MCV speculates on UK Wii date, price
by Kyle Orland 
{ Sep 8th 2006 at 9:55AM }
British trade weekly MCV is reporting this morning that the Wii will go on sale "shortly before Friday November 24th" for a price of £149 in the UK. However, Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton responded in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that the story is "not far off, but they're definitely not right."What to believe? MCV doesn't cite any sources for its information, but Managing Editor Lisa Foster told CVG that she is "very confident about the story, especially the price and that Nintendo Wii will launch in the week ending November 24." The publication does have a track record of breaking big industry news before it is officially announced, recently being among the first publications to break word of E3's downsizing. We'll know for sure whether their reputation holds up when Nintendo releases official word on the date and pricing, likely to come a week from now at a planned European press conference.
The MCV article also assures Europeans that system availability will not be an issue, with "senior industry sources" reporting "plentiful supplies anticipated for both the November launch and the Christmas run-in."
[Thanks, Tom G]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Martin @ Sep 8th 2006 10:03AM
I will problaly wait until i see some reviews about wii, before i buy it, but when the price is so low, and since nintendo almost never fails to deliver im tempted to buy it at launch.
csc @ Sep 8th 2006 10:00AM
"Plentiful supplies"
eat that you sonybots, I'm getting a Wii. Nintendo shows us the respect you never could!
Paul P. @ Sep 8th 2006 10:01AM
No, not "likely" to come at next week's conference, CONFIRMED. David Yarnton goes on to say, after saying that their figure is not right, that Nintendo will announce european release and price at it's conference on the 15th. I don't know how you missed it.
Raynre @ Sep 8th 2006 10:21AM
At first I had a knee0jerk reaction to seeing the Wii launch so late...
Then I realized that it was only for Europe, and that it really wouldnt affect me...
Then I realized that the PS3 wasnt even going to be out by then, and all was right in my world again.
computer gamer @ Sep 8th 2006 10:07AM
Consider it already bought. :)
Jeremy @ Sep 8th 2006 10:10AM
Wow, I went to bed last night being told it might be released at the end of this month...
csc @ Sep 8th 2006 10:11AM
@2
he only confirms that more details will be released then, not specifically the date and price.
Well sure, its damn likely they will but its not confired. I dont however see nintendo holding out much longer though, theyve pushed it as far as it will go, its time to tell us the cost, and a date, and i'm going to be positive.
I need my Zelda fix
Steve @ Sep 8th 2006 10:14AM
You people realize that the UK Wii will very likely release AFTER North America and Japan, right? (Within a month). Robert's news seems a bit more relevant.
Groovy Guy @ Sep 8th 2006 10:14AM
Ya, 5 is right,
What the hell happened to releasing this month? I wish someone knew what the hell was going on! Less than a week until this whole release date crap ends.
=['] @ Sep 8th 2006 10:17AM
If its launching for 150 nicker, I think I may be one of those saps that buys a product at launch (again, DS lite also prised money from my account).
I usually like to wait, so there's a plethora of decent games at least, but at that bargain price & with DS compatibility this may be a great instant purchase.
csc @ Sep 8th 2006 10:18AM
@7
maybe but its veyr likely we will get it soon after the US, and easily before Xmas.
Besides, this is nintendo's time to cash in, they have a lot of publicity leading up to their event next week, if they shift thigs round to release in the PAL territories at the same time it will be a major win against the PS3. I can hear the slogan now.
"Wii care about Europe"
Lou D @ Sep 8th 2006 10:26AM
Nintendo FTW!
Shikoku88Henro @ Sep 8th 2006 11:14AM
Considering how cheap the Wii is I can't say no unlike sony.
Really I think M$ just lost their dollar sign to the new rich uncle pennybags console... THE $ONY PLAY$TATION!!
J B Cougar @ Sep 8th 2006 10:30AM
Maybe we should all wait up until 12:01 a.m. to see if this is true?
Bub @ Sep 8th 2006 10:56AM
It would be brilliant of Nintendo to bring out the Wii here at $149... the PS2 would get passed up easily for the holidays-- or, people will simply buy a Wii with their ps2 (since they're not likely fighting the hardcores for those scant ps3's).
Daniel @ Sep 8th 2006 10:53AM
Why do people insist Wii will be launched this month? We are in the 3rd quarter right now and for the rest of September. Nintendo has said time and time again that Wii is coming out in Q4, which is anytime between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
Don't get your hopes up for it to go on sale in December.
That being said, I would not fall out of my chair if they launched it on Oct. 2, as has been rumoured more than a few times.
Daniel @ Sep 8th 2006 10:54AM
Sorry, what I meant to say was
'Don't get your hopes up for it to go on sale in September'
Jeremy @ Sep 8th 2006 11:19AM
#16
You know, it is kinda crazy to imagine the Wii releasing for that low, but if it does, whoah!
I mean Wii would be priced close to the PS2, and it is more powerful with the neat new controller that the world will be all talking about. 6 million units won't even cover that!
Kaemon @ Sep 8th 2006 11:24AM
They should launch the Wii in europe on november 17th... just to get another jab at sony.
Advanced @ Sep 8th 2006 11:29AM
Ummm guys the article is in POUNDS not dollars.
149 pounds = $281 USD
That aint cheap at all.
Paul P. @ Sep 8th 2006 11:41AM
Things always cost more over there. You can't directly convert.
=['] @ Sep 8th 2006 11:44AM
@20:
don't know who you're referring to, but 150 nicker is a £150 (as I stated before)
£150 to me is C.H.E.A.P., considering I paid £110 for a DS Lite just a few months ago & that's roughly the price of a PSP here in the UK.
Justin @ Sep 8th 2006 11:44AM
£150 sounds like a sweet price to me.
Vinny @ Sep 8th 2006 11:45AM
@20
Don't forget, the UK price would be converted from the Euro price which the majority of people in Europe use, not the american price.
So, £149=E220
Its also important to remember that for the console industry, E1 is always equal $1. If thats the case I would be expecting it to come in around $200.
John Lucas @ Sep 8th 2006 12:09PM
*sigh*
This gets tiring.
It's $200, you jackasses!
Quit the pointless speculation already!
No, it's not $250.
No, it's not $225.
It's $200.
It's ALWAYS been $200.
No, excuse me $199.99 unless you go to Wal-Mart where it's $199.96. (excluding tax)
THESE are the stories designed by gamemedia to whip the audience up into a frenzy in thought of the recent Robert Summa hype debacle.
This is like cable news media overcovering an obvious event just to make ratings.
No, it's not $250. It never WAS gonna be $250.
Unless it was a special package deal it was never gonna be $250.
And no it won't be $150 either though that'd be nice.
They have to make SOME kind of profit off of this thing, don't they? Not until later in its lifespan will it reach this price.
I don't know the ratios over there in the UK but if history has shown a stable similar price of the past 4 systems that have launched over there like in the Americas then you know what the answer is gonna be.
The date?
We'll get it when we get it. Find something else to do. Play some games you haven't beaten yet. Get into one of your other hobbies to pass the time.
We know it's gonna be the fall this year. Quarter 4 2006. And reports are that things are going along right on schedule so this shouldn't change.
I'm seeing October or November but I'm not at the edge of my seat waiting on the exact date. I don't expect Nintendo to pull a Euro Sony on me so I'm cool.
When it comes out I'll get it.
Until then I'll find other ways to occupy my time & thoughts.
If you're gonna speculate at LEAST put up some future marketplace speculations. Those are more productive & take more thought.
John Lucas
Eggman @ Sep 8th 2006 12:23PM
I don't think the dates correct for one reason, nintendo stated pretty firmly that they will NOT be the last to relase their console this generation. Meaning their probably looking to release before the ps3 launch of nov 17. Although this could be a europe launch date ofcourse, with an earlier NA/Japan launch (cause ps3 ain't touching europe any time soon, lol).
Jay @ Sep 8th 2006 12:33PM
aw I sent this in too. Tom G stole from me :o
mykie @ Sep 8th 2006 1:27PM
Nintendo knows this is torture for us.
I think just to have some fun with it, I think it would be cool if they had a nice little 30-minute presentation with the numbers on the wall behind them, but all covered up. Gradually, as the presentation progresses, the numbers would be uncovered from right to left as the conference progressed, unveiling the very last number about 5 minutes before the end of the show.
And during the whole show, they don't even mention the price or launch date.
Rick Diculous @ Sep 8th 2006 1:45PM
Isn't it about time for Nintendo to start advertising the Wii to non-gamers. TV ads and such? I haven't seen anything about it other than in the gaming media.
vidGuy @ Sep 8th 2006 7:01PM
Naw, the release date is off, but the price is probably right.
Here's what I've been thinking lately:
Japan release Oct 13 - 15, 20,000 yen - 1.5 million units
US release Oct 20 - 22, $199 - 1 million units
European release Nov 3 - 5, £149 - 500,000 units
Bundle includes: Wii console, cables, Wii Sports (5 mini-sports), 2 remotes, 2 nunchuks, 5 free Virtual Console downloads
That's a 3 million console supply for launch spread over three weeks. The console would be available in all territories before the PS3 is in the US and Japan.
£149 looks pretty damn affordable compared to the £425 ($800) the PS3 will be going for when it finally gets released.
Mad @ Sep 10th 2006 12:32PM
Nah, Nintendo always said they'd launch in all countries within a 12 week window. We won't get it in europe before Xmas I bet. So don't get your hopes up!