230°

Iwata says Wii U price cut ‘not an easy option to take’

Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata has reiterated his resistance to cutting the Wii U price in a bid to boosts sales of the underperforming console. Nintendo already prices the system below its manufacturing cost, therefore making a loss on each unit sold, and Iwata told CNBC at E3: “Because from the very beginning we came up with a very aggressive price point. We do not think [a price cut] is a very easy option to take.”

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gamesradar.com
STGuy10404376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

Nintendo may be forced to reduce the price once PS4 and Xbox One launch. The Wii U is a great system, but unless something is done to attract more buyers, Nintendo may find itself in a very bad position later on.

Pope_Kaz_Hirai_II4376d ago

TrueSTguy .. also seeing as wii-u premium i think costs almost same as ps4 thats a major problem.. no offence but i dont see people buying a wii-u over ps4.

guitarded774376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

They're gonna have to sack up and take a loss, and make it up on software. It will at least force Nintendo to get more 1st party exclusives out there.

They need to add a trophy/achievement system across Nintendo Network (Wii U and 3DS), and make Miiverse a real "thing". Players should have the ability to earn digital rewards, and share them along with their screenshots across Miiverse, Facebook and twitter, across platforms. Nintendo needs to realize social is not an option anymore, it's required, and it increases attach rate.

NatureOfLogic4376d ago

I know it's probably not an easy option, but they'll have no choice once PS4 and X1 releases.

longcat4376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

The problem with the tablet is that it is used as an alternative to your tv screen.

Hence, no game can have features that makes the use of 2 screens compulsory.

Drop the tablet guys.

guitarded774376d ago

@ PEDROBEAR

That is entirely false. Devs can use the tablet however they want. They are not forced to have off TV gameplay. I'm all for beng critical to make a product/company better, but untruths lead to misinformation.

longcat4376d ago

^^^

I stand corrected i guess.....i could have sworn that that was one of the reasons for the tablet that they promoted

DeadlyFire4376d ago

Nintendo has stumbled this whole time and they were first to say its time for next gen.

WiiU pad or not they have to do something drastic to grab our attention to get me to buy a WiiU. Price point of $350 bucks along side a PS4 at $400 bucks just doesn't make sense to me. They have to do something with that price before PS4/XB1 launch or they will be steamrolled through the holiday season.

On the positive side Nintendo is the only one with lots of stock already at the store ready to be sold that will be ready for consumers that miss out on buying a PS4/XB1 because they are not on the shelf. I expect PS4/XB1 to sell out before they launch. Hopefully with less violence than the last consoles launches.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4376d ago
dedicatedtogamers4376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

It is Nintendo's own fault. It is the tablet + touchscreen, NOT the console itself, that prevents a rapid price drop.

Ironically, even though Nintendo was the one that insisted this tablet controller would be the future, they're doing a terrible job of proving it to us why we need the tablet. Ooooh, so I can draw a circle and make my army in Wonderful 101 change shape? Totally next gen!

STGuy10404376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

Good point, dedicatedtogamers. Nintendo's biggest problem is finding a practical use for their tablet controller. I can see the Wii U doing a lot better if Nintendo found a use for it. Right now developers are somewhat undecided on how to actually take advantage of it. Like you said - it's more of a, 'what is it for?' factor for people.

khowat4376d ago

Truth, I sense some microsoftery going on here

telling us something is the future when they have no proof to back it up

Serg4376d ago

They tried to replicate the Wiis success with the Wii U, that's also the reason for the similar name, so people who aren't really into gaming could recognize it immediately. As we all know by now, it backfired heavily. People thought it was an upgrade for the Wii and not a new console.

The Wii was successful because it has the neat controls. People who never played games before have problems wrapping their head around all the buttons on a standard controller, but the Wii allowed them to mimic real world actions to play games, thus making it easier to get started, which was key in it's success.

Nintendo falsely assumed it was the innovation from the default button controller to motion controls that was responsible for it's success, which wasn't the case. They also assumed casuals care about having the newest toy. I knew this would happen to Nintendo way before they announced the Wii U. Casuals have the Wii, they don't need more processing power, more ram, more functionality. This is core gamer stuff. And seeing as how Nintendo all but abandoned core gamers due to the Wiis enormous success, they forgot who brought them there in the first place. You can say what you want about Sony, but despite their missteps with the PS3, they never forgot about the core. That's why we get core games out the ying yang from Sony first party developers every year, in addition to the heaps of 3rd party titles.

Nintendo forgot that core gamers are not only the ones who buy the systems as soon as they release, but they are also the people who give advice about gaming to others who don't care about keeping up with the scene, yet enjoy playing games from time to time.

But I digress, what I wanted to say was, Nintendo went the wrong direction with the Wii U. They attempted to force innovation because that's what they believed made the Wii so successful. The result is an overpriced tablet/second screen, for which usage scenarios weren't thought through enough. Now they are stuck with vastly inferior hardware that can't hold a candle to the PS4, while being at almost the same pricepoint and similar manufacturing cost, all because they desperately wanted to innovate once more.

The Wii was in development for long, long time. I remember reading about it in 2000, it was called Revolution back then. They had plenty of time to flush out all the ideas for the new input methods and presented games that took advantage of them. Not the case with the Wii U. It was a forced, rushed out innovation that they themselves probably weren't really sure about.

TheUndertaker854376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

Simply put, the controller is a shell, nothing more. Nintendo shot themselves in the foot when they decided that was a good idea. The cost of running the controller the way the WiiU does is high and more of a hindrance to the system rather than an asset. As much as some won't like this comment, I think it's going to become more apparent after the PS4 and Xbox One launch.

I've said this for awhile now and some won't like this either. The first thing Nintendo needs to do is release a gamepad with actual innards. The cost to the consumer wouldn't be cheap, probably coming in around current tablet prices, but it would open up a good chunk of resources developers could use. Until they do Nintendo will have to continue knowing half of their resources are going out the window upon startup.

All in all I think Nintendo has made way too many missteps with the WiiU though. Low storage capacity in an ever growing digital age(We aren't fully there but to think digital isn't a bigger deal now is a tad naive), still no real investment in the online department, and a price that really doesn't fit the package are all big, real problems. I don't see Nintendo fixing many of these problems and frankly, I don't see first party games alone saving it.

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MariaHelFutura4376d ago

The Wii U cannot be sold at the price it's being sold at when the PS4 is $399. End of discussion.

MEsoJD4376d ago

Nintendo should have a $199 option with just the pro controller. The other big 2 take a loss on console sales because they make systems meant to last 10+ years and make profit through software sales/services to counter.

Dj7FairyTail4376d ago

they can't be force.
All it take is Super Mario 3D World Bundle with Wii U this Holiday for 300$ and Donkey Kong bundle and it will sell.

Major Release each months from Nintendo.

Pikmin 3 - August
The Wonderful 101 - September
Zelda Wind Waker HD and Sonic Lost World - October
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze - November
Super Mario 3D - World December

Plus over 20 big Third Party games from Ubisoft, Disney, WB Games, Activision and Indie Devs til Holiday.

yeahokchief4376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

I am a Wii U owner.

If Nintendo is not willing to price cut the WiiU because they'll take a loss on the hardware then that is not a good sign for us.

It means that they are not confident that their software will draw users to the platform.

THey need to start getting quality CORE GAMER FOCUSED titles shipped.I currently own Mario Bros WiiU. That's it. Their 1st party releases for CORE GAMERS are PATHETIC.

All that said, I think the console is really cool with the notes you can draw and I love the clean white menus/relaxing music. Also enjoying the 4 Wii games that I missed since I never bought a Wii.

This company really, really, really needs to do more for core gamers ASAP!!! I am looking forward to Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. I think that should do the trick for me personally, but for gamers worldwide? I think they're going to need more... Zelda Wii U will help too, but the big problem here is that they really need to change their whole stance here.

They need to drop the family angle and get back on track if they want to stay in the console business. The console business is kept afloat by gamers. If you don't serve our needs and we won't buy your hardware. Sony's success is a shining example of what i'm talking about. They're for the gamers first and investors second.

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Donnieboi4376d ago (Edited 4376d ago )

Yeah, but paying $350 for a 32 GB Wii U is not an easy task for us gamers when the PS4 is only $50 more, and has a 500 GB harddrive.

I don't know what to tell Iwata. I know Nintendo would be hurting if they lowered it, but consider my point above. Iwata better think of something--and no, more apologies is not enough.

We need a reason to want to spend $350 on it in light of the fact that many of us are also saving up for Next-Gen hardware too and games for them.

LOL_WUT4376d ago

Scrap the basic just keep the deluxe offer NintendoLand (or any other title NSMBU) as a downloadable game to save the costs and drop the price. Oh and offer it in white or different colors to make it more appealing. ;)

But going by what he said I doubt he'll make any changes.

ceedubya94376d ago

Probably happen by late November. There's no way they can expect to get away with the console as it is with the new consoles coming out. I'm waiting for 199.

Doctoglethorpe4376d ago

Waiting for <$200 too (and smash bros). Looks like that will take longer to reach then I thought.

I really have to wonder where the hell all their cost is even coming from if they're already selling under cost considering its really not that advanced of a machine. I thought for sure they we're selling it well above cost like they usually do and could easily afford to drop it.

ceedubya94375d ago

Definitely. I almost purchased one a couple of days ago. But, then, once I realized that the majority of the games I wanted for it wouldn't be available until next year, I held off. I do want one though. I'm really looking forward to Smash, Bayonetta 2, and X.

NYC_Gamer4376d ago

Wii U needs killer software to justify its price

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470°

Nintendo Switch 2 sales shatters records, most-sold console in 24-hour period

The Nintendo Switch 2 has set a new record by selling over 3 million units within 24 hours, tripling the PlayStation 4’s previous launch day sales.

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tweaktown.com
Jin_Sakai5d ago

Crazy. Switch 2 is going to do very well.

darthv725d ago (Edited 5d ago )

No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.

The number of SW2 specific titles pales in comparison to the variety of SW1 games that get a performance boost right out of the box on this. And like the SX and PS5 before it, you can bet the majority are going to be using it as a means to better enjoy their existing titles that can benefit.

This may have been quick out of the gate... so was the WiiU. I quite enjoy it for what it is, but am keeping my expectations in check.

GenoPurpel5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

The Switch 2’s price point is great and fine and it’s still cheaper than the current gen of consoles aside from the Series S.

The only place I think they will fall short is their software sales, which also in turn may affect the hardware sales but not significantly. Parents will be fine paying for the system for their kids, but one look at an $80-$90 price tag for a single video game, that is where a lot of people will draw the line. Maybe not so much the people who are in the “willing to pay because I buy deluxe editions anyway” crowd, but for parents specifically, more sacrifices are gonna need to be made in their choices of gifts for their kids.

OtterX5d ago

As a parent of 3 with a very modest income, it was very affordable bc I already had an immense library of games, and the Mario Kart bundle came out to only about €50 more than a standard bundle. Both Zeldas were upgraded w Family Expansion Pass that I already had. Many games were upgraded for free. The only additional game I bought was Fast Fusion for 14.99 which was a great purchase!

Killer2020UK5d ago

People seem to forget that the Switch was $299 at launch which in today's money is roughly $400. That makes the Switch 2 a $50 increase when inflation is taken into account compared to the original.

Yes, people have less spending power on average compared to 2017 (Switch launch year) but this is not the MASSIVE price hike that people are making out Nintendo to be doing.

raWfodog5d ago

“No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.”

It could also be many people rushing to buy to avoid any possible tariff hikes in the future, but I think it’s still a good sign that many people still want physical consoles. Congrats to Nintendo! I’m not getting one at this time though (unless I get it for a Xmas present for one of my kids).

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1Victor5d ago

Congratulations Nintendo on finding the happy medium between their weak console and their invincible handheld plus learning from Sony and clearly defining the new console from the old unlike their Wii and Wii U just add a higher number simple yet effective 👍👍

victorMaje5d ago

Are people that keen on $90 games?
Is it true some remasters will also be $90?

DankSinatra5d ago

Tell me you don't research without telling me you don't research.

victorMaje5d ago

Nope. I didn’t research, I don’t own any Nintendo consoles and I had read on here something about $90 games on switch 2, so I guess it’s good now, people can calm down. Have a nice day :)

1nsomniac5d ago

I bought the Switch 2 I won’t be buying games at MK prices. I don’t ever pay over £45 for my games. Even my Nintendo switch exclusives I never paid more than £33 for.

franwex5d ago

I think the typo you put was meant to be $80.
Anyway, the answer to those questions seem to be yes.

victorMaje5d ago

Looks like I’ve been enlightened about the amount. Happy to see it’s not $90.

Sgt_Slaughter4d ago

Don't get your news from clickbait TikTokers/YouTubers, only go to the source (Nintendo) or reliable new outlets like IGN.

No game is $90 on the Switch 2, and they will never go there. Most games will be under $80, too.

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gold_drake5d ago

cool
wasnt expecting it not to sell well

Profchaos5d ago

Its crazy that it's both the highest selling console on day 1 and people can walk into a store and buy it with no pre order

Ashunderfire865d ago

Yup while I was waiting in line from Best Buy for Switch 2, like I did for Switch 1 back in 2017, every waiting 12am was going to get a Switch 2! I was in the no preorder line too!

My friend manage to get 4 Switch 2s at his GameStop store, that was lowkey not busy at all. Got them all for himself and his family. Super easy to get a Switch 2 over PS5.

Profchaos5d ago

The struggle to get a ps5 was real had mates wait over 2 years for stock i got lucky and got it day 1 but still

Ashunderfire865d ago

I know and I also struggled getting a preorder for the PS5, when Walmart, Best Buy among other retailers open their preorders a day early before most of us realize it. I got my PS5 launch day thanks to YouTube Live Streamer Jake Randell. He helps people get preorders and launch consoles.

Neonridr4d ago

the PS5 also released during a global pandemic.

Ashunderfire864d ago

It’s funny how I got disagrees for speaking the truth for what I experienced getting the Switch 2. Nintendo had more copies of Switch 2 than Sony for the PS5.

Don’t be butthurt about this very fact. People on here disagreeing with crazy reasons lol

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hiawa235d ago

Doesn't that mean Nintendo made sure they had plenty of stock available at retail.

Profchaos5d ago

Yeah it's nice to see they prepped for it

adamwparker5d ago

Yeah, I remember reading an article over two years ago with Nintendo stating that they were going to do all that they could to make sure their next console didn't have the PS5/XBox reseller swiping /no stock fiasco happen to them.

Looks like they made sure production met demand. Refreshing to see that the reseller thing didn't trend and I hope a lot of people who bought multiple units for the sole reason to resell then at $1000 are now stuck with them.

jznrpg5d ago

It also means there isn’t a chip shortage when PS5/Xbox came out during pandemic

gold_drake5d ago

to be where fair, we had a current gen come out during covid ha

repsahj5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

I remembered I tried 7 pre-order events during the PS5 launch. I gave up and ended up buying 1 from a scalper. But now, I already secured 1 pre-order Switch 2 unit in my country very easy and without problems.

Neonridr4d ago

kudos to Nintendo for ensuring a healthy amount of stock.

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Terry_B5d ago

Unlike the Switch 2 , the Playstation 4 was not sold on the same day in most regions.

5d ago
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80°

Nintendo Has Confirmed It Will Be Attending GamesCom 2025

Company skipped last year's event.

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nintendolife.com
Obscure_Observer25d ago

Not surprising at all.

I mean, they´ll be releasing a new console in a few weeks.

repsahj23d ago

I hope they show new Switch 2 exclusive games.

130°

Nintendo Predicts to Sell 15 Million Switch 2 by March 2026; Switch Has Sold 152.12 Million Units

Nintendo has announced its financial results for the full fiscal year, alongside an update to Nintendo Switch shipments and more data, including a prediction for Switch 2 hardware and software.

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simulationdaily.com
gold_drake36d ago

well, the switch 2 has two holidays in the us, thanksgiving and Christmas.

so id say its fairly possible. the rest of the world will also grab them

Abriael36d ago

Yeah doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility as long as they have enough supply.

Si-Fly36d ago

Do people buy each other games consoles for Thanksgiving? I’m in Europe and always assumed it was just Christmas where gifts were exchanged.

Skate-AK36d ago

I don't think it's so much Thanksgiving, but that Black Friday is the day after.

darthv7236d ago (Edited 36d ago )

That time is often referred to as the start of the Xmas shopping season. For the last few years, retailers would do 'black Friday' deals at various times throughout the year. While many still prefer to start their shopping in the mid to late November, others will just buy when they feel the time (and prices) are right for them.

gold_drake35d ago

i guess its more black friday, should have been more clear ha

GotGame81835d ago (Edited 35d ago )

Thanksgiving kicks off the Christmas Holiday.

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36d ago
Agent7536d ago

Switch and Switch are a different kettle of fish. A sell out at launch by the diehards, strong sales, then the non diehards will be put off by the £75 ($99) games, including the stupid download cards which are topping £65 ($85). Not rocket science to work out how the Switch 2 is going to pan out. The PS5 has sold well, but games at £70, sales have been low. As game sales drop, prices will rise. Sony could knock out all their games for £40 and still make a killing selling more games. There's no denying that a gaming crash is looming.

Rancegamerx36d ago

I agree, I don't see the Switch 2 selling anywhere near the numbers that these predictions suggest or what the general buzz is implying. While the initial sales will likely be strong, driven by diehard fans, I anticipate a gradual decline. It may not drop off immediately, but over time, sales will inevitably taper.

PRIMORDUS36d ago

Not paying for something that's not worth more than the price it was advertised, which is $449 - $499.

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