Rumor: New Wii colors coming this year

by Blake Snow { Jan 29th 2007 at 1:15PM }

GameDrift (whom we've never heard of) claims an anonymous Nintendo rep told them over the weekend that new Wii colors are coming this year. As you can imagine, details were sparse, but the tipster claims red and black are in the bag for sure and that we can expect those two -- in addition to others -- by the end of the year.

New colors for Wii were never a question of "if," only "when." After all, Nintendo released the above promotional image the same day they unveiled what was then called the Revolution at E3 2005. But it's unlikely such a small site has a mole deep within Kyoto or Redmond headquarters and their quick use of "confirmed" doesn't help their credibility either. Still, one can hope for Puke Green later this year, right?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Myke @ Jan 29th 2007 1:20PM

That green one looks tight

otisgibbon @ Jan 29th 2007 1:21PM

Ooooh I want red and considering my Wii just got stolen I just might wait a few months. Life's a little too busy right now for games anyway. Still I miss my Wii

Crono @ Jan 29th 2007 1:22PM

Just take your wii to a car body shop and paint it the color you want.

Wait, thats the dumbest, most ADD induced Idea I've had since 6th grade!

Vidikron @ Jan 29th 2007 1:23PM

*sigh* I really wish they would release multiple colors at launch. I'd really like to have a black one, but now I'm stuck with white.

Derbeste @ Jan 29th 2007 1:25PM

So is the black Wii bigger than the white Wii?

(sorry...I COULDN'T resist)

Jason @ Jan 29th 2007 1:28PM

Why don't they make it purple, like the Gamecube? Because this system is just a Gamecube 1.5 with tacked on waggle controls and I hatez it with all my heart!!11!one

- love Fred T.

x876543 @ Jan 29th 2007 1:29PM

Seaweed Green!?!?! That's my favorite color!

Slaziman @ Jan 29th 2007 1:29PM

The same colors that are being offered for the Ipod Nano except there is a white version instead of blue.

APPLE & NINTENDO MERGER!!!!111

TRUTH @ Jan 29th 2007 1:31PM

I have no friends!!! Pay attention to me!!!!!

Zertoss @ Jan 29th 2007 1:32PM

I decaled mine with the classic NES skins from www.decalgirl.com

SSBR @ Jan 29th 2007 1:39PM

They should have released these colors at launch... like that would have mattered anyway.. sigh... who wants to buy a white colored Wii?

http://www.rolesor.com

RYAN @ Jan 29th 2007 1:40PM

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

WAA..WAAAAA...

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*crys*

RYAN @ Jan 29th 2007 1:41PM

"*sigh* I really wish they would release multiple colors at launch. I'd really like to have a black one, but now I'm stuck with white.

Posted at 1:23PM on Jan 29th 2007
"

no you're not! go to decalgirl.com

I've got an original nes skin on mine right now....SSSSEXXXXYYY!!

dantebk @ Jan 29th 2007 1:51PM

Does holding these off until later really drive sales? It's hard for me to imagine someone buying a Wii for the first time because the color has changed, or buying a 2nd Wii because they don't like the original color. It's not like a DS to a DS lite, it's the same exact thing in a different color.

Slaziman @ Jan 29th 2007 1:59PM

I think it had more to do with manufacturing problems than market tactics, e.g. only one color is easier to manufacture, and even then they can't meet demand

Keif @ Jan 29th 2007 2:05PM

Well when you launch a product, all you care about is getting enough out for people to buy.

if they added colors at launch then there would be demand for colros within the demand for the system

Once a steady supply is possible then they can add colors.

sheppy @ Jan 29th 2007 2:05PM

Actually, you guys are going to laugh at me. I sold my white DS Lite to get a black one. Truth be told, it only cost me about $20 for the color swap.

My only concern this time is that VC games, while they are able to be backed up on an SD card, they are tied directly to the consoles Serial. Meaning you can't call up and say "Nintendo? Yeah, I want to sell my white Wii for a black Wii.... no, I won't hold... wait, am I on speaker? Anyway, I was wanting to tranfer my VC purchases.... no, huh? Damn."

How do I know this? My Wii went dead a few weeks back and the rep told me if I wanted to retain my VC titles, they would have to repair my current console rather than issue a replacement. VC games are stuck on one console.

Final Prototype @ Jan 29th 2007 2:06PM

As fun as it would be to plunk down another $250 just to add some color to my cabinet, I really hope soon some company comes out with some high-quality shell replacements.

Even better, maybe nintendo could come out with a variety of colors and have a send-in program where you pay a fee to have a new colored shell put on your Wii and also retaining your warranty. This could also be a nice upsell to new buyers who'd want a custom Wii ordered.

Genius @ Jan 29th 2007 2:15PM

Nintendo really knows how to pull the strings. Make millions of people buy the white Wii at release, then a few weeks later release COLORED versions to make all the fanboys buy Wiis again! Man thier marketing department is genius, they must sit on piles of hundred dollar bills while they think of the next way to reach into Ninty fans pockets!

Slaziman @ Jan 29th 2007 2:16PM

@sheppy

Did they give you free repairs though? :OO
They had to protect their VC titles from duplicated and spread, can you see it? SD Cards with such and such titles on the black markets?

Sadly it has negative side effects :(

Crono @ Jan 29th 2007 2:19PM

I think its more likely that holding off on colors drives sales NOW, as opposed to later. Think about it. You want a wii now. It comes in 3 colors now. It just so happens the color you want is sold out. What do you do: Buy a different color, or wait until the color you want is in stock.

If you wait, that means one less sale for nintendo now. But if there is only 1 color available, your choice becomes buy or not buy.

And the people have been choosing buy for 2 months solid.

Additionally, for those people who REALLY wanted a red one, but also had to have it right away, Nintendo gets to sell 2 consoles to one guy/household.

This was a smart business move, though it does have the potential to bone the consumer.

Number One @ Jan 29th 2007 2:22PM

http://www.decalgirl.com

No point whinning when you can get the color/design you want for 10$ + shipping.

Genius @ Jan 29th 2007 2:23PM

So far, everything the big N does bones the consumer. Fortunately for them, everybody is too damn Wii-happy/stupid to realize it.

Fred T @ Jan 29th 2007 2:24PM

Oh yea, multiple colours really did lots for N64 and GC.

And, what are you guys going to do with all your VC games when Wii2 comes out? Transfer them over?

Nah, i dont think so... they wont even let you share VC games within a single household. You're going ot have to buy them all over again. Just Nintendo protecting their ip, right? And, somehow, you guys will rationalise it.

P @ Jan 29th 2007 2:31PM

the black wii will go well with my ps3 ;) hehe

baby sea tuna @ Jan 29th 2007 2:35PM

#11

Thanks for reminding me about DecalGirl! I just went there and picked up the Wii60 skin to match my E3 faceplate...

Crono @ Jan 29th 2007 2:36PM

Sheppy,

I had to get my Wii "repaired". My GPU got screwed up. You can't "repair" a busted GPU, so they sent me a new one. They transferred my VC account to the new Wii (because you have an account linked to a serial number) and I was able to download all the VC games over again, and it still had the savegames on it too.

I'm sure you'd be able to call nintendo to have to move your VC account to another wii if you got one of a different color. Nintendo can remotely delete the titles off the old hardware (its in their TOS).

Jake @ Jan 29th 2007 2:37PM

None of this matters because Wii gamers only care about gameplay. Game graphics don't matter, so why would shell graphics matter? None of the Wii fanboys like RYAN, Slaziman, etc. have posted any interest in something this trivial as it doesn't affect gameplay.

When I get one, it will be white so I could set it right on top of my 360 between the cooling vents.

I love gscentral.org @ Jan 29th 2007 2:39PM

I wanted a lime green Wii initially but have grown rather fond of the original colour.

Black looks sweet.

Jake @ Jan 29th 2007 2:42PM

Sheppy,

I am pretty sure you don't have, never have, never will have a Wii. You usually seem to be pretty flamboyantly pro PS3 and anti Wii60. And the fact that you said you can't transfer titles to a new Wii when in fact you can (you just have to okay it with Nintendo and re-download them) makes your claim all the less believable.

Resistance and Ridge Racer are getting boring, aren't they?

wait in the car @ Jan 29th 2007 2:44PM

It doesn't matter if your Wii's black or white. Love them equally.

ssuk @ Jan 29th 2007 2:48PM

I think the phrase, "Images for illustration purposes only" comes to mind here. The colours above a 'shopped guys.

otisgibbon @ Jan 29th 2007 2:50PM

@Jake, are you 100% sure you can transfer VC titles with Nintendos permission. This could be useful info for me as I have just had my Wii stolen. If you're right that makes the whole Sheppy situation kind of scary. It means he really is trying to get people to not buy a Wii so his console will win. Instead of just baiting people for attention like most of the rest of the SDF.

Slaziman @ Jan 29th 2007 2:51PM

@Jake

Hey I'm not a Wii fanboy :|

Maylon @ Jan 29th 2007 3:04PM

Why are different colors (for any console) such a big deal?

Jake @ Jan 29th 2007 3:09PM

Sorry Slaziman, I thought you were. I was just trying to stir the pot a bit anyways. Nintendo fans seem to always resort to gameplay and fun are all that matters, so I find it ironic when they get excited about something as trivial as how your console looks. I mean, it is cool for 10 minutes out of the 500 hours of gaming you will get out of the thing.

Otisgibbon,

My friend's Wii broke and Nintendo transfered his points (I think they're called that) and his VC games over to his new one. I am not positive how it went down or if his friend code or VC persona had to change. But, he did say there was no repurchasing points or games (one game in his case).

This is second hand knowledge, though. I didn't personally go through it. My friend is a Nintendo fanboy as well and may have made it up. He gave me a hard time when my first 360 died (within warranty thankfully) and maybe he was afraid of my backlash when his precious Wii joined my first 360 in console heaven.

Slaziman @ Jan 29th 2007 3:20PM

@up

Yeah, but the different colors cost the same :P

SaraAB87 @ Jan 29th 2007 3:50PM

Great news! This is what I have been waiting for, a black or red wii. If the new colors do get released in the USA then I will be buying a Wii for sure, I absolutly hate white and would never consider the purchase of a white Wii. I do not own a Wii yet due to unavailibility of the colors I want and shortages.

Freddy @ Jan 29th 2007 3:50PM

The only colors i see Nintendo releasing are Black and Pink, late this year or early next year.

The Wii demand is still to high to produce another color. It will be like the GameCube, The black one is sold out, while the purple is in stock.

Robotic House Plant @ Jan 29th 2007 3:53PM

I'm so glad I waited. Would love to have one in black.

-Dominic @ Jan 29th 2007 4:42PM

Talismoon are already working on Wii replacement shells. Here is a link to the maxconsole write up about the black "Katana" case:

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=12577

Jay @ Jan 29th 2007 4:49PM

At first when I heard the black Wii wouldn't be available at launch, I was royally pissed. I waited to get a DS Lite until Onyx launched and I wanted the Wii to match. But after seeing the Wii in white for so long (after they revealed the wiimote, did you ever see them show it in anything else since then?) I started to not be able to really imagine having a non-white one. In fact, the white Wii with the black DS actually look pretty hot next to each other.

Reeve @ Jan 29th 2007 4:53PM

Isn't the green Wii a special game development model? I could've sworn I saw at least one of them at DigitalLife that was labeled as such...

Kane @ Jan 29th 2007 5:01PM

Feh. White is fine with me. Goes nicely with my 360.

Derek @ Jan 29th 2007 5:04PM

#17

I don't believe for a second that you actually own a Wii.

Nice try though.

Pal @ Jan 29th 2007 5:20PM

KiWii!

ackmondual @ Jan 29th 2007 6:14PM

No orange or yellow? For better or for worse, ppl already think the Wii has resemblance to the groovy looking Macs and ipods. May as well ride the popularity bus for free.

Hoffy @ Jan 29th 2007 6:35PM

Honestly, I don't really care about getting a colored consoles - get me some colored Wiimotes.

I still haven't been able to pick up a Wii yet, but when I do I want to buy a bunch of controllers (good luck, right?). It would be totally clutch to the max if I could get 4 different color wiimotes.