Official Wii Thread pt. 3
09-14-06 | 11:02 AM
#251
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by Absolute Zero
As much as I want a Wii, I think I may hold out for CC or BB to offer a discount on accessories with a system purchase or some kind of add-in.
09-14-06 | 11:03 AM
#252
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From: Keizer, OR
Just for shits, lets compare the Costco 360 pack with the Wii:
Premium 360 + Extra Controller + Game (PGR3) + Play'n'Charge = $455
Wii w/ Game(Wii Sports) + Extra Controller + Component Cable + SD Card = ~$375
In both cases you get a game you may or may not want, the difference being PGR3 has some (well not too much) resale value. If you are buying this for your kids for Xmas you will need another game. Nintendo option another $50, 360 option $20-60.
(One could argue that if you are getting it for the kids you wouldn't need the component cables or SD card, but a the same time, you wouldn't need the premium 360 either)
I was mainly looking to get this for my son for xmas, now I am not so sure. I definitely have the means ($350+ store credit), but now I am wondering if I would be better off spending some of that on 360 games and just picking up a couple Cube games for my son and waiting until next year.
Premium 360 + Extra Controller + Game (PGR3) + Play'n'Charge = $455
Wii w/ Game(Wii Sports) + Extra Controller + Component Cable + SD Card = ~$375
In both cases you get a game you may or may not want, the difference being PGR3 has some (well not too much) resale value. If you are buying this for your kids for Xmas you will need another game. Nintendo option another $50, 360 option $20-60.
(One could argue that if you are getting it for the kids you wouldn't need the component cables or SD card, but a the same time, you wouldn't need the premium 360 either)
I was mainly looking to get this for my son for xmas, now I am not so sure. I definitely have the means ($350+ store credit), but now I am wondering if I would be better off spending some of that on 360 games and just picking up a couple Cube games for my son and waiting until next year.
09-14-06 | 11:04 AM
#253
Retired
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
There's no reason for 20GB or 60GB of storage for this stuff.
But that's moot as his point isn't whether it is needed, but rather that such thigns have to be factored in when calculating the "bang for the buck" on the systems.
Wii with a pack in is $250. The premium 360 is $400, but has the hard drive and the HD cable packed in. And hell if you really want to get into specifics some will say you get more processing/graphics power for the money.
So the point is while there is $150 difference and a "game" included in the Wii, that won't seem that appealing to some, namely those that don't want Wii sports, and those that care about HD and the storage space, and those that care about graphics a lot.
To me, the $150 is still a big savings, as I don't care about HD, the hard drive, graphics, or downloading add on crap. But I can see the point others are making. And the point those are making that don't want wiisports for singleplayer.
09-14-06 | 11:06 AM
#254
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
$60 for their controller is fucking ridiculous. I think Nintendo is taking advantage of the PS3 pricing and selling the Wii and its accessories for more than they had originally intended. I still believe Nintendo was going to announce pricing info at E3 but backed off when they got word from Sony camp on the PS3.
Let's face it, the Wii is nothing more than a upgraded GameCube, the only thing that's attracting gamers, like myself, to the console is the controller, which will provide a different gaming experience. I'm with the guy who said they need to sell Wii Sports seperate and charge $199 for the system. As for the controller, $40 is reasonable...I was expecting to pay what a Wave Bird costs. And what's up with no black?!! Ugghhhh! This is exactly why I didn't buy a DS Lite when they launched. Luckily for Nintendo Zelda is a launch title and I'll buy a white one anyways just to play it.
Nintendo had an opportunity to really establish themselves as the console of choice this Holiday season and they just didn't do that. I came away dissapointed from it.
Let's face it, the Wii is nothing more than a upgraded GameCube, the only thing that's attracting gamers, like myself, to the console is the controller, which will provide a different gaming experience. I'm with the guy who said they need to sell Wii Sports seperate and charge $199 for the system. As for the controller, $40 is reasonable...I was expecting to pay what a Wave Bird costs. And what's up with no black?!! Ugghhhh! This is exactly why I didn't buy a DS Lite when they launched. Luckily for Nintendo Zelda is a launch title and I'll buy a white one anyways just to play it.
Nintendo had an opportunity to really establish themselves as the console of choice this Holiday season and they just didn't do that. I came away dissapointed from it.
09-14-06 | 11:09 AM
#255
DVD Talk Legend
There isn't going to be an issue with VC other than a select few people that will settle for emulation. The game store I go to here is the only place locally that has old game stuff and they get someone in EVERY DAY asking about Super Mario 1, 2 or 3 or numerous other NES games. They can't hold an NES or SNES system in the store for more than two days and they're selling them at $50 and $70 respectively. They sell Mario 2 and 3 for $20 and are sold within two days at that price. It's going to be a cash cow for them.
People are turning this into a "Serenity Syndrome" where they see a few people harp about it on the internet incessantly (oh I can steal these games for free!) and think that translates 120% to the real world. At $5, $8 and $10 most of the games they're going to be putting on VC those prices are probably cheaper than their cartridges (SMB1 and SMW notwithstanding as they were pack-ins and quite abundant).
People are turning this into a "Serenity Syndrome" where they see a few people harp about it on the internet incessantly (oh I can steal these games for free!) and think that translates 120% to the real world. At $5, $8 and $10 most of the games they're going to be putting on VC those prices are probably cheaper than their cartridges (SMB1 and SMW notwithstanding as they were pack-ins and quite abundant).
09-14-06 | 11:11 AM
#256
DVD Talk Godfather
What if they gave away wiiSports with a Wiimote/Nunchuk combo instead of the console? Buy the extra controller and get the game(for a limited time of course). That is more logical than what they announced.
09-14-06 | 11:12 AM
#257
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by pinata242
Ok, then, if they were going to make $1M either way, doesn't it stand to reason they've made more "profit" by serving less?
Originally Posted by pinata242
But my point was that with any 2 pricing points, you have a break-even point based on sales.
09-14-06 | 11:14 AM
#258
Retired
Originally Posted by Michael Corvin
What if they gave away wiiSports with a Wiimote/Nunchuk combo instead of the console? Buy the extra controller and get the game(for a limited time of course). That is more logical than what they announced.
I did see on another forum that there is another set of sports games coming in Japan that will be packed with a Wiimote (didn't mention of the nunchuck was included).
I didn't do any digging around to see if it was real or not.
09-14-06 | 11:17 AM
#259
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From: Keizer, OR
I think the real question is, would you rather have 200,000 @ $5 each, but be very selective about what games they buy, or 1,000,000 @ $1 each, but buy anything that might be of interest.
I think with their current structure they are going to see a lot of sales on their most wanted games, and next to nothing on the others.
I think with their current structure they are going to see a lot of sales on their most wanted games, and next to nothing on the others.
09-14-06 | 11:17 AM
#260
Retired
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
There isn't going to be an issue with VC other than a select few people that will settle for emulation. The game store I go to here is the only place locally that has old game stuff and they get someone in EVERY DAY asking about Super Mario 1, 2 or 3 or numerous other NES games. They can't hold an NES or SNES system in the store for more than two days and they're selling them at $50 and $70 respectively. They sell Mario 2 and 3 for $20 and are sold within two days at that price. It's going to be a cash cow for them.
People are turning this into a "Serenity Syndrome" where they see a few people harp about it on the internet incessantly (oh I can steal these games for free!) and think that translates 120% to the real world. At $5, $8 and $10 most of the games they're going to be putting on VC those prices are probably cheaper than their cartridges (SMB1 and SMW notwithstanding as they were pack-ins and quite abundant).
People are turning this into a "Serenity Syndrome" where they see a few people harp about it on the internet incessantly (oh I can steal these games for free!) and think that translates 120% to the real world. At $5, $8 and $10 most of the games they're going to be putting on VC those prices are probably cheaper than their cartridges (SMB1 and SMW notwithstanding as they were pack-ins and quite abundant).
While I agree Nintendo probably won't lose THAT much business to emulation. I do think with higher prices it will be harder to get "impulse buys" from the typical gamers that have nothing more than a mild curiousity about old games.
People that are into retro gaming probably still have their old consoles hooked up and won't buy many games (like you said about yourself) or are already into emulators. So the higher prices will cut down on people in these categories buying VC games for convenience etc. as well.
It just seems like on pretty much all fronts, cheaper prices would sell more quantity, and they'd do better to think more about finding a price that will maximize $$ per title and number of titles sold. It doesn't seem like the current structure does that. But time will tell.
09-14-06 | 11:19 AM
#261
Retired
Originally Posted by hail2dking
I think the real question is, would you rather have 200,000 @ $5 each, but be very selective about what games they buy, or 1,000,000 @ $1 each, but buy anything that might be of interest.
I think with their current structure they are going to see a lot of sales on their most wanted games, and next to nothing on the others.
I think with their current structure they are going to see a lot of sales on their most wanted games, and next to nothing on the others.
Exactly, and related to my point above.
You have to find the price point that maximized $$ per game and number of games sold. In addition to losing customers, you also risk limiting the number of games sold per customer that uses the VC as you point out.
09-14-06 | 11:24 AM
#262
Looking back at my prediction, the only things I didn't get were Duck Hunt and the light gun shell. I'm trying to figure out why I'm so pissed off when I should have been expecting it. The only points I can come up with are the date being later than they promised and the surprise that controllers are so expensive. I wonder why they're selling them separately instead of together for $50 or so.
Eh, well. I'll be in line November 18th just the same. I'll probably need to use up 3 vacation days that week and just have a marathon through Thanksgiving :P
Eh, well. I'll be in line November 18th just the same. I'll probably need to use up 3 vacation days that week and just have a marathon through Thanksgiving :P
09-14-06 | 11:28 AM
#263
Retired
Originally Posted by pinata242
Looking back at my prediction, the only things I didn't get were Duck Hunt and the light gun shell. I'm trying to figure out why I'm so pissed off when I should have been expecting it. The only points I can come up with are the date being later than they promised and the surprise that controllers are so expensive. I wonder why they're selling them separately instead of together for $50 or so.
The release date doesn't bother me as I'm swamped and don't have much time for games this semester anyway. So closer to the winter break when I'll have a bit more time to play Zelda is fine with me.
The other factor is the hype. There was so much $200-250 with wii sports, 2 controllers and possibly and SD card included buzz that we all set ourselves up for dissapointment.
The Japanese getting it for $215 without Wiisports puts a bad taste in my mouth too, as it makes Wiisports not a bonus, but rather us having no choice but to pay $35 for a game many of us don't want.
But you are right, given initial talks months ago, and the price of the competition, we shouldn't be complaining so much.
09-14-06 | 11:31 AM
#264
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
It just seems like on pretty much all fronts, cheaper prices would sell more quantity, and they'd do better to think more about finding a price that will maximize $$ per title and number of titles sold. It doesn't seem like the current structure does that. But time will tell.
09-14-06 | 11:31 AM
#265
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What the hell pricing were you people expecting for a wireless, motion sensing, rumbling, speakerfied controller? The GC Wavebird is listed at $34.99 right now. And I'm sure you won't need the nunchuck for Wii Sports.
09-14-06 | 11:34 AM
#266
Retired
Not sure if it was posted earlier, but you can watch the conference here:
http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/live.html
http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/live.html
09-14-06 | 11:36 AM
#267
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by pinata242
Looking back at my prediction, the only things I didn't get were Duck Hunt and the light gun shell. I'm trying to figure out why I'm so pissed off when I should have been expecting it. The only points I can come up with are the date being later than they promised and the surprise that controllers are so expensive. I wonder why they're selling them separately instead of together for $50 or so.
Eh, well. I'll be in line November 18th just the same. I'll probably need to use up 3 vacation days that week and just have a marathon through Thanksgiving :P
Eh, well. I'll be in line November 18th just the same. I'll probably need to use up 3 vacation days that week and just have a marathon through Thanksgiving :P
They controllers are probably separate because I think there's going to be a lot of games that only use the main remote.
09-14-06 | 11:40 AM
#268
Retired
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
Microsoft seems to be doing just fine with XBLA and it's in the same price range ($5-$10).
It remains to be seen if someone will shell out $5 to play offline a crappy looking old NES game. The Mario games, zelda games etc. will sell. But at those prices I'm not convinced that people will give the less mainstream games a shot, where as they might if they are priced lower.
Maybe with any luck 3rd parties will be able to set lower prices, or to put things on sale if they don't sell well.
09-14-06 | 11:42 AM
#269
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by kajs
What the hell pricing were you people expecting for a wireless, motion sensing, rumbling, speakerfied controller? The GC Wavebird is listed at $34.99 right now. And I'm sure you won't need the nunchuck for Wii Sports.
09-14-06 | 11:46 AM
#271
I'm disappointed. I was really hoping for something other than Wii sports to be a pack-in. For example, I would really, REALLY be into a package containing the remote's gun shell and classic Duck Hunt or a few other VC games. I went from purchasing on day 1 to waiting until I can get a better deal around Christmas time. For me, the VC was the main reason i am into the Wii. I don't have the scratch to buy new games regularly (or the time to get my $'s worth via play), but I'd be all over collecting some older games and not have to deal with having a bunch of carts laying around and putting more wear and tear on my NES (I'm not as worried about my top-loading SNES).
09-14-06 | 11:48 AM
#272
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
512MB (isn't that what's included?) will be WAY MORE than enough to handle a hell of a lot of NES/SNES/N64 games plus Wii game saves.
There's no reason for 20GB or 60GB of storage for this stuff.
There's no reason for 20GB or 60GB of storage for this stuff.
Since you were comparing the features/price to the other consoles, you have to compare similar hardware.... Nintendo has significantly less disk space and in order to compare properly, you';ll have to consider expanding the memory. Downloading VC games is going to use up that space quickly.
I'm a nintendo fan too, but give it a break.. you know this is a dissapointment for many people, it's obvious, stop teying to convince us otherwise.
Last edited by mmconhea; 09-14-06 at 11:53 AM.
09-14-06 | 11:51 AM
#273
DVD Talk Legend
http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1556591
Wired had the opportunity to sit down after with Nintendo Vice-President of Marketing & Corporate Affairs—not to mention affable conference host—Perrin Kaplan to ask a few questions that weren't addressed in the press conference.
• Will the Wii be region-free? Yes. Like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be able to play games from other regions, such as Japan, without any restriction. Kaplan implied there might be a region lock that publishers would be able to flip on, but it doesn't sound like the first-party titles from Nintendo will be restricted.
• Will games downloaded from the Virtual Console store be tied to an account like Xbox Live or a one-time-only download like iTunes? Tied to an account. Kaplan discussed a scenario where a player's Wii was broken or destroyed, but would be able to re-download titles they had previously bought to a new Wii machine. Because my left leg was burning from an accidental Zippo oil spill, I neglected to ask if a user would be able to log into friends' Wiis and play their Virtual Console downloads away from their home machine.
• Will Wii users be able to add storage via USB hard drives? No. The Wii's storage will be exclusively via flash memory storage, such as SD memory cards, at least at launch. Kaplan said a hard drive addition could be in the future, but that sounds more like a "Sure, why not?" response than one based in any immediate plans.
• How much will Opera cost? Unknown. No price has yet been set for the download-able Opera web browser, but it sounds like it could very well be free, once Nintendo finishes discussions with Opera.
The big news from the press conference, besides the price—$250 for the console with one controller and Wii Sports bundled, $40 for additional Wii Remotes and $20 for additional Wii Nunchucks—was the showing of "Wii Channels," an instant-on interface where Wii players will be able to create "Mii" (me) personal avatars that work in supported games; a Wii Shop where Virtual Console games can be purchased for "Wii Points"; and photo, movie, and web browsing.
It's a slick little interface, but I continue to question whether users will want to sit in front of a television browsing the web without a keyboard, especially at non-HDTV resolutions. I guess we'll see when the Wii launches in the Americas on November 19th.
• Will the Wii be region-free? Yes. Like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be able to play games from other regions, such as Japan, without any restriction. Kaplan implied there might be a region lock that publishers would be able to flip on, but it doesn't sound like the first-party titles from Nintendo will be restricted.
• Will games downloaded from the Virtual Console store be tied to an account like Xbox Live or a one-time-only download like iTunes? Tied to an account. Kaplan discussed a scenario where a player's Wii was broken or destroyed, but would be able to re-download titles they had previously bought to a new Wii machine. Because my left leg was burning from an accidental Zippo oil spill, I neglected to ask if a user would be able to log into friends' Wiis and play their Virtual Console downloads away from their home machine.
• Will Wii users be able to add storage via USB hard drives? No. The Wii's storage will be exclusively via flash memory storage, such as SD memory cards, at least at launch. Kaplan said a hard drive addition could be in the future, but that sounds more like a "Sure, why not?" response than one based in any immediate plans.
• How much will Opera cost? Unknown. No price has yet been set for the download-able Opera web browser, but it sounds like it could very well be free, once Nintendo finishes discussions with Opera.
The big news from the press conference, besides the price—$250 for the console with one controller and Wii Sports bundled, $40 for additional Wii Remotes and $20 for additional Wii Nunchucks—was the showing of "Wii Channels," an instant-on interface where Wii players will be able to create "Mii" (me) personal avatars that work in supported games; a Wii Shop where Virtual Console games can be purchased for "Wii Points"; and photo, movie, and web browsing.
It's a slick little interface, but I continue to question whether users will want to sit in front of a television browsing the web without a keyboard, especially at non-HDTV resolutions. I guess we'll see when the Wii launches in the Americas on November 19th.
09-14-06 | 11:54 AM
#274
Retired
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
That's what I said earlier, the thing is a lot more complicated that the controllers of old. It's just hard to swallow when you first hear it because of what we've been used to. The Wavebird was $40 when it first came out, the 360 controller is $50 and you can bet your ass the PS3 controller will be at least $50 as well.
It's just that gaming is rapidly getting priced out of my range. I've never paid more than $200 for a console. I'm willing to go up to $250 for the Wii (Wiisports, as lame as it may be without a 2nd controllers softens the blow at least a little). But the controllers are had to swallow. Yes it's new technology, but were' used to seeing tech in other fields get better and cheaper at the same time (i.e. cell phones, mp3 players etc.) so it's doubly hard to swallow.
I just hate seeing Nintendo stuff jumping in price when they'd done so well at keeping costs down. The console is still much cheaper than the competition for those that don't need component cables, HDD etc., so I applaud them for that.
But I'd have loved to seen them keep the controller around $40 at most.
09-14-06 | 12:01 PM
#275
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by mmconhea
Since you were comparing the features/price to the other consoles, you have to compare similar hardware.... Nintendo has significantly less disk space and in order to compare properly, you';ll have to consider expanding the memory. Downloading VC games is going to use up that space quickly.
I'm a nintendo fan too, but give it a break.. you know this is a dissapointment for many people, it's obvious, stop teying to convince us otherwise.
I'm a nintendo fan too, but give it a break.. you know this is a dissapointment for many people, it's obvious, stop teying to convince us otherwise.
SNES games average at about 1.5 Mb. That's 300+ games @ 512 Mb.
N64 games average at about 4 Mb. That's 100+ games @ 512 Mb.
If you want to get a 20 or 60 Gb SD card to make it "comparable" to the Xbox's hard drive, go for it.
I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, I'm just not letting myself be as disappointed with asinine details like everyone else is. I got the price and release date and they were above my speculation but within what I was hoping for. Every other complaint seems to boil down to "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" essentially.