Wii points costs for Europe

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 September, 2006

14 quid for 2000, basically.

Nintendo UK has confirmed the pricing for Wii points - the magical currency that will buy you Virtual Console games through Wii's shopping channel.

In Europe, it turns out, 2000 Wii points will cost you EUR 20 or GBP 14, and you can expect to be able to buy them on cards through retailers, and using your credit card online.

Games will cost the same amount of points worldwide - 500 points for NES games, 800 points for Super Nintendo games, and 1000 for Nintendo 64 - and apparently other titles (SEGA, TurboGrafx) will be decided soon.

However the cost of the cards will vary. In the US, 2000 Wii points will cost US$ 20.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Jesus: Action Figure #1 5 years ago

    I'm thinking that for extras, I may be asking my friends in the US to mail me stuff.

    Like the game cards and the controllers for example ;)

  • Tonka #2 5 years ago

    Importers ftw

  • Steroyd #3 5 years ago

    £7 for N64 hopefully Mario 64 best 3D platformer EVAH!!

    £4.50 - £5 for Super Mario World best 2D platformer EVAH
    /prepares flameshield from Sonic Zealots.

    /creams.

  • RedPanda #4 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • RedPanda #5 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • RedPanda #6 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • varsas #7 5 years ago

    ....so £3.50 for NES, £5.60 for SNES and £7 for N64 games...?

  • jmctavish #8 5 years ago

    Not bad. You can't really expect Nintendo to give away their old games for pennies.

  • afray #9 5 years ago

    £4.50 - £5 for Super Mario World best 2D platformer EVAH

    Lies! That's Super Mario World 2: Yoshis Island. FO' SHIZZLE.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 16:11

  • Steroyd #10 5 years ago

    Ever heard of something called a server.

    And that Wii connect 24 should also come into play.

  • coojam #11 5 years ago

    "Can you win Wii Points via games like the Xbox Live system? Or is it purely a paid for thing?"

    You can't win Microsoft Points by playing games with Live. You're getting confused with Gamer Points.

  • kenty #12 5 years ago

    i just know i'm going to be bummed in the gob by getting a european Wii.. just wait and watch as 10 titles a month get added to the US service with only 3 or 4 added to the european version and probably months late too

    And if they give us PAL roms that run at 50hz i will kill myself
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 16:17

  • morriss #13 5 years ago

    £7 for Golden-Eye? Not bad.

  • RedPanda #14 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • smoison #15 5 years ago

    Too expensive for old games.

    I'd rather dig out my old consols, or play them on my PC (or PSP).

    Too bad, I hope they lower the prices eventully or they may go the way of UMD movies.

  • the_dudefather #16 5 years ago

    they sold super mario bros 2 -> yoshis island for gba for 30 quid a pop not too long ago (but you did get mario bros for free in each one -oh boy-)

    speaking of which, wonder if GB/GBC/GBA games will make an appearance on the marketplace at some stage

  • Moonprince #17 5 years ago

    When / where can I get a red one?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 16:29

  • chupachups #18 5 years ago

    "£7 for Golden-Eye? Not bad."

    Dunno if there'll be GoldenEye, it'd be littered with copyright problems (like Activision now own James Bond, and Microsoft now own Rare).

  • Aretak #19 5 years ago

    "£7 for N64 hopefully Mario 64 best 3D platformer EVAH!!

    £4.50 - £5 for Super Mario World best 2D platformer EVAH
    /prepares flameshield from Sonic Zealots.

    /creams."

    ?

  • coojam #20 5 years ago

    ""You can't win Microsoft Points by playing games with Live. You're getting confused with Gamer Points."

    Ah right. Never used the things cos I've not got a 360.

    So Microsoft points you buy Live Arcade type games with, and you have to buy them over the counter or on t'internet right?

    Whereas gamer points = what you get for achievements in games?

    Seems a shame the two aren't kinda the same deal :)"

    Exactly right hehe. It's an easy mistake to make and many people do and it would be very nice if the two were combined! It might even work in Microsoft's favour and make people buy more £50 games (though companies would make games with easy gamerpoints purely for sales)

  • dadrester #21 5 years ago

    any mention of online play on virtual console games? if they do i'm game £3.50 for online dynablaster or £7 for online goldeneye sounds worthwhile but if not i can't see myself getting them, as i already own most of the games i'd want to play for real.

  • getinthereson #22 5 years ago

    Yep goldeneye ain't gonna happen anytime soon i think....
    or any Rare titles for that matter...

    Ninty: Excuse me mr gates, can we have one of your games our new consoles online system?
    M$: Errrrrrrrrr.............................................No!
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 16:35

  • Beano #23 5 years ago

    Sounds a bit expensive...

  • CallousB #24 5 years ago

    Convert our Star points to Wii points Nintendo..pleeeese.

    So we can actually buy something.

  • dadrester #25 5 years ago

    Yep goldeneye ain't gonna happen anytime soon i think....
    or any Rare titles for that matter...

    Ninty: Excuse me mr gates, can we have one of your games our new consoles online system?
    M$: Errrrrrrrrr.............................................No!
    the N64 goldeneye ip and assets are owned by it's publisher, nintendo, not the developer. the copyright hasn't run out on it yet so nintendo can re-release it as long as the copyright agreement lets it. it's got nothing at all to do with microsoft. activision might have some sort of role in this but microsoft certainly wouldn't.

  • theweaze #26 5 years ago

    the lack of rare games is a real shame :( still hate microsoft for ruining one of the finest developers.

    No goldeneye, perfect dark, Banjo Kazooie, Jet force Gemini, Conkers, Donkey Kong 64, to name but a few.

  • varsas #27 5 years ago

    @Aretak: LOL

  • sport #28 5 years ago

    not sure if it's been asked and answered before, but will some of these VC games be online multiplayer enabled?

    /points @ SNES Super Mario Kart online

  • getinthereson #29 5 years ago

    Yes the way I put the situation was slightly simplified, but you'd be naive to think that microsoft would have no say in wether rare titles make it onto the Wii VC...

  • chupachups #30 5 years ago

    "Convert our Star points to Wii points Nintendo..pleeeese. So we can actually buy something."

    That is a really really really good idea, it would make star points actually worth collecting, and it'll cost Nintendo nothing to give away a few old game downloads to people who buy lots of full price games.


    "the N64 goldeneye ip and assets are owned by it's publisher, nintendo, not the developer."

    The game assets might be, but the IP (the James Bond stuff) was never Nintendo's, they just got temporary permission to use it from the company that makes the Bond films.

    Now that temporary permission resides with Activision, not Nintendo, it's unclear if Nintendo are allowed to re-release a Bond game on a new system, even if it's an old one running through an emulator.

    The safest thing would be to re-release the game with all the Bond references taken out, but that would mean changing the name too.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 16:50

  • manic_mouse #31 5 years ago

    Surely Nintendo would have released Goldeneye for the DS if they had the lisence to do so?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 17:01

  • theweaze #32 5 years ago

    if the VC games are playable over the internet then i for one will definately get one that would truly be amazing.

  • Psi #33 5 years ago

    these games may have to be ported, they are not just rom's im sure ninty will have to mess around with widescreen aspect ratio and progressive scan support. maybe some controller config etc.

    nes games for the price of a pint? not tooo bad, snes games for the price of a pizza? canny, n64 games for the price of a music cd? suppose.

  • RedPanda #34 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • smelly #35 5 years ago

    £7 for a N64 game?!?!? Ouch!

  • RedPanda #36 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • smelly #37 5 years ago

    "Wait. So Star Points are like Gamer Points on the 360 right?"

    You get star points whenever you buy a nintendo game. You can then put them into nintendos website for free gifts, etc.

    Well at least you can in japan.. in england the best offer i've ever seen was for a ringtone!!

  • manic_mouse #38 5 years ago

    "Wait. So Star Points are like Gamer Points on the 360 right? "

    You got "star points" when you bought Nintendo games for the GC. They could be traded in for goodies like toys and controlers.

  • CallousB #39 5 years ago

    "£7 for a N64 game?!?!? Ouch! "

    If they up the framrate of Zelda OOT to 60fps and stick it in a higher res then they can charge me double that if they want.

  • ewokmic #40 5 years ago

    What angers me is that the Americans are paying $10 which is £5.32 for a 64 game we have to pay £7 for. Ok sure there are arguments for the hardware costing more, but surely here we are buying EXACTLY the same item. It doesn't cost more to download from one country than another. Do they have to adapt the format of the game for the UK? I wouldn't think so, and if they did surely they could just use original Pal roms.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 17:25

  • RedPanda #41 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • ruckus #42 5 years ago

    Star points = wii points, a great idea.
    Nintendo's game pricing, bad.

  • CallousB #43 5 years ago

    "Whate grates me is that the Americans are paying $10 which is £5.32 for a 64 game we have to pay £7 for"


    US prices do not include tax. Take the tax off the UK price and it's-

    UK £5.96 vs US £ 5.32...so 64p more in the UK.

    I really wish UK reports would make that clear when quoting prices as people always assume they are being ripped off far more than they actually are.


  • dadrester #44 5 years ago

    The safest thing would be to re-release the game with all the Bond references taken out, but that would mean changing the name too.

    but then they'd be messing around with rare's tech thus landing themselves in trouble. as far as i see it, nintendo are within their rights to re-release goldeneye on N64. the copyright means they can sell you a new N64 cart if they want. the trouble is going to be with the fact thet the hardware is being emulated. i'm sure there is some complicated legal document that would set us all straight but for now i don't see goldeneye being a total no-go.

    Surely Nintendo would have released Goldeneye for the DS if they had the lisence to do so?

    well no... because it's a different console and would have to be re-written as a DS game. the Wii's virtual console is emulating the actual N64 hardware and the game data would be identical to that of the original cartrige so it's a little more complicated as far as legality is concerned.

    i guess we'll just have to wait and see... here's hoping for online dynablaster! bomberman FTW

  • ewokmic #45 5 years ago

    Do we pay taxes on digital items like downloads? I never really thought about that. I still seems a steep jump.

  • RedPanda #46 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • dadrester #47 5 years ago

    i can see a roaring trade in point cards from japan or the us, or where ever the state of the economy and exchange rate makes them cheaper than here (pretty much everywhere).

  • ewokmic #48 5 years ago

    "i can see a roaring trade in point cards from japan or the us, or where ever the state of the economy and exchange rate makes them cheaper than here (pretty much everywhere)."

    But now that NOE have said that the sustem IS region coded maybe the cards/codes will be incompatible.

  • chupachups #49 5 years ago

    "but then they'd be messing around with rare's tech thus landing themselves in trouble."

    You just said all the assets were owned by Nintendo and nothing to do with Rare or MS. If they're owned by Nintendo, they can do what they like with them.


    "as far as i see it, nintendo are within their rights to re-release goldeneye on N64."

    It's unclear. No one has ever tested that, because consoles are obsolete by the time a particular rights deal ends, and the game is assumed to lose all commercial value once the console has vanished.

    There's a game on the Spectrum called Batman which had the official Batman licence about 20 years ago for a limited amount of time. The creator of the game admitted he had no idea if a remake or emulated version of the game could be re-released because such a situation hadn't even been conceived when the rights deal was struck.

  • jimmyboo #50 5 years ago

    Regarding the release of Rare games, I think the more important questions is: does Nintendo actually WANT to release them? If they do, then with Reggie (i.e. an American) now having in a much bigger say in the business than any of his predecessors, I think we can rest assured that we will see Goldeneye on other Rare favourites on WiiVC at some point. They will, somehow, find a way to do it legally. I´m not sure how popular Goldeneye was in Japan, but many gamers in both the US and the EU would probably sell their first borns to play that game on WiiVC.

    Also, if Rare (and thus MS) had all the rights to Goldeneye, something tells me we would have seen it on XBL by now, given its popularity.

  • dadrester #51 5 years ago

    i might be completely wrong here, but by altering the code (which they can do if they like) they are changing the game itself i.e. essentially creating a different game and therefore wouldn't be able to make it public since it would not be covered by their licensing agreement.

    as for the re-releasing issue, i think the copyright on goldeneye still hasn't run out yet, therefore they could if they saw fit re-release the n64 carts.

  • smelly #52 5 years ago

    >£7 = 2 pints of lager

    Where do you drink?

    harrods?

  • smelly #53 5 years ago

    EA owns rights to goldeneye name now

  • dk_rare #54 5 years ago

    "Do we pay taxes on digital items like downloads? I never really thought about that. I still seems a steep jump"

    Nintendo pays a tax on the money they make, so that would be factored into each sale, just like mp3s.

    You get taxed with every little step in the shopping/currency world. Just like the mafia really, can't do anything without the tax man wanting a cut

  • theweaze #55 5 years ago

    wii points is such a lame name. as some other folk have been saying wii coins or rupees, come on ninty pay homage to the franchises that made you.

  • RedPanda #56 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • AOFanboi #57 5 years ago

    <em>Too expensive for old games.</em>

    I take it you never paid the £15-20 Nintendo charged for the GBA ports of old NES titles like Metroid, DK and Zelda then?

    <em>US prices do not include tax.</em>

    Yeah, that sucks. I remember pulling out a dollar bill to buy a $0.99 Coke in San Francisco and having to rummage around in a handful of small change for the "real" $1.08 price... :(

    (Here in Norway, prices to consumers MUST include the 7%/13%/25% VAT in the price or state clearly that it doesn't. Prices to businesses are the other way around since they can deduct incoming VAT from outgoing VAT - even if they are unrelated e.g. buying a computer and selling consultancy hours.)

  • JammyB #58 5 years ago

    I think the games are still a bit pricey. Apart from some of the rarer games you can buy the carts off eBay for around the same price. I suppose it's convenient but it seems a shame that like iTunes, you're still basically paying the same price for the digital versions.

  • PatrickEwing #59 5 years ago

    Any thoughts on being able to save a game to as SD card and then swapping games with other people? or will there be some locking thing going on with it.

  • bryces #60 5 years ago

    ""Do we pay taxes on digital items like downloads? I never really thought about that. I still seems a steep jump"

    Nintendo pays a tax on the money they make, so that would be factored into each sale, just like mp3s.

    You get taxed with every little step in the shopping/currency world. Just like the mafia really, can't do anything without the tax man wanting a cut "

    More accurately most of us in Europe pay Value Added Tax at the extortionate rates of between 15 and 25 percent (these minimum and maximum values are fixed by EU law but have some exemptions). In the UK it is 17.5% for most items.

    In the US, sales taxes vary between states and I can totally relate to the guy who complained above that you go to buy something priced at 99c on the shelf and end up hunting around for coppers to pay the actual price that comes up at the till. It is also a bit of a headache when converting back to pounds to work out whether something is a good price or not because you have to add the sales tax and then do the exchange rate conversion.

    On the other hand if we in the UK had the real prices of items displayed and then had the 17.5% sales tax added to the bill so that it was clear exactly how much we were paying in tax then it would wake people up to how much Gordon Brown steals from us every day. And that's after he has taken income tax and national insurance and taken more than 100 Billion pounds out of pension funds.