Wii to RISE to £199?

Ravenheart · 13-03-2009, 11:18

I was shocked when I read that Nintendo are going to INCREASE the trade price of the 2 year old Wii in the UK by around Â£18-20

They blame it on the poor pound against the Euro, and with the current economic climate this could be the very thing that ends the Wii's dominance.

Compare it against the 360, or even the Ps3, and you've got a console with lots of poor ports of PS2 games, the infestation of minigames, and the odd original title against the Big HD gaming machines, and that 20 quid price rise could be a killer if passed onto customers.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/consumers-to-be-hit-by-ii-price-rise

Way to go Ninty

Stuart · 13-03-2009, 11:23

So, Ninty cocks up their marketing. Wouldn't be the first time.

13-03-2009, 11:31

Its the only console ive seen hold a price I can not see how they can not soak this up. Surely they have paid for production costs now. They are using its success to be greedy and it will kick them up the backside

Raistlin · 13-03-2009, 11:32

I fail to see how putting the price up on something that is essentially a 'luxury' item is going to help Nintendo when people are already not spending.....someone needs their head read.

**Chris** · 13-03-2009, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenheart

Compare it against the 360, or even the Ps3, and you've got a console with lots of poor ports of PS2 games, the infestation of minigames, and the odd original title against the Big HD gaming machines, and that 20 quid price rise could be a killer if passed onto customers.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/consumers-to-be-hit-by-ii-price-rise

Way to go Ninty

I'm amazed there is anyone still out there that thinks the essential comparison between the Wii and the Xbox/PS3 has anything to do with HD or cutting edge titles.

The Wii offers a kind of gameplay no other console can match. It has appealed to a totally different audience than the others. Some of the people I've talked to lately, who have bought or are planning to buy a Wii, wouldn't change their mind and buy an xbox instead even if the xbox was only half the price.

rogerdraig · 13-03-2009, 12:50

cant see it working as lately i have actually started seeing stacks of boxes of these in shops waiting for sale so they are not shifting as fast as they used to already putting the price up will just slow thier sales down further

Ravenheart · 13-03-2009, 13:21

Sorry Chris, I meant on price point guess I didn't write my post very well. The Wii was launched at a price far less than it's competitors, and that was a huge plus on the selling front. The Wii is great fun, I have one (as I've had every ninty console since the nes) there's no denying that, and yes it appeals to a much wider audience than the two other players, I'm just shocked that Ninty are thinking of an increase in price in the current economic climate.

**Chris** · 13-03-2009, 13:24

I know, it is counter-intuitive, but they're not the only ones doing it. Ford and GM/Vauxhall have increased list prices. It is a symptom of the economic climate rather than an action in spite of it. These things are imported, and our currency is devaluing. That means they are, in real terms, more expensive for us, same as all imported good are.

Labour's piffling VAT reduction is going to be more than swallowed up over the next few months as everything from cars to TVs and Hi Fis gets more expensive (except for the tiny amount of this stuff that's actually made here, from components that are made here).

Halcyon · 15-03-2009, 22:12

Of all consoles, The Wii was the cheapest of them all so putting the price up slightly isnt going to cause major problems.

JMcB · 15-03-2009, 23:40

I think it's due to the Â£149 price of the new DSi

Tezcatlipoca · 17-03-2009, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Of all consoles, The Wii was the cheapest of them all so putting the price up slightly isnt going to cause major problems.

The Wii has not been the cheapest for a while now... the RRP of the bottom end Xbox 360 (The "Arcade" model with no HDD) is only Â£129.99 - cheaper than the Wii's RRP of Â£179.99...

Kymmy · 02-04-2009, 09:54

Meant to post this yesterday when I got back but was so busy...

Anyway Tesco's have Wii+guitar heros currently down in price from £199 to £125

(The tescos I saw it in was Dunstable)

**Chris** · 02-04-2009, 11:26

If they had Wii + balance board for that price I'd snap it up in a second...

STONEISLAND · 02-04-2009, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

If they had Wii + balance board for that price I'd snap it up in a second...

The put it in the wardrobe for the foreseeable.

barby81 · 03-05-2009, 18:32

This would get Nintendo really bad press ...don't think this is gonna happen during a recession when the Xbox 360 cost about £120.