I say bundle it with a disc of simple mini-games to show off what the controller can do and sell that sucker for 199$. I'm giddy with anticipation.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/726/726748p1.html

Sorry for the late response! I work for GameCrazy. The idea for taking deposits on both the PS3 and Wii was brought up by my old manager. During E3 '05 we got a lot of calls (from customers) asking when they could pre-order the PS3 and Revolution. My manager felt that it would be a good idea to take manual deposits until the actual systems were put into our point of sale. However in the wake of the PS3 price point we've had at least four different people drop from the list, but there are still 26 more who (I guess) want their system. Currently the Wii list has about 26 people on it.

I'd guess there are 4 that want the system and another 22 of those are for ebay whores.

HELLLLLL YES!

Meanwhile, Blitz, nobody is going to force people to buy the re-released games with new control schemes, if they even get made. So why is it a slap in the face?

Weren't you the one complaining that the Wii version of Zelda was a slap in the face to Gamecube owners?

I saw the EA article on IGN today. It's too good to be true but I hope otherwise. Anything less than $200 would be awesome!

I'd be shocked if it's under $200. Unless we see some bundle with extra accessories/games for over $200.

I'd be shocked it it wasn't $199.99, with maybe a bundle with more crap for $250.

I'll pay $250 either way but ideally i'd like for it to be a bundle with a game and an extra controller or something.

I have to agree.

Nintendo - 1986
S-NES - 1991
Nintendo 64 - 1996
Gamcube - 2001
Wii -2006

It's been a 5 year gap since the beginning with no change.

I still stand behind some others in my belief that the Wii will be more successful than the Gamecube was. Some are worried about the Gamecube dying. Arguably, it's been dead for quite awhile already. Some might say it never breathed much to begin with. I liked the neglected cube, but i'll be the 1st to admit that it was no S-NES.

I'm still counting on $199 with one controller, $249 with two controllers and Wii Sports...c'mon Nintendo! You can do it!

Whatever options they offer, I'm really hoping for/expecting them to include 2 controllers with every console. I just can't see them naming it the Wii, stressing the fun of playing with other people, and then only including one controller.

I'd rather have one controller and a lower price. Remember, the Wiimotes come in different colors (allegedly).

Agreed. I'd love to have white, black, red, and blue Wiimotes at launch.

a cute video, all in good fun

PS3 vs Wii

http://www.glumbert.com/media/ps3wii.html

perhaps a bit racy for work

Is the Wii supposed to come in different colors as well?

The last thing I had heard (which might be just a rumor) was black and white at launch. I could be wrong, but I don't think there have been any official announcements about colors yet.

Speaking of announcements, I'm looking forward to waking up to some Wii news tomorrow morning. The details have been sketchy so far, but Wii announcements of some kind are supposed to be made at the Leipzig Game Convention tomorrow. Based on the time difference, it should be happening early in the morning for those of us in the U.S. Supposedly some new games might be revealed, and it could be wishful thinking, but I'm hoping they'll announce a date and price.

You and everyone else on the planet.

Yeah, Nintendo's secretiveness has worked on me - I'm really dying for the info now. But it's gotten to the point where I don't think they can afford to wait much longer to announce the date and price - they need a decent amount of time if they really want to get the word out to the non-gamers they hope to attract. Tokyo Game Show (9/22-24) just seems too late, so Leipzig seems like a reasonable venue for them to reveal the long-awaited info. We'll know soon enough!

I tend to disagree. I'd say the closer to release, the better as it keeps things fresh in the minds. The only people dying to know are those of us who know we don't know, ya know? The non-gamer they're also going after isn't aware he is waiting yet...

Yeah, that's a good point. I guess they could start advertising without that info, just to get the name out there and let people know what it is. But you could also argue that releasing the info sooner rather than later would get more people preordering.

Oh well...no really big announcements after all. The two new Wii games revealed were Mario Strikers Charged and Battalion Wars II. Back to waiting...

Mario Strikers! HELL YES. Easily my favorite multi-player game released for the Cube!

Er, no, wait.. that would be Zelda Four Swords. But Mario Strikers is second.

Shaky-cam goodness for Mario Strikers Charged: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plgrSM-QYOY

I think an extra controller packed-in would be a good way to reinforce the 'family fun/fun together' aspect of the console. And it sounds like it's going to be released inexpensively enough to still be a deal, and that is one more thing that would make it stand out [what was the last console that came with 2 controllers on launch day?]
Ideally a game as well, but if not a game, at least a demo disk showing off the different ways of using the controller, or some credits toward simple downloads so the older gamers can maybe share some classic games with their families/younger gamers.

So they're going to re-make GC games, enabling the controller usage? But the Wii is fully backwards compatible? So the person interested in an 'older' game could either buy the remake and take full advantage of the wireless controller, or buy a used copy of the original game [for cheaper] and play it old school? Sounds like a win-win.

HD: I have an HDTV, and certainly I would like to get as much use out of it as possible, but the support of HD isn't an instant buy for me, nor does its absence, mean no-sale. It's a bonus, sort of like voiceacting in games--VA in games does not at all affect my decision to buy a game, but if it's done right, it can add to my enjoyment.

Of course, here's one place where I'm behind the curve: I'm still wired. Two desktops, wired router, ethernet cables. If the wii goes online via wifi, how do I go about going online, should I desire to do so? Does it still support a basic wired ethernet connection? Though it would be cheaper than buying an HDTV, I don't want to have to buy new wireless connectivity stuff to go online.

Though the 360 and PS3 support HD, and I've had a PS1 and PS2, it's the Wii that is garnering most of my attention in the 'new console' realm. 360 seems to have too great a focus on online gaming or sports, and what I've heard about PS3 pricing has been frightening. They seem to be focusing on novel innovations, some new games and some remakes, and since I haven't had a Nintendo console since the NES, there's a lot of gaming franchises I missed.