Aussie Wii for AUD399.95 on Dec. 7

FRAK, as an Australian im seriously disappointed i expected somewhere around $350 AU. Oh well it has become less of an impulse buy for me and more about wether i really want it.

This cost includes tax, right?

I would assume GST-inclusive, yes.

It's the first time in history that a comsole has come out in Australia at about the same time as the rest of the world. The 360, PS3, PSP, XBox, Gamecube... every console ever made has been at least 5 months behind here (espescially Sony ones, which have all been at least eight months late here).

Awesome news, simply awesome.

This is what I expected.
Wii60 all the way.

This is EXACTLY what I was expecting. With the price being confirmed at no more than US$250 a while ago, us Aussies have been expecting $399. At least those who pass through where I work.

Admittedly I was expecting it a bit sooner, but pre-Christmas is good. The next question is with the PS3 gaming experience really not much better than the 360 (assumption I know, but a fair one I think), the PS3 at $1000...in March...maybe. And a $400 Wii?

Parents buy at Christmas. And parents buy what the sales dude suggests. Especially at Christmas. With no PS3 in sight, a SOOOO fun looking Wii (wait til you see it being demo'd at shopping centers), a powerhouse 360 and a dirt cheap PS2....can PS3 ever hope to regain the loses of TWO Christmas seasons against MS and one against a far cheaper Nintendo?

Somehow. I doubt it.

Ah, well. While it's never surprising, it's always disappointing to hear how much more us Aussies have to pay (a bit more than AUD$60).
Still, getting a release date this close to the US and Japan is very good news, and hopefully a template for future console/game releases. It's never fun to be half a year behind everyone else.

Not exactly the first time... The DS Lite came out here before Europe and the US.

The market is becoming quite global but shipping costs, localization and taxes will always cause prices to vary. It's not really that hard to understand.

Remember, on a per unit basis, shipping 1 million units to territory X is going to be cheaper than shipping 100,000 units to that same territory.

Nintendo's done a "real" global launch with ample volumes. Hardcore gamers will have their units. The price differences or launch date separation aren't worth the cost of importing. Casual gamers will get theirs when the price comes down and more "non-games" have hit the market.

You really have to give Nintendo an A+ here. If an extra 50 quid is a problem, save for 1 more week or wait for a few post-holiday "return/open box" specials.

All the price means to me is that I will buy 3 games at launch instead of 4. Either way, I still have 20 Gamecube games I still need to finish, not to mention the upcoming Baten Kaitos prequel.

I was expecting a price of 329 so this is a bit of a shock. It's released a few days after I get back from a trip overseas.. this is gonna break the bank.

I was also expecting the Wii at about 330. That was assuming a straight USD->AUD conversion. We're effectively paying seventy bucks shipping. I'd rather order one from the US. Shipping shouldn't be any more than forty.

The USD conversion to AUD must include GST (ahh abbreviations... LOL can't help it) so the $250 SRP for North America equates to approx $368.
If we converted from Euros (PAL region) the price would be almost $100 dearer at $460.
I'm happy with the $400 price tag, especially with a game included... most people will buy 1-2 games meaning that its still the cheapest deal of the new consoles this year. (The 360 core system doesn't count as NO ONE BUYS THEM)

hmm, doesn't sound too bad for the system that it is, and as a bonus it is still coming this year!

Of course you could always just buy a shirt or something until then. Maybe one of my Wii designs (Selfless promotion) at http://www.cafepress.com/wgear/

Sorry but I couldn't help it

You're all forgetting something. American's won't be paying $249.99 - depending on the state their in lets take California for example it will be $268.11 plus GST when you get it back into the country and shipping it ends up being - $334.92 US converted that's $445.49

AU version also includes the nunchuck
http://www.nintendo.com.au/

$400 is not really too bad. It's sort of what I expected, although if I wasn't thinking about it I'd be quick to quote the American price.

But December 7 2006? That's gold, it really is, and it's in line with the rest of the world. Good work, Nintendo, you've got my 400.

I'm an American that recently moved to Sydney.

My question is, should I grab a US version or the local one? Modern TVs can handle NTSC and PAL, right? It seems like the console is region locked (arrgh), so I would need to import my games. Is there a good source for getting imported games?

If you want one, I'd import as the local Nintendo operations have a bad reputation of not supporting retailers or the consumers.

Guarantee, the NTSC games will be cheaper and you'll have a much better selection available. The games can be regiopn locked so some publishers will do the bad thing and spoil it for customers in lesser supported regions.

Nintendo Australia needs all the lazy bums cleaned out and some smart people with initiative put in their stead.

As for the price positioning: I call it IMPOTENT WII. These guys now risk loosing the start and I don't know if they have the ticker in the long run. They really needed a big start to give them coverage and pull in the support from publishers. This price is well, not going to give them that start. Oh well.