The price I’m taking is the confirmed US price for the black Wii U: $ 350.
I’m not counting the cheaper 8gb white model because Nintendo, as with other companies, releases a smaller SKU to try and highlight the value of the more expensive SKU. For example, why buy the white Wii U for $ 300, when, for an extra $ 50, you can have the best model? It is a simple marketing trick that has been used for a while.
Let’s analyze the cost. Please note that these figures are not 100% accurate.
$ 100 for the controller
$ 250 for the actual console
The $ 350 Black Wii U
Starting today, the 250GB Xbox 360 will cost you $ 250 and the 160GB Ps3 another $ 250.
Now, considering that the Wii U is a bit more powerful, you can see that the real price is not that expensive. The console itself would cost the same as the 360 and the Ps3, if it weren’t for its tablet. Nintendo has timed it perfectly. They can benefit from having the most powerful console for at least a year.
The problem arises when Sony and Microsoft launch their new consoles. These consoles will have been announced for this time next year and will be considerably more powerful than the Wii U. Obviously, the price of these will be above $ 250, try $ 400-500 for both. The Wii U will be out of date by then, but as seen with the original Wii, the technology doesn’t have to be the best as long as it captures the imagination of users – in the case of the Wii, the motion controller. Nintendo I have tried doing this with the new tablet, but in my opinion this is not enough.
The price for me is perfect. The Wii U will sell well for at least a year. It may start to get into trouble as the other next-gen consoles come out, but they’ll be positioned as the cheapest and least sophisticated console, but I’m not convinced it’s as changeable as motion control was. Microsoft has already shown a similar concept with Smartglass and Sony with Vita. However, Nintendo knows from the Wii that a hack like this will not generate lasting sales. So they will try to do one more thing.
Nintendo will try to attract the hardcore gamer who felt ignored with the Wii U and this will be the key to justifying the price. If this happens, Nintendo could strike a perfect balance between innovation, hardcore gaming, and an attractive price.
