Wii to cost $250 or less

By Ellie Gibson Published 25 May, 2006

6m to ship by March next year.

Nintendo has announced that the Wii will cost less than $250, or around £130 in the old money, when it goes on sale later this year.

The company plans to ship 6 million Wii units by the end of March - the very same target that Sony has set itself, funnily enough.

The news came as part of Nintendo's latest financal report, which revealed that operating profit has fallen by 19 per cent in the last year. The drop was attributed to slow demand for GameCube and GBA, and the costs associated with developing a brand new console.

But net profits rose by 12.5 per cent, thanks to huge DS sales. Nintendo reckons it'll shift 16 million DS units and 70 million games by the end of the current business year, which ought to boost its operating profit by 22 per cent.

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About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (52) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Boundy #1 6 years ago

    Nice one, can't wait to get one at this price.

    Wonder what the colours will be. :D

  • Tejstar #2 6 years ago

    £140 here?

  • Zuiyo #3 6 years ago

    Nintendo Wii is the next gen gaming platform of choice for French according to Gamekult.com.

  • speedjack #4 6 years ago

    Nice one Nintendo.

    This will sell by the boat load.

  • Blerk #5 6 years ago

    £170.

  • trampatoni #6 6 years ago

    price makes sense, was same for gamecube wasn't it. and as the wii is simply upgraded gamecube hardware it keeps it cheap and keep development costs down.

  • patchbox360 #7 6 years ago


    'The drop was attributed to slow demand for GameCube and GBA, and the costs associated with developing a brand new console.'

    You ment

    The drop was attributed to slow demand for GameCube and GBA, and the costs associated with developing a brand new controller.

  • Inspirius #8 6 years ago

    Once you take VAT into account that's about £150.

  • gingerlink #9 6 years ago

    no, in case you hadn't noticed they're making a console too...

  • Scientist #10 6 years ago

    "no, in case you hadn't noticed they're making a console too..."

    Are you trying to out-sarcastic him or did you not get it?

  • statix101 #11 6 years ago

    £150 for a Gamecube with a new paint job.....rip off.

  • lennon #12 6 years ago

    If the price is £170 or less then put one by for me.

  • rock27gr #13 6 years ago

    Its not just a controler Mr 360, even if it is not as advanced as the other to consoles, both ATI and IBM have assigned dedicated teams to design the new GPU and CPU of the Wii console.
    Your intepretation of the facts is like saying that the new ATI ot Nvidia chipsets for the PC, that come out every 6 months or so, are the same as the old ones, since they are mere evolutions and will still be housed in the same boxes that all PCs have been using for years and years. They STILL cost money to develop people, just not as much as maybe CELL does. Even the XBOX360 does not use trully radical new CPU or GPU, only CELL can be considered as completely new development, though if it was worth it is another story, still to be determined.

    In another note, why would an Investor complain if a company's operating profits are down, when its net profits are up? Isn't it the net profits that count? (accounting and economics always confuse me!!!)

  • Darren #14 6 years ago

    I bet the Wii is £129, just like the GameCube was at launch.

  • drumbaby #15 6 years ago

    You pay cheap, you get cheap....

    /runs

  • Dire #16 6 years ago

    compared to paying over the odds for a ps3 and getting assraped by mr harrison?


    RIIIIIIDGE RAAAACER!

  • The12thMonkey #17 6 years ago

    Anything under £200 and I'd still be there on launch night. I expect it'll be £150 (yes, the Cube retailed at £130, but that was due to a last minute price drop just before launch).

    A small price for five Nintendo consoles (plus assorted hanger's on - SEGA / Hudson, and any one else who decided to show up in due course), a great looking controller, and a launch lineup that looks the strongest of any console launch I can remember. Seriously, if anyone had told me before E3 I could expect a brand new full Metroid game on launch day, I would have told them they were a bit mad. Coupled with a new Zelda as well, Wario Ware, Trauma Centre, and pleanty of other good looking games, I think I best get down to Gamestation with my pre-order.

  • nickthegun #18 6 years ago

    "Nice one Nintendo.

    This will sell by the boat load.     "


    Yeah, because the low price point for the GC made it such a roaring success........I mean, jesus, for the last 6 months the console has cost less than most of the games. All this, plus a technical advantage over the PS2 and it still went out with a whimper.

    Dont get me wrong, it needed a low price point but, as with the GC, the Wii will live and die by its games alone.

  • NoCodeNed2 #19 6 years ago

    Blerk - I'll see your £170 and raise you £15 import tax and a 6 month delay

    /just kidding - my guess is £150 all in.

  • Nebularhaze #20 6 years ago

    170€ max 200€

  • PlugMonkey #21 6 years ago

    I've been reckoning on £150 for a while, but if you take the Standard Console Release Pricing Strategy (TM) you end up with $250 = €250 = £170.

    Which is coincidentally what the GC was going to launch for before the xbox induced price drop.

    But then, on the other hand, lots of independant pundits are still reckoning $200, so you never know.

    Come on Nintendo! Stop teasing!

  • rinoaMW #22 6 years ago

    Wiiiii!!!!!

    Gotta love nintendo and thier ability to bring resonable priced and MOST IMPORTANTLY fun, consoles to the public.

    regardless of the name, it will sell.


  • Tomo #23 6 years ago

    £150 is my guess and I'll definitely be giving Nintendo some of my student loan.

  • Zero Beat #24 6 years ago

    I'll pay £150 if it comes with a 'free' Chupa Chump.

  • smelly #25 6 years ago

    Ill quite happily pay that price just for the virtual console aspect of it.

  • mrbandersnatch #26 6 years ago

    Now the REAL question is how much the games cost.

    Seriously the MAIN reason I havnt bought a 360 yet is I just cant justify shelling out 45-50 quid on a game that I *often* can get for the PC for £25-30.

    Anyways £150-£200 if they do some good packages and it will be a winner.

  • geek-chic #27 6 years ago

    Can't wait!

  • DaveTheHutt #28 6 years ago

    I love these "It's a GameCube with a new controller/paint job" taunts that seems to popular at the moment... Not only are they painfully ignorant, more to the point I couldn't care - so long as the games are fun, that'll do me.

    I'm under no illusions - it's almost certain Sony will once again 'win' (if that's the appropriate term) the sales race with PS3 simply through brand recognition and strength of 3rd party support - something Sony is full aware of, hence its arrogant attitude to its consumers.

    But does it bother me? No. Indeed, in time I'll probably end up getting a PS3 (or an Xbox 360) too.

    However, the whole PSP vs DS debacle has shown me that technological superiority is no guarantee of entertainment - indeed, my PSP is probably the most disappointing piece of gadgetry I've ever bought (my fault, should've resisted to temptation to buy the latest shiny thing). Indeed, on the current evidence, there's a good chance the PS3 will prove equally unsatisfying.

    Hutt out
    Edited by DaveTheHutt at 25/05/06 @ 18:20

  • tengu #29 6 years ago

    "Indeed, on the current evidence, there's a good chance the PS3 will prove equally unsatisfying."

    Yes, especially when you've already made up your mind about it, eh?

  • Kafeen #30 6 years ago

    $250 = £133.70
    + VAT = ~£152.50
    + Extra to screw over the UK as ever = £170-180 is my guess.

  • DaveTheHutt #31 6 years ago

    Haven't made my mind up about PS3 at all - or, if I'm honest, the Wii.

    All I'm saying is at this stage is the controller/games on Wii intrigue me more than what I've seen for PS3.

    And just in case you're hard of reading... I did say I'd probably end up getting a PS3 or Xbox 360 at some point... it all depends how they pan out...

    The same goes for the Wii - it may prove to be a load of old cobblers in which case I won't get one.

    I just get tired of all the playground-level mud-slinging that goes on. I admire Nintendo for having the balls (although you could argue they had no other option) to do something different, that's all.

    Hutt out

  • Syneisha #32 6 years ago

    NickTheGun - I remember when it launched, the Gamecube became the fastest selling console launch in UK history, a title it held until the 360 launched. *shrugs*

    I can hardly say the gamecubes software library is lacklustre either, but each to their own.

  • laur #33 6 years ago

    Meh. £140 for a console that can't simulate historically accurate giant crabs. Waste of money.

  • Mordum #34 6 years ago

    @mrbandersnatch

    "Seriously the MAIN reason I havnt bought a 360 yet is I just cant justify shelling out 45-50 quid on a game"

    I've never paid more than £39.99, can get any of the 360 games for that price new, at play.com, etc...

    Anything around £150 is kind of what I expected, was just waiting for the confirmation... already pretty much made my mind up to get one of these at some point after lauch as a second console.

  • manic_mouse #35 6 years ago

    "Even the XBOX360 does not use trully radical new CPU or GPU, only CELL can be considered as completely new development, though if it was worth it is another story, still to be determined. "

    Actually the XBOX360's GPU is indeed radical and new. Do a little research on unified shaders and tell me how many other GPUs currently on the market use them. Or how many GPU's have a daughter die with a lot of RAM on it for AA, frame buffering etc.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 25/05/06 @ 21:07

  • admir #36 6 years ago

    wii is GameCube all they changed is the controller and the way it looks and it will play same games you played 20 years ago. i would pay only 100 or less US dollars since i wasted my money on the gamecube

  • L0cky #37 6 years ago

    somebody can't read x)

  • admir #38 6 years ago

    how did you know

  • tonynibbles #39 6 years ago

    Surely it's gonna be £199, considering the 'Rip-off Britain' and that we always get a shit deal.
    Even at that price, well worth it and I'll be there at launch night...

  • Sl1pstream #40 6 years ago

    225-250 euro imo

    Took the US price, added the taxes we get over here (Belgium has 21% on luxury products), got 237 euro.

    Thing is, I calculated this for the Xbox 360 premium edition and I got 495 euro, which is only 4 euro off.

  • Jesus: Action Figure #41 6 years ago

    will be going down to my local indie (barkman's in Kingston, fact fans!) and pre-ordering my Wii tomorrow.

    Will be enduring a 25 hour flight next week, and I already have a backup charger for my DS. Didn't bother for my PSP as I'll be mostly using it for music.

    But Metroid Hunters, Tetris DS, Zoo Keeper, Animal crossing, Advance Wars, Trauma Centre and Mario Kart will be keeping me company for the journey :p

    And THAT is why I have so much confidence in Nintendo. The fact that they have far more 'fun' and 'interesting' games on the DS, an inferior machine in many respects to my PSP, speaks volumes.

    Hopefully the DS success will be emulated on Wii.

    I was very sceptical of the DS when it was announced and thought that it didn't stand a chance against the PSP. How wrong I was.

    I'm hoping that the new interface on the Wii is as successful as the Guitar Hero controller on PS2, and the DS, has been on getting people I know who don't play games much into this hobby of mine.

    And that benefits the whole industry in my opinion.

    At £150 you're laughing. Throw in a new Trauma Centre, Metroid and Zelda on launch day and you're positivly giggling with anticipation.

    I'll still be getting a 360 and PS3 mind. Just when the price comes down ;)

  • Luigi #42 6 years ago

    I saw the E3 conference from both Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo and I was really impressed with the wii remote. I had huge high hopes on the PS3 but even if it delivers the goods, the price is way overpriced. Yes, It has BluRay and 1080p but how many homes have HD 1080p tv sets and want Blu Ray now? Given the price tag of the nintendo and some very interesting games I made up my mind and I'll buy one. The price looks sweet. In the meantime, I hope that 3rd party developers don't forget the wii the same way as the cube. Congrats Nintendo !

  • TripSkyway #43 6 years ago

    Cool I reckon I'll be gtting one.

  • JonFE #44 6 years ago

    Why do I get the feeling that this is a case of "let's taste the waters a bit" rather than an official price announcement? Problem is that with the x360 core costing 299€ ($299 in the US), the Wii has to be priced way below the 250 mark, in order to avoid unfavorable comparisons.

    Either way, 225-250€ is the maximum I'm willing to pay at launch, only if it has at least 3 games that both me and my son can enjoy. If that isn't the case, I'd probably wait until a healthier selection of games we'd be interested in has arrived.

  • mattigan #45 6 years ago

    SOLD!!!

  • nickthegun #46 6 years ago

    "I can hardly say the gamecubes software library is lacklustre either, but each to their own. "

    Well therein lies the rub, doesnt it. The 10 best games on the GC can stand shoulder to shoulder with the 10 best games on the Xbox and the PS2, but thats more or less where it ended.

    I want to be able to pick up an A (or AAA if im lucky) game every month, something which the XB and PS2 provided with gay abandon.

    I bought a GC and most of the good games, finished them then I waited for a new one. And waited. And waited...... I then sold it, bought an Xbox and have been able to do a trade in for a game I wanted to play virtually every month.

    And I dont think im alone in that. Once you got past the excellent first party titles the cupboard becomes very bare.

    Edit: Additionally, assuming the Wii will be chock full of innovative and 'fun' games just because the DS is overflowing with them is a fallicy. Look at the golden period of the Gameboy...pokemonmania...and then look at the games available on the N64. Same with the GC.
    Edited by nickthegun at 26/05/06 @ 09:35

  • JetSetWilly #47 6 years ago

    Does anyone think the $250 ceiling could hint at 2 SKU's? Perrin Kaplan said there's more hardware secrets to come for "hardcore gamers". Maybe we'll get a $199 core system for the mainstream and a $249.99 premium system for the hardcore gamer bundled with something like a HDD.

    After all, it seems to be rather fashionable to go this route.

    EDIT: typos.
    Edited by JetSetWilly at 26/05/06 @ 09:49

  • magicpocket #48 6 years ago

    How much do they think the games will retail at?
    Edited by magicpocket at 26/05/06 @ 10:00

  • kaosridder #49 6 years ago

    would be interested if it supported 720p or at least had some sort of gamerscore. Now I'll never go back wiiwand or not

  • tenma #50 6 years ago

    "only if your an idiot."

    you're sure about that, eh?

  • EraSerX #51 6 years ago

    it's probably 50euro for the console and 200 for the controller,

    I am getting one tho, fishing in Zelda looks so much more fun than fishing in real life...

  • Squall7 #52 6 years ago

    Well, to be fair, they've only announced the maximum figure. Chances are, they putting together the package as we speak, and wonder exactly how much they can get away with putting in - they've got their own budget, because they don't want to isolate non-gamers with a high price.

    I've stuck with Nintendo through the years, and I've got to say that I prefer Nintendo's hardware to Sony's any day. Xbox looked too overcomplicated for my tastes, and with a controller that looks like it's been carved in rock. Sony really don't care who develops for them - I've had more Sony games come up with completely unplayable bugs in it than Nintendo games (and of the ones that did crash for me - they were multiplatform games anyway).

    Personally, I think although N64 and Gamecube didn't have as many titles as the PlayStation (of which there are many, many bad games for), their quality of their games has been much better. For example, N64 high point - Zelda OoT, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, Mario 64, Blast Corps, Road Rash 64 (loved that series), Smash Bros, CBFD, F-Zero X, Mario Kart 64 (on the ones that I've played). On the low point - Dark Rift, Mace the Dark Age... ...erm, the rest are really mediocre(once again, that I've played), but not totally without their own charm.

    Gamecube: Metroid Prime, Smash Bros Melee, Zelda Wind Waker, Resident Evil remake, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 4 (although I'm told that the Gamecube version has better/sharper graphics), Mario Sunshine, Wario Ware, Soul Calibur 2 (GC version was reportidly most popular), Mario Kart DD, Eternal Darkness, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicals. Low point: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Agent under fire... ...erm, can't really provide any more examples, the rest are all kinda mediocre (for Gamecube standard).

    And the Wii is looking like the strongest Nintendo has been since it's glory days of NES and SNES. Especially with innovative games like Wario Ware, Brain Training, Pheonix Wright and Trauma Centre. They do seem to look as though they will appeal to non-gamers too!

    ...Oh my god, I'm a fanboy! *runs away*
    Edited by Squall7 at 13/06/06 @ 12:27