I see that the local EB store is setting up thier Wii display. A couple of the Wii boxes were on the floor, so I picked it up and took a good look. It's a nice packaging, very similar to the DS Lite box.
I also noticed that the "Wii Sports Included" label wasn't on the box. I'm assuming these stickers are pasted on, and this pretty much confirms my theory that Nintendo will eventually offer a "core" system without any pack-in game.
I don't have any idea when such a move will be made, but it's a safe bet that Christmas 2006 is out of the question. Nintendo is likely holding this card for the inevitable Microsoft or Sony price drops in 2007. There's too much pressure for both of them to sell units and get the prices down. Sony especially.
This leaves Nintendo in a perfect position to either drop the price of the Wii hardware, or sell the core system at a lower price. Remember that the DS dropped from $150 to $120 within its first year. We'll see a $200 Wii before too long, if not lower.
As always, it's probably wiser to wait a little while, until new consoles have established themselves a bit. Early adotpers get the bragging rights, but they always have to pay for it.
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