Is the Wii U Really Too Expensive, Ubisoft?

Nintendo Enthusiast:

So Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, thinks the Wii U is overpriced. What does he expect for a brand new console, with an iPad-like device included, to cost?

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

the deluxe version is not worth the extra $50 for me.

get the $300 +
http://www.amazon.com/Toshi...

= :).

I can do without the stand.

[Menashe]

What!? The extra game costs that much anyways. And you get other features besides for the game. How could they charge less for that?

[guitarded77]

Not to mention the extra memory. $50 more and you get about $100 worth of extras.

I can understand Ubi wanting it cheaper though. They have the most of any 3rd party developer invested in the platform, and they'd want it in as many homes as possible.

[eagle21]

The digital promotion for the Deluxe is free money dude. You get 10% credit on every $50 purchase. That adds up and makes that $50 extra turn into money back in your pocket if you plan on downloading games over the next couple years.

[ronin4life]

Yep. Converted into 5$ increments usable on ANY. Nintendo system with an online store, not just the wiiu(or so I've heard)

[Nevers0ft]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that drive might not work. The Wii U only supports USB powered USB2 drives, and that one is USB3.

Source: http://www.wiiuonly.com/201...

- One USB drive at a time only.
- Cannot disconnect the external drive while plugged into the Wii U and receiving power.
- You can use general drives.
- Nintendo cannot guarantee that small hard disks (bus-powered) that require more power than USB 2.0 can handle will work properly.
- Generally, hard disks that have Y-Cables (2 USB connectors) will work with the Wii U.
- Nintendo warns that for USB flash drives, even though the Wii U will detect and connect them as it would a hard disk, due to limitations on the number of times data is read from the disk and how this will eventually wear the USB flash drive down, Nintendo does NOT recommend leaving important save and other game data on a USB flash drive for long periods of time. How this plays out depends on the game, of course.
- Wii U will read up to 2TB only for external hard drives even if hard drive has more space.
- In Data Management, you must format the connected media drive. Note that this means you cannot use the drive with a PC.
- You can move data from internal Wii U storage to external USB media in Data Management and vice versa. Data on both internal and external media will appear in the menu.
- At launch, only 1 USB hard drive can be connected, but through a future update, more than 1 will be possible and you will be able to move data between them freely.
- SD Cards can hold PC data, Wii Virtual Console, Wii Ware, and Wii save data, but cannot be used to save Wii U game save data.

[jmc8888]

You're not reading that right.

All USB3.0 devices are capable of being used in USB2.0 and 1.0 mode.

It just won't work in 3.0 mode. So expect 2.0 speeds, which should be obvious since the Wii U doesn't support USB 3.0.

On top of that the power requirements don't matter, as external hd's use ac adapters.

I never expected the USB port to power my external hard drive. Oh wait they say 'bus powered'...they mean using an internal hard drive as an external one and expecting it to work off the usb power.

Now never say never, but USB 3.0 drives should work no problem with the Wii U. If given the choice, it's probably smart to get a 2.0 drive if you're buying one beforehand until we get confirmation, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

[Nevers0ft]

@jmc8888
Yeah, the way I read it is a normal USB3 drive should be fine but if you have a small USB powered USB3 drive, it might work - it might not.

"Nintendo cannot guarantee that small hard disks (bus-powered) that require more power than USB 2.0 can handle will work properly."

[ABizzel1]

I think it's fair, but I also think Nintendo could have easily priced it at $249 and $299.

But the extra $50 will net them a profit from Day 1.

[ThePsychoGamer]

I agree the price isn't a problem, or, for me at least, won't be a problem when the library of WiiU games expands and is no longer mostly games I can get on my PS3 or 360. Right now paying 300 dollars for a console with only one exclusive I'm interested in is worth it.

[ThePsychoGamer]

Typo, some how I forgot to add the word not

It's not worth it to me at this time

[miyamoto]

"“I always prefer lower pricing, so I can’t say I’m happy… I’m never happy when the machines are expensive. What we have to do there is remember that compared to an iPad, [Wii U] is cheap. With what it brings [to the gaming table] it’s cheap. But I hope they’ll be able to drop their price in time.”

So its the 3DS strategy again ...
Well its a good thing I have never been an early adopter
with the fast pace electronics nowadays change I rather wait until the gizmo meets my personal needs and requirements.

Anyways Nintendo ain't no Apple so I expect the price cuts & revisions sooner than later like they did with the 3DS

As for Ubisoft they are Nintendo's major partners/supporters for years so its a credible opinion so his public opinion is very telling about Nintendo's obvious strategy.

Also I thought I read here on N4G that for Nintendo's machines, Wii & DS, specs does not matter its the game play. Then why all of a sudden specs matter now for Wii U?
Is there a double standard here?

Does specs really matter to the common gamer when the PS3, 360, & Wii U display the same HD graphics on their TV regardless of what technology is used?
All people will care about primarily is the price.

[ChickeyCantor]

" So its the 3DS strategy again ... "

How?

" Anyways Nintendo ain't no Apple so I expect the price cuts & revisions sooner than later like they did with the 3DS
"

The problem there was that they priced it too high with little to no games.

They price drop was not to tickle your fancy. It was there because Nintendo made a stupid marketing mistake.
The Wii U is decently priced for a NEW console. And there is actually a range of games that are launched next to it. Price drop won't happen.

The fact that you still pay in the 200-300 range for PS3/360 is something to be baffled by. They need to go down in price drastically.

[MattS]

Nintendo Enthusiast knows more about the business of the games industry than the CEO of one of the largest games publishers in the world.

Sounds legit.

[Deku-Johnny]

No one is saying they know more. He knows a cheaper price would mean more people buying it which most likely means people buying games that his company makes which means more money for his company even though it means Nintendo losing more money. It's not about his 'expert' opinion it's about him getting more money.

[MattS]

Do you know how the games industry works?

Because reading that comment I can tell you're guessing.

[Menashe]

That's kind of the whole point. Being the CEO of such a big company means that his opinions are important to everyone in the industry. However, we are entitled to use common sense and from a common-sense perspective his comments were illogical. That's the point of this discussion. Where was he coming from?

Dude, it won't be the last time you hear someone calling someone else out on the internet. Get used to it. And don't take everyone's opinions as fact just because they are the CEO of a big company.

[Hicken]

Much as I disagree with Deku for being a fanboy, he's right about this.

There's NOTHING wrong with the price of the Wii U, either model. He simply wants the price lower so more people will buy it, because the more people buy it, the more games Ubisoft can sell on it.

That's really all there is to this statement.

[ThanatosDMC]

I love Painkiller.

[josephayal]

I believe $179.99 usd (32gb bundle)($139.99 8gb) will be a great competitive price for the Wii U, they will sell like hot cakes

[dee-ecks]

YES

[wishingW3L]

lol at people saying that paying premium price for 2005 tech it's fair. Gotta love the fanboys... No HDD, no blu-ray playback.... XD

[Deku-Johnny]

Why does no HDD or blu-ray playback mean it's 2005 tech? The oldest tech in the system is from 2011.

[Deku-Johnny]

It's a great price for what you're getting. As with everything I'd love to be able to pay next to nothing for it but I accept that it's worth what I'm paying for it and in two weeks time there will be one in my house.

[ALLWRONG]

It's not that expensive. So far it's cost me about the same as my 360 at launch.

[lilbroRx]

The 360 cost $150 more than this at launch.

[ALLWRONG]

Not when you get everything. After taxes, accessories and a few games it cost me about the same. It's an $18 difference for me. I should know because it's my money I spent.