Nunchucks for Madden and Red Steel and Zelda.

Damn. They nickel-and-dime you to death, don't they?

So, here's the final tally. For $250, you get Nintendo Wii, one controller (Wiimote and Nunchuck), Wii Sports (Tennis, Golf, Home Run Derby, Bowling, Boxing), backwards compatibility with the Gamecube library, and online capabilities. And did I mention that Wii will be region-free? That's a very good deal. I like that deal.

I think Nintendo is going to be very successful with Wii.