Nintendo Wii to launch on December 8th, GBP 179

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 September, 2006

Full launch details.

Nintendo Wii will launch in Europe on December 8th 2006 and cost EUR 249 / GBP 179, Nintendo announced during a conference in London this afternoon.

The bundle will be the same as in America, with one Wii remote, one Nunchuk and a copy of Wii Sports included.

Wii Play (the mini-games package that includes a bundled Wii remote) and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will both be there at launch from Nintendo, to be followed shortly after by WarioWare: Smooth Moves.

Nintendo predicts around 15 to 20 games at the European launch, mostly from third-parties, with Red Steel, Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Need For Speed: Carbon, Cars, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz all set for launch.

Games will retail for between EUR 49 and 59 (GBP 34 and 39). Accessories will also be available - Wii remotes will cost EUR 39 / GBP 29, Nunchuks will cost EUR 19 / GBP 14, and the Classic Controller will cost EUR 19 / GBP 14.

Virtual Console will also be available, offering 15 titles during the European launch period, with 5-10 titles added each month thereafter from previous Nintendo consoles along with SEGA systems and TurboGrafx.

Virtual Console games that appeared on-screen included Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong. Exact pricing of VC titles was not discussed during the conference.

What we did get was Satoru Iwata delivering the same sort of demonstration of Wii Channels that America and Japan enjoyed yesterday, along with a Wii Sports tennis demonstration involving British tennis players Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

A photo-call, interviews with key Nintendo staff and gameplay sessions follow the conference. More soon.

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 (259) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Tonka #1 5 years ago

    Yay

  • dadrester #2 5 years ago

    boo! i was hoping for £149.99

    [edit] but yay! i was expecting march!
    [edit2] maybe if i wait till march i'll be able to pick it up for £149.99
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/06 @ 14:21

  • kangarootoo #3 5 years ago

    Ooh a new thread. Get it whilst its still afloat.

    My own guess was somewhere around £169, so I'm not too fussed.

  • El_MUERkO #4 5 years ago

    Not an unreasonable price and a perfect date for christmas, the classic controller is cheap too, i'll need one of them for my gamecube games :)

  • kangarootoo #5 5 years ago

    Plus, the game price is a surprise and a real incentive. Spending close to £50 a time for 360 games still smarts.

  • Razorus #6 5 years ago

    Finally, some solid details. I'm generally happy with all this but the price is ass-kickingly higher than the US and Japan. As usual, we get screwed again. Still, all is good I feel.

  • caligari #7 5 years ago

    Too expensive.

    /end of discussion

  • kangarootoo #8 5 years ago

    @northy

    I believe the system is region free, but allows software locking at the disgression of the publishers (asme as the 360?).

  • kangarootoo #9 5 years ago

    caligari has spoken, we can all go home.

    ;)

  • linkster #10 5 years ago

    Will PAL games have progressive scan?

  • some1 #11 5 years ago

    If you guys are reading this and get the chance, can you find out if Gamecube games played via BC are also region-free?

    Also, what is the extent of the Gamecube controllers (specifically the WaveBird) support? The Gamecube games only? For Wii? The VC games?

    @kangarootoo: Note that northy and I want to know if the *Cube* games from one region will play in another, not the Wii games region-free-ness which has already been mentioned.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:26

  • Machiavel #12 5 years ago

    I suspect there'll be more bundling or a small price drop once the rabid early adopters and supply problems have all been sorted out...

  • Yossarian #13 5 years ago

    decent price, decent launch date, good launch line-up

    no fuss, no muss

  • smelly #14 5 years ago

    @kangarootoo : Yes it's region free for wii games. But no mention has been made as to whether you'll be able to play cube games region free.

    Which is a bummer, as im about to move to the states, and dont know whether to sell my cube games now or not.

  • Wobbler #15 5 years ago

    Bear in mind that US prices don't include sales tax (don't know about Japan) so $250 = £133 + VAT = £156. That's not *too* far off the £179 price point we are getting.

  • Jesus: Action Figure #16 5 years ago

    Just pre-ordered mine at my local indie.

    They're getting as much as they get pre-orders for apparently.

    I think me and my mate were the first two so first dibs to us! ;)

  • rincewind128 #17 5 years ago

    Not too expensive considering it's got wifi built in, and microsoft make you pay an extra £60 for that priviledge, also comes with a memory card. Just a shame it doesn't match the US price, even when you take VAT into account.

  • skybluesam86 #18 5 years ago

    This is about what I was expecting, price-wise.
    Pleasantly surprised by the launch date, I was half-expecting an early-2007 launch.

  • DaveTheHutt #19 5 years ago

    Knock off the 17.5% VAT that the government fleeces us with, and you get ~£145... so we're still being shafted compared to the US, but not as much as you immediately think... =)

  • Carrybagma #20 5 years ago

    Tsk. Too close to the core 360. Your typical shop assistant will say "360 is much more powerful, so buy that". Crap launch lineup too.

    Perhaps £180 is the 'fanboy' price and it will drop to £150 next March.

  • Keso #21 5 years ago

    Humm... Only £20 cheeper then the 360...

  • thefold #22 5 years ago

    lol, and the Metro this morning said it would cost £115, how they were wrong.

    Cool that it'll be out before christmas though, time to get a pre-order in!

  • FiveManArmy #23 5 years ago

    What's the game "Wii Play"?

    Apparently this comes with an extra controller, so could be a cheaper way of getting a new controller and with a game!

  • coojam #24 5 years ago

    This will have a pricedrop early next year, mark my words. Like it has been said, once the fanboys have had their fun, everybody else will lose interest. A price drop must happen.

  • Kiigan #25 5 years ago

    Hm. Really a lot more expensive than I expectured. I assume we'll need to buy a memory card of some kind too, along with the console? This is getting dangerously close to 360 pricing territority...

  • Kiigan #26 5 years ago

    It isn't region free AFAIK - it is being left up to publishers to decide whether or not their games are region-encoded, just like 360 and PS3.

  • varsas #27 5 years ago

    @Keso: You forgot the fact that Wii has internal game memory space, the controller is wireless and it comes with a game. 360 core does not and would cost £80+.

  • brainbird #28 5 years ago

    The controllers seem to be quite cheap (compared to the other two competitors).

    EDIT: Or not, if you need remote AND nunchuk. EDIT2: Yeah, what BlizeH said.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:37

  • chronom4n #29 5 years ago

    the Wii is a leap in gameplay mechanics. £179.99 is more or less the price that i was anticipating. OK, given that there is a difference of £20 between this and the core 360 nintendo is a completely different gameplay experience. Playing a Wii is radically different than playing a 360. People please put the argument(s) into context.

  • varsas #30 5 years ago

    @Kiigan: There is internal memory for games AFAIK plus you can buy SD cards to use in the machine which are dirt cheap.

    @blizeH: Yes you can use GC controllers but obviously not with games that require the wiimote+nunchuk.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:36

  • Artemus #31 5 years ago

    Too expensive.

  • Tufo #32 5 years ago

    @FiveManArmy:

    I was wondering this too. Is it like Wii Sports? When they say it comes with a controller does that include the nunchuk thing?

  • alimokrane #33 5 years ago

    I have on thing to say BITE ME NINTENDO!

  • MyPointIs #34 5 years ago

    They are making it so expensive here in Europe ON PURPOSE!!!

    So they leave everyone skint. That way we won't even think about getting a PS3.

  • kangarootoo #35 5 years ago

    @smelly

    I guess it depends on whether the two platforms use the same syetem, OR whether the Wii will recognise and honour the GC region locking. I would imagine a game itself cannot enforce region locking if the HW overules it?

    Have fun out there BTW.

  • Garwoofoo #36 5 years ago

    Too expensive.

  • coojam #37 5 years ago

    "the Wii is a leap in gameplay mechanics. £179.99 is more or less the price that i was anticipating. OK, given that there is a difference of £20 between this and the core 360 nintendo is a completely different gameplay experience. Playing a Wii is radically different than playing a 360. People please put the argument(s) into context."

    OK....you can pay £180 for a gimmick console or £200 for a proper one. I'm not biased, I was gonna buy a Wii (As an additional system) but this, combined with no DVD playback has put me off. It's likely to put off most of retail as well.

  • chupachups #38 5 years ago

    -"Have you tried video games before?"
    -"No, they're too expensive, I'd rather buy a DVD or album, or have a takeaway."
    -"But the Nintendo Wii is different, it focuses on gameplay instead of graphics, so you can get a great game at an affordable price."
    -"Sounds great! How much are the games?"
    -"£40 each."
    -"Err..."

  • dr_faulk #39 5 years ago

    Nintendo well knew that people would buy it anyway, what with all the hype. Us fanboys gonna get suckered right and royal.
    Expect a price drop in the summer to £150.

  • PlugMonkey #40 5 years ago

    Bear in mind that US prices don't include sales tax (don't know about Japan) so $250 = £133 + VAT = £156. That's not *too* far off the £179 price point we are getting."

    Yes it is. It's about 25 quid *too* far off.

    Stuff it. I won't be getting one for xmas anymore, but enough people will for Nintendo to sell through their entire initial shipment, so I doubt they'll care too much.

    Nintendo are a business too. You can't expect Sony to have exclusive rights on fleecing the first batch of early adopters.

  • dk_rare #41 5 years ago

    Australian date, december 7th, with a RRP of 499.95 (which is pretty much exactly the same as the UK price), but we will be playing it over* a day sooner than you, nyaaaa!

    *we get our days earlier, nyaaaaa!

  • MyPointIs #42 5 years ago

    I'd like to compare how much it costs to produce every 360 and Wii.

    My guess for 'Production Cost' is:

    XBOX 360 - 357.73 pounds
    NINTENDO Wii - 48.99 pounds

  • dredd97 #43 5 years ago

    yay!

    only 7 days and £10.00 short of my original prediction ;)

  • hula hoops #44 5 years ago

    Judging from my experience with having Gamecube, I think I will pass Wii.

    Good luck with the console though. It a shame that I feel this way about Nintendo now, knowing that I have enjoyed playing some of their best games during their golden era.

  • Jesus: Action Figure #45 5 years ago

    "Australian date, december 7th, with a RRP of 499.95 (which is pretty much exactly the same as the UK price), but we will be playing it over* a day sooner than you, nyaaaa!"

    Yep, the advantages of living in the future. Though the brits invented time, obviously ;)

    So, a *truly* global worldwide launch. Not bad Ninty, not bad!

  • tomacwhite #46 5 years ago

    So is it 60hz out the box or what? 480p support like US? 60hz virtual console?

    These things need to be known :)

  • PlugMonkey #47 5 years ago

    "£179 FOR A NEW CONSOLE IS NOT EXPENSIVE "

    BUT IT'S NOT A VERY NEW CONSOLE, IS IT?

    AND I'M PISSED OFF WITH BEING CHARGED 25 QUID MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE BY DEFAULT, SO STUFF 'EM.

  • grubbstar #48 5 years ago

    So, if i'm understanding this properly...

    Japan - £113, no WiiSports (inc/ex tax??)
    US - ex tax £133, inc tax (roughly 8%, though varies by state) £144 (inc WiiSports)
    Europe - inc tax £167 (using £1=€1.48)
    UK - inc tax £179...

    Does seem a fairly hefty premium just for living in the UK, ought to really have been able to lop another £10 off it

  • AcidSnake #49 5 years ago

    Expect the price drop somewhere around....oooohhh...say march?
    And like I said in the other thread, expect a sudden price drop a la gamecube around december 6th...

    Indeed interested to know more about this wii play package...

  • Nobuo #50 5 years ago

    "Too expensive. "

    Sucks to be you eh?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:54

  • Garulon #51 5 years ago

    That squeaking noise is the table UK gamers are bent over rattling as Nintendo gives it to us good and proper.

    It's good to see Nintendophans using Sony Math to justify paying £50 more than the GC cost for basically the same hardware warmed-over:
    "It's got WiFi!"
    "It's got an internal memory card!"
    "It comes with a shit game!"

    What the fuck happened Nintendo? You get institutionalised from all those years in third place?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:52

  • Keso #52 5 years ago

    Other then Zelda, the games are plop anyway... And i can get that for the 'cube!
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 14:52

  • MyPointIs #53 5 years ago

    I don't know ... £180 squids suddenly seems like a lot of fish for what is basically a new fancy pad for my GameCube.

  • AcidSnake #54 5 years ago

    Oh and I think I speak for everyone who will get the Wii when I say:
    F*ck you argos!

  • Redeye #55 5 years ago

    Apart from Zelda, that's a pretty piss-poor launch line-up.

  • Tonka #56 5 years ago

    If you can't affor a Wii your parents are not giving you anough allowance. Mow some lawns or something.

    I remember when I was a kid and had to walk 7 swedish miles to school...

  • PlugMonkey #57 5 years ago

    "And like I said in the other thread, expect a sudden price drop a la gamecube around december 6th... "

    That wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I wonder what MS will do? A £20 price drop would put real pressure on Nintendo, but if they did it Nintendo would most likely just respond in kind - and with a much bigger margin to play with - so what would be the point?

  • Jesus: Action Figure #58 5 years ago

    "Merry Xmas enjoy your Wii's and 360's :)"

    The nicest thing anyone's said so far - I'll join you in that.

    And while playing your new consoles, please remember, I died on the cross so you could have a Wii ;)

  • Xerx3s #59 5 years ago

    Games will retail for between EUR 49 and 59 (GBP 34 and 39).

    Ehh, that's the same price as 360 & ps3 games. Why? Oh well, pick one up in jan I guess.

    Not too expensive considering it's got wifi built in, and microsoft make you pay an extra £60 for that priviledge

    Yeh, but I don't want it because playing games through wifi sux compared to a solid cable and my console is stationary, wtf would i want that build in?

    Same goes for the cheapo game that comes with it.

    My only comment to ninty is: Drop your fucking prices after a while ffs! Charging full price for 4yo games is complete and utter bull.

  • jack_klugman #60 5 years ago

    "It comes with a shit game!"

    Um, does it?

  • SimonM7 #61 5 years ago

    What the heck is a "swedish mile"? :)

  • Vin #62 5 years ago

    Reasonable price, this.

    Still, proof is in the pudding and all that.

  • urban #63 5 years ago

    sounds dandy!

  • RedPanda #64 5 years ago

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

  • PlugMonkey #65 5 years ago

    "If you can't affor a Wii your parents are not giving you anough allowance."

    Pah! If you can you're getting far too much! I used to get 50p a week!!

  • Tonka #66 5 years ago

    What the heck is a "swedish mile"? :)
    10km. Whe are pretty hardcore when it comes to the metric system. :)

    Merry Xmas enjoy your Wii's and 360's :)
    Thank you. I will \o/

  • The_Aardvark #67 5 years ago

    Right, I'll get mine when I'm in Noo Yoik in February. £50 saving is too much to pass up.

  • alpha-0ne #68 5 years ago

    " jack_klugman
    15-Sep-06 14:55:46

    "It comes with a shit game!"

    Um, does it? "

    Well its not a full price game anyway its 5 VERY basic mini games...

    After looking at the launch lineup there is not much to get excited about at presnt ill probably still get one though to mess about with...

    nintendo are definitely ripping people off though with the price, it should be £149 max, £179 + £50 for another controller (wiimote and numchuck) is not mainstream
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 15:03

  • Tonka #69 5 years ago

    Pah! If you can you're getting far too much! I used to get 50p a week!!
    I used to clean bathrooms. Got paid in empty beer cans.
    Oh and I lived in a cardboard box in the middle of a swamp.
    The only fun I had was when my dad dressed up as Bowser and acted out the last stage of Super Mario.

  • reality_cheque #70 5 years ago

    I almost considered it just for Link to the Past, but I think I'd be better of getting a SNES.

  • RedPanda #71 5 years ago

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

  • TygerCheex #72 5 years ago

    Consider this. The "core" 360 costs £200 at Argos in the UK

    It comes with no way of saving your game. (MU = £20, HDD = £60)
    No Back Compatability (unless you buy the HDD @ £60)
    It comes with a WIRED controller
    The only way of getting connected is a built in ethernet port. (Wifi = Extra £60)
    No High Def capabilities (you need the £20 component cable for that)
    Multi Reigon DVD Playback


    But now consider the Wii. for £180

    Built in flash memory (512MB With an SD slot for expansion. You can get 2GB for under £18)
    Back Compat with GC out of the box.
    Wireless Controller
    WiFi Out of the Box. (Ethernet Adapter = approx £15)
    No High Def (but never claims to have it either)
    No DVD Playback (so what... we all have DVD players right?)
    Free Full Game


    If you were to get a 360 up to a similar standard as the Wii in terms of features you are looking at a Premium Package + £60 for WiFi + £30 for a game. (Unless you want to count "Hexic" in the same league as Wii Sports.)

    The Wii isnt that badly priced!

    I love my 360 and I'm certainly no "fanboy" when it comes to hardware... as an unbias gamer I see the Wii as a bit of a bargain! (But I would have prefered to see it sell for £150 without a game)

    (Edits were for spellings... n00b!)
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/06 @ 15:11

  • drumbaby #73 5 years ago

    MEH

  • Tonka #74 5 years ago

    You was lucky! I ate coal as a treat, and my only game was being beaten with SNES controllers wielded by laughing yuppies.

    /is owned

  • numptyboymatt #75 5 years ago

    Weeeeell, its a bit more than I was expecting to pay for it, but I know I'll end up getting one anyway, but do I get one when it launches, or can I wait until after Xmas/the multi-denominational-winter-solstice-celebration and save myself a few quid?

    Hmmm..... They DO say that anticipation is half the pleasure..... perhaps thats why the PS3 fanboys are all creaming themselves in anticipation.....

  • coojam #76 5 years ago

    Let's consider the Gamecube then...

    Third Party memory cards £1.99 brand new
    Back Compat with GC out of the box.
    Wireless Controllers dirty cheap
    No High Def (but never claims to have it either)
    No DVD Playback

    bout £30 preowned from places like Gamestation. That's essentially what the Wii is.

  • zoidberg #77 5 years ago

    Well, I'll be buying it in Euros and there's Red Steel at launch. That sold me. Hello Christmas fun! Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...

  • davidbod #78 5 years ago

    I don't understand why people are disappointed by the 'high' price of the console. The difference is less than the price of 1 game.

    How does a £149 price point make it an impulse buy but you have to agonise over £179?

    Let's be honest, the price of the console is one of the MINORITY components of owning a gaming system.

  • numptyboymatt #79 5 years ago

    I have admitted defeat and pre-ordered one... I'm a sucker for monkeys in balls and anything to do with Resi Evil...

  • Inquisitor #80 5 years ago

    This price isn't really consistent with their strategy of trying to introduce non gamers into gaming is it?

    The DS is partly successful at broadening its market because of its price and the price of its games, not only that but 'mobile' gaming has always interested non games, even my sister plays games on my psp and her phone ffs. I think Ninty are shooting themselves in the foot this time.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #81 5 years ago

    It's about the price I thought they'd come in at, I don't see much to grumble about in these announcements.

  • Nobuo #82 5 years ago

    /applauds TigerCheex

    The moral is, if you want to compare it's price to the 360, it's much fairer to compare it to the premium package. Unless of course you're a 360 fanboy, in which case just repeat "teh graffix!!!!" until March.

  • TakeTheVeil #83 5 years ago

    i dont mind the price.. i think its fine.. the price of the Wiimote and Nunchucks are ridiculous.. but i guess it is the most technologically advance part of the Wii..why they dont sell the Wiimote and Nuns together for cheaper ill never know

  • RedPanda #84 5 years ago

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

  • PS3lol #85 5 years ago

    ROFL, Reggie has said no noe is interested in Zelda anymore and the Cube version has been cancelled in Europe.

    What a craptastic piece of news.

  • FiveManArmy #86 5 years ago

    I really don't get you guys!

    It's £180 with a game, so that's about £140 for the hardware. pretty good in my book.

    You keep saying it's close to the 360 core pack. Well that doesn't even have wireless, a wireless controller and it's not even High Definition ready! So it's cack basically. And it's much cheaper to the full on 360.

    As for £43 for the controller with nunchuck, well a lot of games won't need the nunchuck. 360 wireless controller is £30, same as the remote. So it's just £13 more for a clearly technically superior controller!

    And i'd thought u'd be used to us UKers getting ripped off compared to US, nothing new there, everything is more expensive here than america! it's not nintendo!

  • Nobuo #87 5 years ago

    "Let's consider the Gamecube then...bout £30 preowned from places like Gamestation. That's essentially what the Wii is."

    Yes, a Wii is a Gamecube that plays Wii games instead of Gamecube games.

    /thinks

    Actually, what's your point again?

  • immateriaux #88 5 years ago

    This sounds good.

    The built-in WiFi is a real seller for me, among other things. Feel much more likely to get a Wii now than either the Xbox or the PS3, with that launch date and price point.

  • DaveyJ666 #89 5 years ago

    Yes!!!

    Just booked one on play.com, plus my gf just put a deposit on one in my locla Game store!!

  • Garulon #90 5 years ago

    @TygerCheex - THAT's what I was referring to as Sony Math :)

    If you don't want/need wireless controllers, HD cables or WiFi, you're basically looking at MU + whatever game you want ON TOP OF THE COST OF THE CONSOLE.

    I can't rip out WiFi/Wireless/MU out of the Wii and make it cheaper, can I?

    And as for BackCompat, You state that it's "Free" on the Wii. Don't you need to buy a Memory Card and a GC controller to make it "work"? Well DONT YOU?

  • krenzler #91 5 years ago

    It's all fine and dandy but what of the imprtant question:

    When is Zelda TP coming for the Cube?

    In the US it's out more than 3 weeks after the Wii version. Does that mean that it won't be out on PAL Gamecube before the beginning of the new year?

    And no, I don't have the Freeloader. :-(

  • FooAtari #92 5 years ago

    I aleady have one of each Garulon :)

    Anyway, where are you lot seeing a Euro games launch list? I have seen some people saying the list of games isnt that great. Well where you all seeing it? Thanks

  • Kafeen #93 5 years ago

    The controllers seem to be quite cheap (compared to the other two competitors).

    In the US they were ~£17 for the controller, ~£8 for the nunchuk.

    We get fleeced on them aswell.

  • BillGaitas #94 5 years ago

    100€ more expensive than i would want it. Wont buy it until the price drops.

  • manic_mouse #95 5 years ago

    Play.com seem to be charging £39.99 for Wii games now they know the RRP.

  • RedPanda #96 5 years ago

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

  • Tayl #97 5 years ago

    -"Very cheap accessories"

    Are you out of your frickin' tree, dude? These are the most expensive "accessories" (if a second controller even qualifies as that) I've seen in a long while, & possibly ever.

  • TygerCheex #98 5 years ago

    @ "coojam"

    Hehehe! That made me chuckle and I see your point. (Nicely made!) ;-)

    @ Everyone

    The thing is... the Wii has the potential to be a real evolution in gaming thanks to it's controls. Yeah it only has "Standard Def" Graphics and all that but ultimatly it's the way you play the Wii that will make it sp appealing. Not how shiny the graphics are or the fact that you can check the weather in Okinawa while leaving your mother a message before checking the news and adding someone's birthday to your calendar. (Which are all great features... the 360's Dashboard needs a Customisable Calendar me thinks!)

    Back to th lack of High Def: I'd wager that there are more people out there who own 360s that play it on a standard Def set-up than do on a High Def set-up.

    High Def doesnt = awesome graphics.

    It just means higher resolution graphics. Take games like Ico and Shadow of the Collussus on the PS2. Those games were absolutly stunning. As was Resident Evil 4 on the Game Cube. Now compair them with some games on the 360 and I'd say that they look and play better than a large chunk of them.

    Again... I'd like to point out that I absolutly LOVE my 360, but that doesnt mean I'm blinded by techno-babble and statistics. Games dont have to have super-high-res graphics to look good. Many "current gen" games on the Xbox, PS2 and Game Cube, and (to a lesser extent) some games on Sega's "last gen" Dreamcast look just as good as some of the games on 360.

  • numptyboymatt #99 5 years ago

    Only thing I dont get, is, if this is supposed to appeal to people who wouldnt normally play games, why launch it at a non-impulse-buy price, and why are the games no cheaper than they normally are??! (excluding the ridiculously over-priced £50+ 360 and PS3 games).

    Having said that, the lovely gentleman in my local Game once advised me that the 360 is aimed at non-gamers..... HOW??!

  • manic_mouse #100 5 years ago

    "High Def doesnt = awesome graphics. "

    Going from HD back to SD is painful.

  • RedPanda #101 5 years ago

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

  • Garulon #102 5 years ago

    "- Cheaper games than the 360 "

    Isn't Platinum Hits launching for the 360 in the next couple of weeks? _that'll_ make things interesting...

  • smelly #103 5 years ago

    Supergamermatt: "But really, from what I've heard, most multiplayer modes of launch games will not have to use a numchuck."


    Watch it.. I've just said the nearly same thing in another thread and got my head bitten off for it!

  • varsas #104 5 years ago

    Out of interest with this talk of HD, do all 360 games run at 60 fps?

  • CallousB #105 5 years ago

    Negatives

    "- Only £20 cheaper than a Core system "

    £43 cheaper than a core if you actually want a 360 that works and is able to save games.

    Nintendo should have taken out the built-in memory and charged £149 for the console...and then £30 for a Wii specific SD card. Same price but it would stop the moaning.

  • smelly #106 5 years ago

    "Going from HD back to SD is painful."

    Having played a fair few 360 games around a mates house on his HD. The only thing I can say is :

    "Going from shocking framerates most games back to a decent framerate is going to be bliss!"

    I mean, PGR must run at something like 30 fps (if that), oblivion something like 10fps.

    If that's the "future", then colour me unexcited.

    Gawd I hope i've not upset people here.. Cue lots of people posting lists of games which run at near reasonable framerates.. like.. frogger! lol

  • TygerCheex #107 5 years ago

    Garulon comments:
    "If you don't want/need wireless controllers, HD cables or WiFi, you're basically looking at MU + whatever game you want ON TOP OF THE COST OF THE CONSOLE."

    I can't rip out WiFi/Wireless/MU out of the Wii and make it cheaper, can I?

    Tyger says:
    No, that's true, you cant take it out... but... if the 360 came with WiFi as standard, that would have pushed the price of the Microsoft Machine up. If Nintendo had given the Wii a wired connection as standard and made WiFi the option, that would have pushed the cost fo the Wii down. I'm just trying to make a comparison between the machines.

    Garulon says:
    And as for BackCompat, You state that it's "Free" on the Wii. Don't you need to buy a Memory Card and a GC controller to make it "work"? Well DONT YOU?"[/i]

    Tyger points out:
    Well you dont need a memory card to make it work as the Wii has 512MB on-board. And considering that the likes of Mario64 were only like 8MB in size, I dont think you'll fill your Wii's memory that fast. Also... to be able to save your game on a core 360, the least you will have to pay is £20 for a 64MB MU. I dunno Microsoft inisit on using a propriorty memory units. PS3 and Nintendo have both opted for a "standard" memory format for their system... and as I pointed out I can get a 2GB SD-card for £17.25

    As for needing a GC controller... I'm not sure... but you are probably right. You could always buy the "retro controller" for £14... assuming you cant just use the alalogue features of the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo? Like I say... I dunno, but for the sake of arguements... lets say you are right. So you need to add £14 to the cost of the Wii.

    Edit: (How do I make text italic?)
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 15:55

  • spongebob #108 5 years ago

    Well, I know now that I'm asking Santa to bring me a Wii.

    What games would you suggest that the old bearded giftbearer should be carrying?

  • smelly #109 5 years ago

    "Nintendo should have taken out the built-in memory and charged £149 for the console...and then £30 for a Wii specific SD card. Same price but it would stop the moaning. "

    They also should charged people 30 quid a year to use the online service.. and saved another 30 quid on the price :-)

  • smelly #110 5 years ago

    "What games would you suggest that the old bearded giftbearer should be carrying? "

    Im asking santa for monkeyball, zelda and wario for definate.. The rest will have to wait for reviews before i commit.

  • phl0w #111 5 years ago

    Come on... on Dec. 8th? It's a holiday in Catholic countries for christ's sake! Thank God there was a bill a few years ago that allowed shops to stay open on that day.

    Not that I'm going to get one anyway... too expensive.
    /end of discussion, but now for serious. ^^

  • Tayl #112 5 years ago

    If it soothes your wee soul, I actually hope that you have a grand fuckin' time playing with your new toy.
    /quizzical look.
    I really don't care enough to question the amount of fun other people get out of their purchases, y'know. I only offer my own take on things.

  • The12thMonkey #113 5 years ago

    Topic highjack. 360 has expensive games. Too far above impulse. However, my local Gamestation are doing Ninety Nine Nights for 29.99 at the mo. Dunno if it's national thing, but it allowed me to impulse buy a 360 game today.

  • PatrickEwing #114 5 years ago

    @The-Aardvark,

    you gonna wait a couple of months to save £50, i wouldn't even wipe my arse with £50 in this day and age.

  • BMXer #115 5 years ago

    Nice

  • RedPanda #116 5 years ago

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

  • manic_mouse #117 5 years ago

    RedPanda "I play 'high def" cos I have a PC and game on that a bit. Same deal. I still play PS2 a lot and don't really notice the lower res.

    I guess I'm a gameplay gamer lolol

    It actually makes games better to play too: You can see corners far earlier in PGR3 for example because at the higher resolution it's easier to see things in the distance. Same kind of thing for shooting games where it's easier to shoot distant enemies.

    Smelly: ""Going from shocking framerates most games back to a decent framerate is going to be bliss!"

    I mean, PGR must run at something like 30 fps (if that), oblivion something like 10fps.     "

    Yes because 30 fps isn't a "decent" framerate. It's not like 99% of current gen games run at that. Or that movies play at 24fps.

    And yes, Oblivion runs at 10fps.

    *immense roll of eyes*

    *Plays CoD2, DOA4 and RR6 at 60fps*

    Actually, personally, I would rather have a prettier game at 30fps than a less pretty one at 60. For certain games, like beat 'em ups, I suppose it makes a difference but I don't play those anyway.
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/06 @ 16:29

  • RedPanda #118 5 years ago

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

  • Gatwick Parrot #119 5 years ago

    Nintendo takes the shitest console ever the (gaycube) and changes the exterior and calls it a Wii and then charges £179.99 for the furker. This has got to be the biggest pish take ever.

  • manic_mouse #120 5 years ago

    RedPanda: "course i'm still happily half-way through Chrono Trigger"

    Fantastic game, in fact it's one of my all-time favourites. It's a real shame that Chrono Cross never got released over here. Sometimes it really sucks being a EU gamer. =(

  • Tayl #121 5 years ago

    It's a Rorschach deal; the Ninty-fanboys will see it as "just" £180 for a next-gen console, the 360 fanboys will (most likely) see it as being far too expensive for a "secondary" console, and the PS3 fanboys will feel the same..while they're waiting 'til next March to become relevant again.

    I don't see it as being good for Nintendo if it indeed pans out along those lines. Ninty-fanboys = minescule segment of the wider market, and all that.
    /shrug.

  • mrbandersnatch #122 5 years ago

    Well more than I expected and I REALLY am going to be considering a 360 at that price...then again I think my kids would be ***** at me if I got a 360 over a wii so *** it time to preorder :)

  • ruckus #123 5 years ago

    Pretty expensive but would still (just) be worth it for me. The Virtual gaming pricing however is just rubbish and it can just go away and have a good think in the 'I must do no evil' box.
    I was thinking along the lines of NES=£0.25, SNES=£1.00, N64=£2.50, GameCube=£10.00 or something. Oh dear, don't that DLC be a bitch... I'll be getting a white one :) ...though nintendo will probably release it 'exclusively' in red or some bollox in europe just to piss me off, and everyone will be like 'red FTW \o/' and I'll be like all sad and everything, and will probably think about importing one but then I'll get all stressed that customs will seize it and come round and beat me up because I'm me. Ah, My fucking life.

  • albundy #124 5 years ago

    My honest opinion? The price of the console is bollocks. For similar, I could get an Xbox 360. 'Nuff said. However, I'm liking the game pricing. Now, my opinion on 360 games prices is thus. The 'traditional' pricing model is for hardware co's to take a huge hit on each console sold, only to make it up on game royalties. Now, can one have a huge/cool supercomuputer media centre like the 360 and the PS3 WITHOUT high game prices? Would you be willing to give up the power, graphics processing, HD-readiness, media centre capabilities of the 360 and PS3 for £40 games? I know I wouldn't. Sure, the games are expensive. But the consoles are extremely cheap. I guess it all depends on which one means more to you.

  • yorkiebar #125 5 years ago

    Why does it cost £11 more in the UK than in Europe? BBC reports that euro249 = £168.

    £179 is about £30 more than its worth, imho. I'll stick with my 360 until the price drops. If it had been a little cheaper I'd have been sorely tempted...

  • #126 5 years ago

    Have you heard of the expression: "apples and oranges"?

    Some peeps will go for the PSP, others the DS.

    Personally, MS could give away the 360 and I still wouldn't be interested. Generic FPS, racing games and Rare knockoffs? No thanks.

    Yeah, the hardware appears to be essentially GC 1.5 but so what? It's how the game is played that is the real differentiator here. The same as the DS. Like the PSP, the 360 and PS3 just appear to be following a linear development path.

  • mattigan #127 5 years ago

    £179 for a Wii

    Are they taking the piss!!
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    o/ "TAXI!!!"

  • mattigan #128 5 years ago

    Who have they got lined up to sponsor it?


    Urethra Franklin?






    /I'll get me coat!

  • Krun #129 5 years ago

    Just the wrong side of £150 for impulse buyers. But its a launch price and only fanbois get consoles at launch anyway so they could have said £199 and I recon they'd loose no more sales.

  • Hypocee #130 5 years ago

    I really wonder about the people who dismiss the launch lineup as crap. I have four or five of the launch titles on my radar, and maybe five more in the "launch window". It's going to be the first console I ever buy at launch, thanks in large part to the strongest launch lineup I've ever seen. I've bought maybe four or five games this year; I thought I was all cranky and jaded, and that winning me over was an impressive achievement...guess not.

  • Nillsens #131 5 years ago

    Don't know If I'll be laughing or crying on my way home yet... was hoping more for the 200 euro region.

  • CallousB #132 5 years ago

    "Why does it cost £11 more in the UK than in Europe? BBC reports that euro249 = £168. "

    Higher mark-up expected by UK retailers? companies always prefer £179 or £149, nothing in between? nintendo wanting an extra few quid?

    All or none of the above.

    PSP followed the exact same pricing structure.

  • zErOb_cOOl #133 5 years ago

    It costs a little too much, but I'm still quite tempted as it looks quite promising.

  • AceCardJones #134 5 years ago

    Ok I just had to register to explain a few things to the few inbred minds that are present here....For those of you that say "The game that comes with it is crap" sorry what was that game you got with your 360 that was so good?Whats it called again?...nothing?oh yeah I see what you mean now....are you mentally retarded?You are getting a free game!!If you don't like it the solution is simple....DON'T FUCKING PLAY IT!!!!

    And for all of you that are crapping on about this horribly un-resonable price....I honestly must ask the question again...are you on the dole?It's the cheapest next gen console you are going to see and you honestly are trying to slate it's price?....right thats inteligence for you right there...

    There is one thing that sums this whole thing up very well.....If you don't like the Wii or Nintendo for that matter.....WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING POSTING HERE!!??
    seriously if you stop paying for your internet you would be doing everyone else here a big favour and you also might be able to fork out that whopping £180 for the Wii aswell.If you don't like the Wii you are wasting your own bloody time posting here about it aswell as making yourself look like an awful twat.

    This is for constructive talk about the Wii it's features and it's games.
    If you don't like it...don't get it...if it's "too dear" get a job.Just seriously piss off and stop annoying the rest of us because you are too cheap to buy a console...

    I for one am happy with the release date and price of the Wii and have it AND the PS3 booked in full in advance.So I guess that makes me rich compared to some of the saps here then eh?

  • albundy #135 5 years ago

    The Wii is a string of piss. End of story.

  • smelly #136 5 years ago

    WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING POSTING HERE!!??

    Because they want people to "realise" the wii is as bad as they're telling them it is, and move over to their choice of console.

    Gamers waste money on a console with dull games they dont want to play, but are desperate to justify their purchase. They have nothing else to keep them occupied as their console of choice is crap, so they come into threads like this desperate to get people to come other to their console - so they can feel justified in their purchase.

    And they'll stop at nothing to do that, even if it means posting some rubbish like "all wii games look less good than an original xbox game" or something.

  • albundy #137 5 years ago

    I could say the same thing for Nintendo cunts (like you Smelly) that flood every thread with your shit about how Nintendo do this, and the Wii does that, and blah, blah, FUCKING BLAH!

  • HoriZon #138 5 years ago

    If you are prepared to pay almost £500 of PS3 why is £180 to much?

    Some people are fucked in da head.

  • albundy #139 5 years ago

    £500 PS3? Lol! I'm getting an Xbox 360 in the next couple of weeks. Just gotta save up a few more pennies first...

    Anyway, I consider the PS3 to be MUCH better value than the Wii. Say what you want, but the pS3 is a graphics and physics processing beast. And it'll likely have some decent media capabilities as well. For the price, the value is much better than £180 for a shitty little minimally-upgraded Gamecube. With a dumcb, gimmicky Wiimote controller to boot. And poor 3rd party support, next to the big guns.

    £180 for a Wii?

    LOL

  • PlugMonkey #140 5 years ago

    "And for all of you that are crapping on about this horribly un-resonable price....I honestly must ask the question again...are you on the dole?It's the cheapest next gen console you are going to see and you honestly are trying to slate it's price?....right thats inteligence for you right there... "

    /ignore

    What a dick. If exactly the same product is available else way at a significantly cheaper price, then I'm paying over the odds for it. Whatever way you cut it and however big a f*ckwit you are.

    "How does a £149 price point make it an impulse buy but you have to agonise over £179? "

    I don't know why, but £179 registers in my brain as 'nearly £200'. £150 I wouldn't mind asking my folks for for xmas, £179 seems to be pushing it.

    Why do I agonise about spending £40 on a new game, but will spend the same down the pub without batting an eyelid? As f*ckwit up there points out though, anyone who can't spend 180 quid on a whim is practically braindead anyway, so that probably explains it.

    "Only thing I dont get, is, if this is supposed to appeal to people who wouldnt normally play games, why launch it at a non-impulse-buy price,"

    Because it's a console that's going to have a minimum 5 year lifespan. They'll be able to completely sell out of their entire stock and then some at £179. They can drop the price and go after the mainstream next xmas. They'll still be selling them as fast as they can make them in the meantime anyway and making more profit. As f*ckwit above points out, anyone with an IQ even comparable with an amoeba can afford to spend £180 at the drop of a hat, so why would anyone complain?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 18:28

  • HoriZon #141 5 years ago

    If the controller was gimmicky why did Sony jump on board the same idea? (MS wont be far behind). As for a media center etc i have a PC for that i want a games machine for games be it a Wii or whatever that has to come first. As for the graphics on the Wii they ain't a lame duck Res Evil 4 on the GC has better/as good gfx than most of the current 360 games which aren't conversions of PC games.

    3rd party support is great on the Wii so far.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 18:36

  • smelly #142 5 years ago

    Say what you want, but the pS3 is a graphics and physics processing beast.

    LOL. Marketting men must really love you

    shitty little minimally-upgraded Gamecube

    Yip.. Totally suckered in.. no helping you.. You're obviously a mindless retard.

  • jimmyboo #143 5 years ago

    I read a post on the "perception" of price, in reference to the Wii, somewhere the other day... perhaps it was here. Anywhos, in a nutshell, the poster argued that, at 149.99GBP, Wii would "appear" cheap and grossly inferior to the 360 and PS3. I think he/she had apoint. Yes, in terms of raw horse power and graphical prowess, no one could argue that it´s in the same league as the other two consoles (besides the rabid fanboys), but in terms of "enjoyment"... well, it´s most definitely got the potential to eclipse the other two. The problem is, the mass market will not see it like that. To their mind, cheap = cheap, period.

    I think the price is right where it needs to be at launch. Let the early adopters (I´m nigh-on certain the Wii will be a scarce commodity come Xmas) snatch it up and spread the good word. Then, 6-9 months down the line, drop the price and really pull in the masses. Just look at the DS. Sales began to accelerate (they´re currently almost beyond belief - I don´t see how Nintendo manage keep up with demand) when the price was dropped, and spiralled out of control when a compelling reason was given to purchase one: DS Lite. For the Wii, that reason will be MP3, SMB and Mario Party.

  • jimmyboo #144 5 years ago

    @albundy

    If you have nothing of value to contribute, shut up. That is all.

  • smelly #145 5 years ago

    @HoriZon : Ditto

    I *Do* love that people keep posting saying the wii is *ONLY* twice as powerful graphically as the cube.

    Not only is that completely meaningless (double what? Fill rate? Poly pushing power? Texture memory?), but if something like Resi 4 suddenly becomes JUST twice as good looking.. Then that's a game which is going to piss all over a lot of games on the competition.

    Especially when the people posting all these comments saying the wii is underpowered and overpriced are the same idiots who will be paying 500 plus quid for a ps3 when its graphics arent even as good as the 360's..

    ironic?

  • jimmyboo #146 5 years ago

    @albundy

    "Anyway, I consider the PS3 to be MUCH better value than the Wii. Say what you want, but the pS3 is a graphics and physics processing beast."

    Oh? You´ve actually experienced it, have you? Or read indepth reviews/previews of actual games? Or SEEN any games running on finished hardware? If not, then please refer to my previous post.

  • dk_rare #147 5 years ago

    Australian date, december 7th, with a RRP of 499.95 (which is pretty much exactly the same as the UK price), but we will be playing it over* a day sooner than you, nyaaaa!

    *we get our days earlier, nyaaaaa!

    Did I say 499? My text message read 399, Nintendo VIP said "Being a VIP member we thought you would like to know early that the Wii will be launched on December 7th for 399.95 RRP" It was only an hour or two before Eurogamer reported it, shame I got it wrong, as 399 is almost exactly the same as the UK price, not 499

    doh!

  • albundy #148 5 years ago

    I'm in the 360 camp you fools. Wouldn't touch the PS3 with yours. Ridiculously over-priced. But I'd consider the PS3 before I would the Wii, that's for sure.

  • Lex_Luthor #149 5 years ago

    "500 plus quid for a ps3 when its graphics arent even as good as the 360's.."

    Keep pushing the lie...

  • AceCardJones #150 5 years ago

    Funny how so many of the Micro$ofties here are saying that the 360 is the best etc....
    Why is it then that the Nintedno DS is out selling it?
    And how is it that the PS2 is still selling more consoles now than Micro$oft are selling 360's?A previous gen console and a handheld are out selling Micro$oft's alleged next gen console....

    well all I can say is...A mediocre console for mediocre people......
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 18:56

  • Kafeen #151 5 years ago

    exactly the same as the UK price), but we will be playing it over* a day sooner than you, nyaaaa!

    *we get our days earlier, nyaaaaa!

    Did I say 499? My text message read 399, Nintendo VIP said "Being a VIP member we thought you would like to know early that the Wii will be launched on December 7th for 399.95 RRP" It was only an hour or two before Eurogamer reported it, shame I got it wrong, as 399 is almost exactly the same as the UK price, not 499

    doh!

    399.00 AUD = 159.757 GBP

    You still have it £20 cheaper than the UK.

  • skillian #152 5 years ago

    This is for constructive talk about the Wii it's features and it's games.

    Surely it's for constructive criticism about the Wii's price and release date? I mean, look at the headline...
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 19:01

  • Ihya #153 5 years ago

    Not enough of a price differential for me between the wii and the core 360.

    I own neither, but if I was in the market for a new console and my wallet could only afford that price area I'd opt for the 360.

    £150 would steer me towards considering a purchase. I see that as an impulse buy, not an investment, but as plugmonkey said £179 feels too close to £200 and puts a break on the deal for me.

    I'm sure the Nintendo faithful can't see that argument at all, but as I'm not a Nintendo faithful I don't want to invest my life energy into the brand, I want to dabble with a few games, and £170 is too much for the flirtatious encounter I'd like. Perhaps next year...

  • AceCardJones #154 5 years ago

    "Surely it's for constructive criticism about the Wii's price and release date? I mean, look at the title... "
    @Skillian

    I am yet to see any "Contructive" criticism........

  • Zaccix #155 5 years ago

    I'm fine with the Wii's starting price and what you get for it, but aside from that I really hope that Nintendo get the marketing right with the Wii. They only need to look at Dreamcast vs PS2 to see that while Sega had an excellent console on their hands, they completely blew the marketing (men's heads being shaved? Huh?) and let Sony throw their own considerable marketing weight around. It doesn't matter that the Wii is gonna sell like crazy at Christmas; tell the public it's here, and show some bloody games footage in the ads!

  • SeesThroughAll #156 5 years ago

    I *Do* love that people keep posting saying the wii is *ONLY* twice as powerful graphically as the cube.

    Not only is that completely meaningless (double what? Fill rate? Poly pushing power? Texture memory?), but if something like Resi 4 suddenly becomes JUST twice as good looking.. Then that's a game which is going to piss all over a lot of games on the competition.

    They're just repeating what Nintendo says. I'm sure Mario must piss all over the competition, when it looks twice as good. ;)

    Especially when the people posting all these comments saying the wii is underpowered and overpriced are the same idiots who will be paying 500 plus quid for a ps3 when its graphics arent even as good as the 360's..

    Yes, Resistance and HS had horrible graphics - especially at a development stage. So much worse than the 360. The MGS4 trailer that used the (unfinished) game engine also showed some really awful graphics. Yes, my eyes tricked me. They're actually awful. Sony is really manipulating me so much. Oh, yes, ignorance is bliss...

    ironic?

    Yes, it is. :)

    And FYI, I AM interested in the Wii. I don't find it overpriced. And fortunately it has 3rd party support.
    Just don't diss hardware you don't want for no reason.
    BTW, I'm still curious as to why you think the graphics in the PS3 are worse than the 360's. GPU? Cell is too slow? How can you explain this to run on such crappy hardware?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 19:08

  • Geowolf #157 5 years ago

    DVD playback doesn't particularly worry me. Although it would have been nice as a placement for my aging DVD player. Nintendo promised it last year and have failed to deliver. Also, the exclusion seems to go against their overall ethos of marketing the Wii to non-gamers.

    More worrying for me is the price. £180 for the same pack that the Americans are only paying £133 for. They of course are paying the extra £33 over Japan's £100 for the... ahem.., free game included.

    I could understand a hike of the usual 17.5% import tax but the UK price is ridiculously high. It's at the point where you find yourself having to bring up the old mantra of Nintendo's less than enthusiastic attitude to the UK. In a market that has been largely resistant to them in recent years you would have thought they would have sweetened the deal a bit instead of the usual prejudiced use of the UK to supplement their costs elsewhere. Here's a thought. Why not add the extra cost above the 17.5% import add-on to the Japanese price and bring down the UK price so that the price is equal and fair around the world. Oh yeah, I forgot. We're not Japanese (we don't even have the buying power of the Americans to get us some respect).

    So what does this come down to. Nintendo is obviously taking advantage of Sony's inability to launch in Europe to unfairly force us into subsidising the rest of the world's artifiicially low price.

    Nintendo aren't making a profit from hardware in Japan. They're getting it from us in Europe. I like the Wii and its idea. But do I like it enough to put up with such prejudiced treatment? That's a question all potential Wii gamers will have to ask themselves in the next couple of months.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 19:09

  • skillian #158 5 years ago

    @Skillian

    I am yet to see any "Contructive" criticism........

    Good point. :) There are a few reasonable posts amongst the bluster though.

  • trench #159 5 years ago

    £180 for 6 months or so whilst 'gamers' pick it up. Then down to £150 for more casual gamers. It's not out of the realms of possibility it'll be £130 by next Xmas.

    £180 is higher than I'd like, I'd be getting a 360 premium instead if they were under £200. Looks like I'll be waiting a while before that comes around though.

    Parting thought: How long will it be before the PS3 even approaches casual/non-gamer consideration price? Ouch.

  • manic_mouse #160 5 years ago

    First SD is better than HD?

    Then RE4 looks better than 360 games?

    What are you people smoking, Nintendope?

    As someone who owns a HD TV, a GameCube, an Xbox 360 and RE4 I can tell you that no 360 game I own looks worse than RE4. I can tell you that the framerate in 360 games is more stable than the majority of games I played last gen. And that HD really does look better than SD, by quite a margin.

    The Wii seems like a fine little console but lets not get carried away, shall we?

    AceCardJones: "Funny how so many of the Micro$ofties here are saying that the 360 is the best etc....
    Why is it then that the Nintedno DS is out selling it?
    And how is it that the PS2 is still selling more consoles now than Micro$oft are selling 360's?A previous gen console and a handheld are out selling Micro$oft's alleged next gen console....

    well all I can say is...A mediocre console for mediocre people......    "

    What a pile of tosh.

    Do you expect the Wii to outsell the PS2? When it doesn't will you turn your argument against the Wii and call it mediocre?

    How pathetic can you get when you call those who buy another console "mediocre people". Get a life dude.
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/06 @ 19:49

  • Skeletor #161 5 years ago

    I must say, although I'm not English I totally agree with Geowolf. The price difference between the three territories is so significant that I seriously believe that the attractive Japanese price of the console is financed with money us Europeans have to pay extra. Thank god there still is the PC which is free of all these bullshit corporate politics when it comes to games...as long you have Windows that is ;-)
    I think console games would be a much bigger and healthier market if there wouldn't be these formatwars every generation. Imho, this is what makes DVD movies truely mainstream - you go to a shop, buy the player that suits you and your pocket...no matter whether you've picked a cheap or a expensive one, you can watch every movie that has been released so far. Maybe someday consoles will reach this stable condition too...
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 20:24

  • AOFanboi #162 5 years ago

    I'll be getting a Wii for the retro games mostly; much the same reason I'd be getting a X360 for the XBLA boardgames like Settlers. That is, if I didn't already have a PS2 and DC sitting collecting dust under my telly...

    If the online sub is free with the Wii, that's another savings compared to a XBL Gold subscription... these things add up.

  • Calgon #163 5 years ago

    Smelly I think its pointless arguing untill the Wii is out there, I dont think the price is unreasonable personally... so its not as powerfull as the competition but aside from resolution I'd be surprised if it's miles behind in the visuals dept (besides when have Nintendo ever really disapointed in this way?) At lower resolutions less power is needed and Im sure ATI and Nintendo thought a little about that when designing Broadway. Also with the CPU being a single core devs will have an easier time and there will be things that just werent possible on the Cube to come from Wii(so yes its still a next gen console). I dont know whether its being sold at a loss or Nintendo are trying to make sure its profitable from the start(as production costs fall they can drop the price confortably then), who knows how much R&D was invested in the wii-mote? perhaps they want to make some of that back but I doubt they are seriously ripping anyone off at that price, it's still only £180(cheapest launch price of next-gen).

    I dont think it needs defending really and neither does the 360 at this point the only one looking in a bad position right now to me is the PS3(which is why alot of Sony fanboys are trolling more than usual but thats still going to sell no matter what sadly... lets just hope theres a far more even playing feild for all 3 console makers this next-gen)

  • MasterThief #164 5 years ago

    @ skeletor

    I totally agree you mate. This 5 year cycle the games industry goes through is ridiculous. These 'Wars' are destructive, not constructive. I long for the day when games technology is standardised. And goes through a single format revision every once in a while, like with VHS/Betamax, Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, etc. All these consoles, all these formats, all this fragmentation. It's annoying. I buy Xbox, as it has most of what I like. But I'd also love to be able to play Final Fantasy, without having to buy a whole other machine, just for that one (or couple other) games.

  • manic_mouse #165 5 years ago

    Nice post Calgon.

  • Tayl #166 5 years ago

    manic_mouse: "As someone who owns a HD TV, a GameCube, an Xbox 360 and RE4 I can tell you that no 360 game I own looks worse than RE4. I can tell you that the framerate in 360 games is more stable than the majority of games I played last gen. And that HD really does look better than SD, by quite a margin. "

    +1
    Couldn't have said it better myself. Kameo, GR:AW, PGR3, & Condemned are the four 360 games I own, all of which are technically superior to Resi 4 and, amazingly enough, can barely scrounge together a noticeable frame-rate stutter between the whole lot of 'em.

    People (by which I mean smelly) really do need to let go of certain myths they've been clinging to. Passion is a commendable trait, self-delusion is not.

  • SeesThroughAll #167 5 years ago

    I dont think it needs defending really and neither does the 360 at this point the only one looking in a bad position right now to me is the PS3(which is why alot of Sony fanboys are trolling more than usual but thats still going to sell no matter what sadly... lets just hope theres a far more even playing feild for all 3 console makers this next-gen)

    You can say the PS3 price is too high, nobody in their right mind would deny that, but stating the PS3 to have bad hardware is just dellusional.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 20:16

  • Calgon #168 5 years ago

    You can say the PS3 price is too high, nobody in their right mind would deny that, but stating the PS3 to have bad hardware is just dellusional.

    I never said it will have bad hardware I just feel the 360 comes out ontop there in the gaming stakes, just because I feel 360 is better doesnt automatically mean I think PS3 will be bad... overhyped and overpromised on Sony's part? perhaps but to what extent I will wait and see as with all things of this nature.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 20:38

  • MasterThief #169 5 years ago

    The problem with the PS3 is that Sony blew their proverbial load too quickly. They eulogised to absurd levels about how wondrous the machine would be in 2005, that nothing it achieves will ever staisfy the more critical gamer out there. In short, it will always be 'underperforming' next to what Sony trumpeted it could achieve. And all this takes away from the fact that, at worse, it is more or less on a par with the Xbox 360. Maybe even a little ahead... But only a little!

    :)

  • smelly #170 5 years ago

    They're just repeating what Nintendo says. I'm

    Nintendo have ONLY said that they're not focusing on power. That DOESNT mean (what most people on here are presuming) that the wii therefor is just a gamecube. Why would they pay extra money for ati to develop a new chip if that's the case? They havent said ANYTHING about specs, and the only info we DO know is rumours saying that it's double the power graphically of the cube (Which in itself is meaningless)

    Just don't diss hardware you don't want for no reason.

    Im not dissing other hardware, just putting peoples comments into another perspective to prove point that they're stupid.


    BTW, I'm still curious as to why you think the graphics in the PS3 are worse than the 360's. GPU? Cell is too slow? How can you explain this to run on such crappy hardware?

    I didnt say the hardware was crappy. I said the graphics are inferior to the 360, albeit only VERY SLIGHTLY. There is also some major caching problems with the cell cpu, but clever programming will eventually get around that.

    My point was that SOME people are comparing the wii's (RUMOURED) graphics specs against the 360's actual specs and therefor declaring the wii to be overpriced. However, if you only look at graphics, and consider the ps3 is SLIGHTLY less powerful than the 360, using same argument the ps3 is overpriced.

    Whether or not the ps3 is overpriced or not is another discussion, and not one i want to comment on in a nintendo orientated thread.

  • Les #171 5 years ago

    Region-lock = terrible

    Price is OK. But if anyone dares asking 59 euro for a Wii game... As the Wii is almost identical to the Cube (with regards to how to program for it, not in power), games should be relatively cheap to develop. They are on standard DVDs, so I don't see why the games should be so expensive (and yes I know games can also cost 49 euro, but as it is Ninty, I don't think that will happen often). The peripheral though are, as always with Nintendo, quite expensive: 58 euro for a Wii-mote/nunchuck combo?!

    What I am getting upset about though is the Wii points. These kind of schemes are deloped by tricky marketing people only to get consumers to spend more money. I really hate this kind of bullshit. If Sony is brave enough to use real money in it's online service, I'll really start to consider to get a PS3 at launch. But they'll probably just join the crowd.

    "that nothing it achieves will ever staisfy the more critical gamer out there. In short, it will always be 'underperforming' next to what Sony trumpeted it could achieve."

    Yeah, people often have very poor memories when it comes to these kind of things... And are often more critial than objective. E.g. there's still plenty of fools arguing that PS2 never lived up to the (when looking back quite poor) trailers at it's introduction.

    Did I stress enough that I HATE the Wii points?
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 21:14

  • smelly #172 5 years ago

    People (by which I mean smelly) really do need to let go of certain myths they've been clinging to. Passion is a commendable trait, self-delusion is not.

    No, YOU'RE clinging to a myth. I'm trying to squash said myth and tell people just to wait before they make judgements. And you're having so much problem getting understanding that, that you're trying to make out that im pushing an idea which im not.

    Unfortunately for some people there will be a major "emperors clothing" problem going on as they keep clinging on to myth so much they cant actually see the truth.

  • Lex_Luthor #173 5 years ago

    "Whether or not the ps3 is overpriced or not is another discussion, and not one i want to comment on in a nintendo orientated thread."

    And yet you persist in making troll comments about the PS3 every time someone criticises the Wii. Good going there.

    You keep pushing that line about inferior graphics too, but I'm still not seeing any proof other than "No one else notices it but me!" type posts.

    Push the lie.

  • smelly #174 5 years ago

    And yet you persist in making troll comments about the PS3 every time someone criticises the Wii. Good going there.

    You keep pushing that line about inferior graphics too, but I'm still not seeing any proof other than "No one else notices it but me!" type posts.

    Push the lie.


    Sigh.. If you're having a DISCUSSION about three fruits, lets say apples, oranges and pears. And someone is slagging off apples in favour for oranges. How the hell do you defend oranges without mentioning apples?

    Or indeed using the same analogy the person before you just used using pears as an example as to why its a stupid argument?

    I wouldnt be "dissing" pears or apples.. I'm just using them as an EXAMPLE.

    You know, the thing that people with more than one brain cell do every day...

  • SeesThroughAll #175 5 years ago

    Nintendo have ONLY said that they're not focusing on power. That DOESNT mean (what most people on here are presuming) that the wii therefor is just a gamecube.

    Although not focusing on power, Nintendo did mention at some point, as an estimate, that the Wii is roughly twice more powerful than a GameCube, maybe to make sure people realised the hardware was indeed also upgraded.

    The reason most sceptics say that is because some Wii demos where compiled using a modified GC devkit, without the proper updates for the graphics engine. A few previews of Red Steel (my personal favourite :)), for example, have already stated that the latest build has much sharper graphics than those showed in E3.

  • Tayl #176 5 years ago

    -"Unfortunately for some people there will be a major "emperors clothing" problem going on as they keep clinging on to myth so much they cant actually see the truth."

    Heh, d'you enjoy the music of IRON ButterflY much, smellz?

    In the garden of Eden, baby
    don't you know that I'm lovin' you
    In the garden of Eden, honey
    don't you know that I'll always be true..
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 21:21

  • smelly #177 5 years ago

    Reet.. ignoring the trolls who'll no doubt flex my comments back into another point for why they should masturbate over their systems more..

    Did I stress enough that I HATE the Wii points?

    On one hand, i do too.. As it's easy to get confused as to how much your spending.

    However on the other hand there are two plus points:

    1. Kids can buy games without needing a credit card. Little johnny can go into game with 15 quid birthday money in his pocket, but some wii points, and come home and download some snes games without needing a credit card

    2. It means they only have to devlop in effect one website for the whole world (Albeit with different languages). A game costing 200 points here, costs 200 points in the states, thus only one system is needed. Which is probably part of the reason why they can launch it worldwide this year without too much hassles.


    But as you say, on other hand it's crap as you get confused as to how much you've spent. But personally I'll just be buying them as and when i want a game, so will be a bit more picky... Really looking forward to all the old mario games, never owned a nintendo console until recently when my ps2 blew up (and im greatful it did, or i'd never have experienced nintendo games.. and wouldve been an idiot and paid over the odds for the ps3 regardless of how great/shit the games were on it)

  • immateriaux #178 5 years ago

    It was said earlier but is worth repeating, the Wii comes with a "memory card".

    Unlike other consoles you don't get it home and then discover you can't save any games... had they left out the memory card it could have been priced cheaper perhaps. Then you'd have saved some money and could use that to go buy yourself a memory card.... loads of sense, but, again as earlier remarked, perhaps if Nintendo had left out the memory card it would at least have stopped the silly moaning about the price being "nearly" 200 etc etc

  • smelly #179 5 years ago

    It was said earlier but is worth repeating, the Wii comes with a "memory card".

    A 512mb one at that!

    And uses standard cards for upgrading, so you dont get fleeced there too.

    Also worth noting again is that the online access/demo downloads/etc is FREE! No yearly subscription to pay! Big savings there too!

    The fact that you can buy yer kid a console for 170 quid, have them unwrap it on christmas morning, and be playing it, and exploring online, etc without having to buy any extras is a HUGE plus for me.. And i reacon a lot of parents.

    How much of a pisser is it for little johnny to get a new games machine for christmas, but not be able to play it until december 27th when he's had chance to spend his christmas money on a memory card and game and online access (totalling at LEAST 100 quid)

  • Les #180 5 years ago

    "However on the other hand there are two plus points:

    1. Kids can buy games without needing a credit card. Little johnny can go into game with 15 quid birthday money in his pocket, but some wii points, and come home and download some snes games without needing a credit card

    2. It means they only have to devlop in effect one website for the whole world (Albeit with different languages). A game costing 200 points here, costs 200 points in the states, thus only one system is needed. Which is probably part of the reason why they can launch it worldwide this year without too much hassles."

    With regards to 1, real currency prepaid cards could have been used just as well. With regards to 2, real currency would make it a bit harder to maintain the site, I agree, but I'd be amazed if there weren't different versions of the download sites for Europeans, Japanese and Americans. That the Japanese will get a site of their own is obvious, but I don't think Italians or the French would like to see an English portal. Furthermore, there's the PAL/NTSC issue. We probably can't download the same file as the Americans. Unless the Wii does some on the fly NTSC - PAL conversion magic, but I guess it won't.

    Another thing is why am I spending more to get those 2000 points than a USA citizen? It's not like it's more expensive to send the data via the internet to Europe I imagine. Maybe a VAT issue, but still.

  • Les #181 5 years ago

    "It was said earlier but is worth repeating, the Wii comes with a "memory card"."

    And with WiFi (not mentioned in the article but if they had reversed that, this thread would have been way longer), a VERY big plus to me.

    BTW, on most next/new gen consoles you don't have to buy a memory card in order to be able to save your games. PS3 always comes with a HDD as does the 360 premium. Only with the 360 core you'd have to shell out some more.

  • smelly #182 5 years ago

    @LES : Hmmm.. good points well made. I sit on the fence on this one, not too sure if im for or against them any more.

    Only with the 360 core you'd have to shell out some more.

    But people are making costs comparisions with the core 360 package.. So it's worth pointing out that the core package needs you to pay extra for device to save on, internet access, and a game to play on it (well over 100 quids worth)

    Another thing is why am I spending more to get those 2000 points than a USA citizen?

    The same reason as everything costs more over here I guess. Maybe the shop keepers take a bigger cut over here or something? Gawd knows. Oh, I *do* know however US prices are always priced BEFORE tax - so add another 20% on to any us price you read.

    You have to bear in mind that the CURRENT exchange rate doesnt actually bear any relationship in business. The current exchange rate might be (for example - keeping things simple) 2:1 so your $400 machine over there costs £200 here. But what if by launch date, the exchange rate goes to 3:1? Etc etc?

    Just using the base exchange rate in working out whats cheap and whats not is pointless, you need to price your product locally to the region your selling in, regardless of how much it is worth/selling for in other countries.

    Lets just say that games machines didnt sell very well in japan, and the japanese economy was absolutely screwed and subsequently the ps3 in japan costs £40, nintendo would have to factor that into their prices when selling in japan. However, in england games sell really well, and subsequently the ps3 costs £900. Now do they launch with a global price for the nintendo? They'd have two choices, charge £30 in both teritories, and lose BIG STYLE in the uk, or £800 in two territories, and lose out in japan?

    It may be cheaper to get the console to the shops in japan, maybe in this fake world, a japanese distributer takes £1 per console, and the shop keeper takes £1. So they can still make a profit on £20. In the UK our imaginary economy is loads better, so the distributer is paid £100 per console, and the shop keeper another £100. They couldnt then sell for £20 in this country could they?

    Have I kept this simple enough for people to understand?
    Edited by 2 at 15/09/06 @ 21:50

  • immateriaux #183 5 years ago

    @les. the point about the "memory card" is that people above are comparing a Wii with a "core" Xbox, as regards price, which, as we know, has no HD etc.

    The Wii, to me, is by far the best "all in" package - wifi, memory, net access etc etc all ready to go makes a load of sense and justifies to cost I think very easily. The more I think about it the more I'm looking forward to it.

    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 21:50

  • hollowroom #184 5 years ago

    I won't be buying this thing: I'm disabled and can't use the controller.

    Way to go Nintendo.

  • Eighthours #185 5 years ago

    I won't be buying this thing: I'm disabled and can't use the controller.

    Way to go Nintendo.

    I feel for you, but don't think that your cicumstances should stop the evolution of console gaming. Perhaps Nintendo could do some R&D into how to make the Wii a viable option for disabled customers.

    I think that your "Way to go Nintendo" comment is a bit inappropriate. Not everything in this world can be easily adapted for disabled use on Day One.

  • quantumsheep #186 5 years ago

    Ok – I’m gonna shoot my load here…

    Get towels and make yourselves a tea if you’re gonna read it all.

    Ok. Back? Then I’ll begin…



    Price – I was expecting £150 – maybe £170 tops for the hardware. I was also planning on getting Wii Sports on launch.

    So, in my mind, I’ll be getting the machine and Wii Sports for around the amount I was expecting to pay anyway.

    I’m disappointed about the price difference between regions. But hey, what can you do? I’ll be getting my controllers and stuff on import. They should arrive before I’ve even got my UK Wii ;)

    Also bare in mind that UK retail may have had a hand in determining the RRP of the Wii. Nintendo’s margins for retail are never really huge, not on hardware anyway. And iirc, they tried to artificially raise the price of the GameCube at launch to essentially make more money out of us.

    I’ve been putting off buying a 360 since it launched. The core pack just wouldn’t cut it for me, especially if I knew I was missing out on stuff like backwards compatibility with my original Xbox and downloadable XBLA games which would both require a hard drive or an additional memory card at least.

    So I don’t look at the Wii and think ‘oooh – it’s close in price to a 360.’ While technically correct, it’s not close in price to the 360 config that *I personally* would consider buying. That would cost me over £100 extra, without the games. I’ll wait till Halo 3 arrives with (hopefully) a price cut. The Wii price is fine by me.

    I’m sure the PS3 will be wonderful too. But I’m sorry to say that the price is putting me off. It’s useless to me as a Blu-Ray movie player as, well, I’m not getting an HDTV for a while. See below why. And I’ve yet to see any ‘must have’ titles, personally.


    Graphics – I’m not bothered that the Wii’s ‘underpowered’. I’m not a graphics whore. I love retro games for example because of their gameplay, not their looks.

    The best advance in recent years in gaming has been the save point/checkpoint system in my book. Gone are the old days when you’d have to start a game all over again from the start. Or stop playing because something’s come up.

    This in itself allowed for larger, more complex games as well as the *ability* to be able to play them!

    Don’t get me wrong. My jaw dropped when I saw Elite for the first time. Quake. Virtua Fighter. Goldeneye. Tekken. Gran Turismo. Soul Calibur. Halo. RE4 Etc etc. I appreciate that great graphics can immerse you into a universe very well and can enhance the experience. But they’re not the be all and end all of a game.

    I don’t have an HDTV either, and don’t plan on getting one in the next year or two, maybe not till the *next* next gen machines come out. I’ve got a perfectly good and large SDTV, and I’m happy with that thanks.

    But it’s not graphics that are important imho – it’s the user experience. It’s how much *fun* you can have with a game. Rise of the Robots looked awesome in screenshots. It was a real dog though, wasn’t it?

    By the same token, the much hyped original Mortal Kombat had digitised characters. But Street Fighter always *played* better in my book…

    I’ve mentioned time and time again that Tetris is my all time favourite game. Virtually no graphics at all in that, eh? But it still stands the test of time. IMHO, obviously.

    There are other examples of course. Advance Wars for one off the top of my head.

    Additionally, the DS is vastly underpowered compared to the PSP. I have both, I know! But the DS is just *fun* to play thanks to the touchscreen and some pretty original games. You can hark on about how technically superior the Sony machine is, the truth of the matter is I have twice as many games for the DS as I do for the PSP, and I play the DS 98% more than any other machine, handheld *or* TV based.


    Control – The controller is *intriguing* to me. I was one of those that thought Nintendo shot itself in the foot putting something like the DS up against the PSP. I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
    Nintendo has the benefit of the doubt from me. Why not try the Wii? You may not feel ‘cool’ and ‘macho’ playing it jumping around, but I dare say you may have some fun. I’ll find out on launch day, and if I’m not impressed I’ll be the first to say. But at the moment, based on my experience with the DS, I’m looking forward to it.


    Online – The online bit… well. I like the fact that it has Wifi built in – and other reason I’ve put off getting a 360 is that it’d cost me an extra £60 on top of the machine to get connected the way *I* want to get connected. This way I can connect at no extra cost (though I dearly hope I don’t have the same problems I’ve had connecting as I have with the DS!).

    I believe that when I want to go back to my old Xbox Live days I enjoyed so much with the original Xbox, it will be through the 360. No other console, imho, has a better online service (though obviously we’re not 100% sure what Sony’s up to – to Xfire or not to Xfire – that is the question!).

    The 24 hour always on thing for the Wii seems like a gimmick to me. Rather than ask you if you want to download something you get it automatically while you’re asleep. Great. So it’s like an always on kinder egg.

    And no voice chat? Shame, Nintendo, shame!

    Wouldn’t it be fab if you could convert Nintendo Stars to Wii points, eh? I’d be in the money then ;)


    Attracting new users – Why ever not? My cousin is in her 40s and I couldn’t prise Zoo Keeper away from her. My parents, both in their 60s, have an original PlayStation. They have GameBoys and a Neo Geo Colour which they always take on holiday with them (all presents from me hehe).

    Why not bring people like this into our hobby? Do we really want to exclude everyone else except those that play the latest FPS on a console? ‘Hardcore’ games, like the GTA series, or Oblivion for example still sell by the bucketload. They’re not going anywhere!

    Why not tap another market as well? Why not provide entertainment for different kinds of people? Seems a little shortsighted to me.


    The Future – I heard today from a very reliable source about a game that LucasArts is making for the Wii. It sounded *incredible*. You can probably draw your own conclusions as to what it might be, but my god, from what I heard it will live up to anyone’s expectations of how it should be done with the Wii controller ;)

    If you’ve read all of this, then a gold star for you! Thanks for taking the time to do so!

    Now, take a deep breath before you reply with the usual shit I see on this site day after day…


    Cheers,

    QS

  • J*C #187 5 years ago

    £179 FOR A NEW CONSOLE IS NOT EXPENSIVE.

    It is when its really just a gamecube, with a few extra bells and whistles.
    £149.00 and i would bite.

  • immateriaux #188 5 years ago

    @J*C, climb out of your 'boring' tree and start paying attention ...

  • quantumsheep #189 5 years ago

    oh well...

    Oh, and 200!

  • Les #190 5 years ago

    "Just using the base exchange rate in working out whats cheap and whats not is pointless, you need to price your product locally to the region your selling in, regardless of how much it is worth/selling for in other countries."

    I believe wages in general are higher in the US than they are in Europe. But even including VAT everything is always cheaper there. Might have something to do with import taxes in Europe, the pain-in-the-ass logistics and localisation, I understand that. But in this case we're talking about non-physical goods. I can buy a book at Amazon.com for the same price as an American has to pay (of course excluding shipping cost) so why don't I pay the same amount as an American for my download? I understand that you can't keep track constantly of the everchanging FX rates, but keep the average rate of the past year as your base rate or something.

    I agree, if you add up the VAT to the $20, the price difference isn't that big at roughly 10%, but still. Wonder if it would be possible to go to the US site and pay in dollars for the points with my credit card. But they'll probably block that.

  • SeesThroughAll #191 5 years ago

    oh well...

    Oh, and 200!

    Let's not get carried away... Another moment like those 1300+ posts will most likely never happen again.

  • ProtoformX #192 5 years ago

    Heard about this in an e-mail at work today and the fanboy stirred within me. I'm very excited about the console and I'm happy to pay the price. Hopefully gonna have Red Steel and Zelda at launch and a few extra controllers for the Wii Sports. I won't sink back into my old fanboy days of yore, as gaming has been much better for me since I stopped being Nintendo-obesssive and got me a PS2 and Xbox, but this still has me very excited indeed. I'm gonna be either working that midnight launch or waiting in the queue outside - and then I can start talking about all the bugs it has, as all new technology inevitably has.

  • hollowroom #193 5 years ago

    Perhaps Nintendo could do some R&D into how to make the Wii a viable option for disabled customers.

    Perhaps?

    The problem is, that the "evolution of console gaming" can be done inclusively, if I can use a controller, then pretty much anyone can.

    The fact remains that a keyboard and mouse is by far the most accessible way to game. Mostly due to its ease of reconfiguration.
    Including it as an option (hello USB!) and still letting people use the wand etc would cost next to zero. And I include Microsoft in this with the XBOX 360s bizarre lack of peripheral support. (if this is this still true)

    But you're right, "Way to go Nintendo" is a bit harsh.

  • quantumsheep #194 5 years ago

    "I won't sink back into my old fanboy days of yore, as gaming has been much better for me since I stopped being Nintendo-obesssive and got me a PS2 and Xbox"

    Having all three consoles is like a safety net, isn't it?

    You can speak with a little more authority having lived with all three consoles and praise and criticise them from an objective viewpoint rather than being insecure with your purchases and having to be negative all the time about consoles you don't own!

    Power to you, brother! ;)

  • SeesThroughAll #195 5 years ago

    And I include Microsoft in this with the XBOX 360s bizarre lack of peripheral support. (if this is this still true)

    From what I've heard, the X360 does support keyboard and mouse

  • ProtoformX #196 5 years ago

    "Having all three consoles is like a safety net, isn't it?"

    Exactly. I used to think Sony sucked on all counts and Mario and Link were the greatest things ever bar none. But then I actually played a PS2 and payed proper attention to it and thought "Wait a sec, this is actually pretty good". I'm basing my excitement for the Wii on the basis that it's something different. It's like Guitar Hero - it's fun because it's different (Never played Samba de Amigo or anything like that). There is every chance I will find the Wii a a cheap gimmick and get rid of it. But with the way I'm enjoying Guitar Hero right now, I doubt it - and Guitar Hero's just one game, not an entire format.

  • Schwabing #197 5 years ago

    agree with the above comments about multiple current-gen consoles being the way forward

    I've got an old xbox at the mo. was thinking about xbox 360 - but i dont want to buy a hd telly, ps3 but is super expensive and (apparently) no games, wii but have the feeling i will get fed up waving my arms around (can you imagine a frustratingly difficult game with really imprecise controls? =rage)

    then it struck me - leave them all to it. this chrimbo i shall buy a cheapo ps2 and some of the games for it i've never played (ico, god of war, katamari etc) and that will do.

    might get a ds though :-P

    next gen can wait.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/06 @ 23:17

  • secombe #198 5 years ago

    "Humm... Only £20 cheeper then the 360..."

    But with a game, somewhere to actually save your progress, and Wifi.

    It's impossible to spend less than £250 (conservative estimate) on a new 360 and it be remotely useable.


    "I love the idea of the new controller but surely Nintendo could've up'd the hardware specs a little bit since GC."

    All I can say is, the DS seems to be doing ok for itself against the much more powerful PSP. Maybe, just maybe, people are finally discovering that a good game is a good game, regardless of fancy graphics.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/06 @ 00:59

  • dcangel #199 5 years ago

    ...they look so "last gen"...

    Looks aren't everything. If they were, the PSP would probably be outselling the DS by around 3 to 1.

    Anyway, I'm quite happy with the price. Not quite the £150 that everyone was hoping for, but still quite acceptable. And if you think about all the tech crammed into that little remote, then the thirty-quid price tag does make at least some kind of sense.

  • dk_rare #200 5 years ago

    If you fools are still arguing over HD and SD, just think, a lot of 360 games look SHIT in SD (carnt even read the text in some of them), what's that say about it's versatility and power of the 360?

    Wii games will look awesome, no matter what screen you use it on.

  • dk_rare #201 5 years ago

    Look what 10 billion horsepower graphics got you in hollywood, Star Wars Episode One! If there ever was a better example than hollywood and graphics killing the industry, then shocking hollywood mindless visual flicks would be it.

    "Oooo, look how real the dinosaurs look. YAWN"

    "Wow, those dinosaurs look ace. WOW, I can actually play with them, stroke them, hit them, not just walk up to them and press X"

  • some1 #202 5 years ago

    why is this site called eurogamer but highlights the british price and has euro secondary? thats pretty shitty

  • chiz #203 5 years ago

    ^ Because it's based in the UK.

    I personally cant wait for this. Free net games, retro classics and nintendo's great games that focus on gameplay, not polygons.

    So, it's only twice as fast as a Gamecube, so what? The DS sucks in specs, but is vastly superiour to the PSP in games. A good game is one you love playing, not looking at :D

  • Les #204 5 years ago

    "Edit - This post is not directed at children, if you're a kid and your mum sais it's too expensive just start whining now, she'll give in by xmas trust me. :p"

    Thanks for giving us valuable insight from your personal experiences...

  • secombe #205 5 years ago

    "The Wii is a recycled GC with Wifi and a new gimmick"

    People say that like it's a bad thing :) The DS could be called a recycled GBA with Wifi and two fancy gimmicks (two screens and touch control), would I love it any less?!

    Honestly, have a bunch of 7 year olds invaded this site? It's like the 'my SNES is more powerful than your Mega Drive" playground arguments all over again, which is funny because when you are pretending to be mature all you say is that gameplay is all that matters.

  • dk_rare #206 5 years ago

    /For everyone moaning about the relatively cheap price of the Wii (£179 Gasp!) You know you can get a penny or two from recycling those empty tins of special brew on your hostel floor so stop whining

    Chiz is teh funny ^_^ Best post on this page yet

  • Les #207 5 years ago

    "Actually Les I shouldn't mock you"

    Don't feel mocked, know whom it's comming from...

  • spongebob #208 5 years ago

    Wii is good for fun casual gaming and those few Nintendo moments (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, maybe some RPGs) but I have to say that for more refined and lengthier gaming experiences you really need to have a X360 or PS3 on the side.

    Wii does suffer a bit of that toy factor. It's a must buy for all the kids everywhere, but more adult gamers might want more from their gaming system than just Wii Tennis or other short gaming experiences. In this sense it's a great thing that Wii is not the only console platform out there and will never be.

  • Tayl #209 5 years ago

    There's something..unbalanced about the way Wii is being positioned. On one hand, it's being aimed at the casual majority who won't splurge out on 42' HDTVs, yet it's recommended that you stand eight feet away from the screen when you play. Eight feet away from a 19' SDTV = waving your Wiiwand at a mass of indistinct pixels; aside from the immersion-dearth that'll come from being so withdrawn from the action, the reasoning just doesn't fit.

    Similarly, t'internet functionality is gonna look like ass on a standard-def display, no matter what distance you are from it. It's been tried before, and it failed. AGAIN, this functionality would be far more suited to a larger hi-def panel which, I re-iterate, Wii is not primarily designed to be used with.

    Logistics/functionality suit hi-def, game display suits low-def; 'tis unbalanced.

  • wilesy #210 5 years ago

    I was all set to pre order a PS3 (£550) when the news came out that it wouldn't bout till March. With my birthday and Christmas coming before the end of the year there's no point in me even thinking about that until this time next year.

    So I've got to fill the gap, there are a few games on the PS2 that still interest me and are coming out (FFXII, Kingdom Hearts 2, PES6 and Lego star wars 2) but the Wii really caught my attention.

    Lego Star Wars 2 aside, all the other games (and I'll include Football Manager 2007) are very time consuming. The Wii looks like a great system to pick up and play. I'm also thinking that for the first time I'll be able to enjoy video games with my family and more importantly my girlfriend.

    The acid test for the Wii is in how often I use it, how long I play it for (two hours waving a controller might get painful) and more importantly whether I can play standing up as when I do I can't see my telly screen properly and raising a 28'' widescreen CRT is not the easiest of tasks.

  • dk_rare #211 5 years ago

    "42' HDTVs, yet it's recommended that you stand eight feet away from the screen when you play. Eight feet away from a 19' SDTV = waving"

    Um, SD tvs have come much bigger than 19" for a long time now. You can go to a pawn shop and get a massive crt for chumps change.

    And spend thousands on a 42" HDTV for a console? And if you have a 42" HDTV, it will make your Wii games look better anyway.

  • manic_mouse #212 5 years ago

    "And if you have a 42" HDTV, it will make your Wii games look better anyway."

    It wont. SD signals look rubbish on HDTVs and the bigger they are the worse they look. SD games look like a blurry jaggy mess on my 32"er.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/06 @ 16:31

  • immateriaux #213 5 years ago

    so why don't PS2 games look like a "blurry mess" on my 32"?
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/06 @ 16:47

  • Santino #214 5 years ago

    immateriaux

    its called selective BS opinion from people who dont like the sound of the console and will choose any way to bash it. you would think people have never been able to play games until now the way they go on, or am i wrong and every game until now that isn't high definition is unplayable and blurry? idiots i tell you they grow by the number every day!

    Edit: Anyhow, my pre-order is in now i'm just looking forward to december. doubters should check out some of the new footage from the wii event, especially the full demo of MP3 on expert controls and the zelda clip (even more impressive considering it is actually cube). beautiful games that back up the point that the number of polys alone doesnt make great visuals, more than good enough for me.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/06 @ 16:54

  • manic_mouse #215 5 years ago

    @ the above two.

    If your 32" is a CRT then SD games will look quite good on it because it is displaying the image at a "native resolution". The problem is that we're talking about HDTV's here, which means LCD/Plasma screens with native resolutions far higher than SD. Displaying pictures of lower resolution on higher resolutions screen looks quite bad (as any AV freak will tell you). Hence why SD games look better on my £200 20" CRT than my £1,100 32" HDTV.

    But don't let that get in the way of trying to demonise me because I said something even remotely negative about SD (and, by proxy, the Wii). Are you really that pathetic and insecure?

    The simple fact is that SD feeds look bad on HDTVs. And if they're not progressive they look darn right terrible.
    Edited by 6 at 16/09/06 @ 17:07

  • Skeletor #216 5 years ago

    Damn, no Zeldabundle! So if I want to play the new Zelda and do 2 player matches in Wii Sports I have to spend 250 Euros on the Wii, another 50 on Zelda and 60 on the second controller. 360 Euros...and I thought this would be the first console I could afford on launchday. Guess I'll just wait...
    P.S.: Wait a minute...360...the number reminds me of something else I could buy. Thanks for the hint, Nintendo!
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/06 @ 17:19

  • Red-Moose #217 5 years ago

    The game price is very good. I was in Game in Dawson Street in Dublin city centre a few weeks back, and they guy said they were goign to be charging €115 for PS3 games. Sony can shove the PS3 up their arses.

  • manic_mouse #218 5 years ago

    "and they guy said they were goign to be charging €115 for PS3 games. Sony can shove the PS3 up their arses."

    Well if some guy said it then it must be true! =P

    I would expect PS3 games to be priced similarly to 360 ones, maybe a bit higher because of the extra cost of Blu-Ray discs.

  • Muddtallica #219 5 years ago

    Good Lord, there are some retarded people in here. I'm taking no sides - there's been some astonishing bilge from all angles.

    I've been looking forward to the Wii for some time, so this is my personal perspective on this:

    - 180 pounds seems pretty decent to me for a brand new console. And yes, it is brand new, working by the definition of "a new piece of hardware on the market with its own exclusive software library". Being someone whose primary interest in the machine is from a game-playing rather than a spec-sheet admiring perspective, I don't much care if it is "only" a few times more powerful than my GC. It's a new console, and there are at least ten games that I can immediately think of that I really want to buy coming out only on that console. That those games look really quite different from anything I've played before is pretty good too. Given that 300 seems to be the standard launch price for a bare bones console in recent years, 180 with a decent amount of trimmings seems good. It is a step down from their previous effort, the 130 for the (bare bones) GC, but it is much cheaper than the alternatives that I might consider, by which I mean the PS3 and the Premium 360. Let's be realistic here; I'm not some gullible Joe Schmoe who doesn't know the difference, I'm a gamer, so if I want a 360, I'm going to pay extra for the REAL console, not a stripped-down false-economy version. Instead of buying Hovis, I can buy some really foul bread for 5p from Asda, but that doesn't mean I'd ever want to.

    - The lack of DVD playback is so inconsequential to me that it's barely even worth mentioning. I haven't been to a household that hasn't got a DVD player for about five years. Quite frankly, given that the PS3 and 360 are offering Blu-Ray and HD-DVD playback respectively, I think it would have actually been faintly embarassing if Nintendo had tried to sell the Wii on the basis of DVD playback, like they were trying and failing to catch up with the boat they'd missed last generation. It's like if they'd put a VHS player on the GC.

    - The UK markup is an undeniable pain, but, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't EVERYTHING - as in, not just games, or even electronics, but petrol, food, clothes, property - more expensive in the UK? It's not like it's just Nintendo screwing us here. The phrase "Rip-Off Britain" didn't start with the Wii pricing. I don't like the higher UK price, but I didn't expect anything else, so I can't say I'm disappointed by it.

    - Some of the comments here have made me question if Nintendo's "keep it simple" campaign might come back to bite them, because it's starting to develop the stigma of being a gimmick console, basically a deluxe EyeToy, and that proper, traditional, full-length games will have no place on it. Yes, the Wii's control scheme is conducive to pick-up-and-play, quick-fix games, and a lot of the early titles (Wii Sports, WarioWare) are built around that ethos, but if that's all the console was about, I would not be buying it. I'm looking forward to playing those, yes, but I'm still fully expecting 30-hour plus quests from Metroid Prime 3 and Zelda: TP. And as for Smash Bros...well, anything less than 250 hours on that for me will rank as a major disappointment. :p The DS has proven to me that you can have an accessible, innovative control scheme and still fulfil all the functions of a traditional, "proper" console experience, and I'm fairly confident Wii will do the same...

  • manic_mouse #220 5 years ago

    "It is a step down from their previous effort, the 130 for the (bare bones) GC"

    This is an apt comparison for the Wii because while the GC was "bare-bones" it was also fairly state-of-the-art when it was released at £130 (being more powerful than the PS2 which cost more).

    Basically, including the price of a game and a memory card, the Wii and GC are launching at the same price-point. However the GC offered very good specs for the time, the Wii instead offers innovation.

    Nintendo have learned from the DS that they can sell things that cost them very little (ie: innovation) to the consumer rather than things that cost them a lot (ie: hardware). Which means more profit. It's quite a nice business model and one that's fairly similar to Apple's.

    EDIT: If we want to be really cynical the same could be said about the forced inclusion of the bundled game: An addition that costs Nintendo little but gives them a reason to jack up the price. All the "value" of the Wii costs Nintendo next to nothing to include yet by selling it onto consumers at a premium they can turn huge profits.

    It's little wonder Nintendo rake in so much money even with a small user-base.
    Edited by 4 at 16/09/06 @ 19:07

  • captain-future #221 5 years ago

    Woah. Where (on an official site) is the info that Wii comes with a memory card?

  • quantumsheep #222 5 years ago

    It's got 512mb internal memory for saves and downloads and stuff :)

  • haowan #223 5 years ago

    Muddtallica for president.

  • captain-future #224 5 years ago

    @quantumsheep: big thx!

  • patchbox360 #225 5 years ago



    why not release their fancy controller with the Gamecube for £50 - they used the controller with the cube as their development kit, so its possible

  • immateriaux #226 5 years ago

    @manic_mouse.

    I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to achieve with your post above other than to state the obvious - Nintendo, like Apple, have "discovered" (as you put it) that making innovative interesting products means having products that people find interesting and innovative... and then, apparently, people spend money and buy them.... producing profits for the company... (I presume people use their own money and not yours to do this?)

    The opposite approach might be one we could associate with Microsoft, for example, buy up, sell vastly below cost, or otherwise force your competitiors out of the market and therefore the consumer is left with no choice but to buy your product. Allowing you to then make vast profits ...

    Or a Sony approach... use a Blue mini disk memory stick never before heard of whatever standard (as opposed to using something like a simple SD memory card for example) and hope you lock everyone into that format allowing you then control over the market and ... produce profits...

    From a consumer perspective, which "model" do you prefer?

  • JayScott #227 5 years ago

    As an owner of all current and next gen (currently available - Wii on preorder, PS3 up in the air (plenty of time to think it over though, thanks Sony!)), some of the ill-considered, illogical and ill-informed shit that has been posted in here is astonishing. There is a place in the market for all three consoles, plus the handhelds. The competition, should it remain competitive (and Sony are doing everything in their power at the moment to ensure that it does), is good for gamers. There is no need to belittle what the one or the other is doing when all three make software that is fun, innovative and good quality. All three also do the opposite at times. I'm glad I am in the financial position to be able to afford the best of all three worlds, but if you are limited to one over the others then dismissing the others for what you have not got is stupid and sad.

    Thank goodness some balanced, sane viewpoints finally got aired. GG qs and mudd. As you said mudd there was a lot of shit to get through before I read those. Oh, and is albundy an employee of Microsoft? His total inability to be even vaguely reasonable about anything at all suggests some kind of vague retardation, downs syndrome or a palsy maybe (he certainly appalls me). Good to see Microsoft are an equal opportunity employer.

    @ dabo: The PSP games you listed are - for the most part - excellent titles, many of which I own and thoroughly enjoy. But I will counter by saying there's nothing on the PSP to match 'Another Code', 'Phoenix Wright', 'Trauma Centre', even 'Zoo Keeper' (the touch screen reinvents this game - how did we ever play without it?) - these are great gaming experiences that you simply cannot have on the PSP. It is a matter of personal taste, obviously, but why waste your energy belitting the other? Smacks of fanboyism.
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/06 @ 06:56

  • dk_rare #228 5 years ago

    "It wont. SD signals look rubbish on HDTVs and the bigger they are the worse they look" - Then what's the point of spending all that money on them? You have to rebuy ALL of your dvds, upgrade to a HD handicam, ONLY watch HD tv, throw your PS2 and all your retro consoles on the fire... already big HDTVs are sounding more and more like a big waste of money.

    Well, I guess it's a good thing that no one I know has big HDTVs, and hardly any of them are planning on getting one in the next few years.

  • manic_mouse #229 5 years ago

    dkrare: "Then what's the point of spending all that money on them? You have to rebuy ALL of your dvds, upgrade to a HD handicam, ONLY watch HD tv, throw your PS2 and all your retro consoles on the fire... already big HDTVs are sounding more and more like a big waste of money.

    Well, I guess it's a good thing that no one I know has big HDTVs, and hardly any of them are planning on getting one in the next few years."

    I suppose it's the nature of technology.

    I bought my HDTV to play HD games and watch Blu-Ray/HD-DVD movies on, not to play last-gen consoles or watch last-gen media on. I already have lots of HD content available on it at the moment with my 360 and soon will have much more with the release of HD movies, TV and the PS3. It's not as if every single AV company except Nintendo are going out on a limb on HD, it will be the standard in a few years.

    I bought my HDTV to be future-proof, not to play stuff that will be superceded in a few years on. I still have a CRT in my bedroom (which the PS2/GC is hooked up to) for older stuff.

    @ immateriaux

    What, exactly, is your problem? I posted something that hasn't been said thus far in the thread, something that is entirely accurate and IMO a fairly astute comment on Nintendo's business strategy. What gives you the right to call into question my right to post it, or it's relevance, in such a condescending tone?

    And, in relation to your question, I don't really like either model more than the other because it all depends on the product. In terms of sheer hardware per pound MS's 360 model is better, but in terms of innovation Nintendo's is. I would rather like to get both in a perfect world, a Wii with 360 specs for £200 (like the core 360) would be better than either wouldn't you agree?

    On an interestingly similar note, the Wii is launching in Japan at the same price as the GC did. So the inclusion of Wii Sports is, in fact, costing us £50 (based on the GC's UK release price of £130).
    Edited by 2 at 17/09/06 @ 11:27

  • Azazel #230 5 years ago

    I've spent more than £179 on a graphics card alone in the past...

    Also: Can Muddtallica please be allowed to have the final word on every article from now on?

  • dredd97 #231 5 years ago

    well i see that the price story has taken an unusual twist...

    seems that the launch price was set to be £149.99, but when sony ditched the euro launch of ps3 till march 07, those nice bods at ninty decided a £30 premium was the order of the day...

    after all how the hell can the euro version cost 60% more than the jap version? it's not all down to tax you know...

    anyway here's a link....

    [link url=http://spong.com/arti cle/10790/'Late+and+Costly'+Wii+Rumoured+to+be+in+Respon se+to+PS3+Delay/?d=200609151756&cb=895
    ]http://spong.com/arti cle/10790/'Late+and...[/link]

  • immateriaux #232 5 years ago

    @manic_mouse

    I don't know where you get this idea I called in to question your "right to post". That's just plain ridiculous and barely worthy of comment. Your posting was unbalanced and wrong - ie not "entirely accurate" as you put it.

    You made several erroneous and misleading remarks in the previous post, all anti-Nintendo: comparing unfavourably the Wii with a Gamecube on price (as though the GameCube was released this year) and specs (even though the Wii is significantly faster than the GameCube), claiming that "innovation" costs little (tell that to Microsoft!), calling adding a game into the bundle a "forced" inclusion (more forced inclusions please).

    The XBox core compares very unfavourably with with the Wii on almost all counts bar its ability to fling pixels around - the Wii comes with storage out of the box, with net setup, with Wifi, with backwards compatibility, a game and... , or course, with innovation. Your dismissal of the latter I find particularly galling. I would far rather have innovation in games rather than High Definition capable, millions of thousands of pixels, yet more basic GTA clones or first person shooters foisted upon the marketplace (though they are still nice to play every so often).

    Finally, a Wii with XBox specs could never cost £200 and be profitable for Nintendo. Unlike Microsoft, this is Nintendo's main business and the product must be profitable. Your so called "astute" analysis is rather lacking this sense of market reality in the end - a Wii with Xbox specs is basically going to be a PS3 (Sony also cannot afford to take the huge losses Microsoft are willing to take on the XBox). So, no, I don't want a Wii with XBox specs I want the Wii exactly as being released thanks - a good value package, offering an innovative experience, which offers everything to go in one box. And a game.

  • manic_mouse #233 5 years ago

    immateriaux: "Your posting was unbalanced and wrong"

    Yet you went on to re-state and support that Nintendo sell innovation rather than hardware. You seem to be contradicting yourself here, or at the very least calling your own posts "unbalanced and wrong".

    immateriaux: "I don't know where you get this idea I called in to question your "right to post"."

    The bit where you said you didn't see the points of my post and that I was stating the obvious. Like I said, it was a relevant and accurate post and better than most of the bilge here (like "what's the point of HDTVs blah blah";).

    immateriaux: "
    You made several erroneous and misleading remarks in the previous post, all anti-Nintendo: comparing unfavourably the Wii with a Gamecube on price (as though the GameCube was released this year) and specs (even though the Wii is significantly faster than the GameCube), claiming that "innovation" costs little (tell that to Microsoft!), calling adding a game into the bundle a "forced" inclusion (more forced inclusions please)."

    Everything in the above and what I have said is ENTIRELY true. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it so, and twisting it to make it appear unreasonable doesn't either.

    The GC launched at £130 and was state-of-the-art at the time, which means it was IN TERMS OF HARDWARE better value AT IT'S LAUNCH than the Wii is AT IT'S LAUNCH.

    I never said that the Wii compared unfavourably with the GC overall. Just in hardware (in context of when they were released). In terms of innovation the GC compares unfavourably with the Wii, which is something I pointed out.

    I'm spelling things out simply for you because this is entirely true, yet somehow you seem unable to get your head around it. You seem unable to compare apples to apples and insist on acting as if the GC were released at the same time as the Wii and going on about how much better value the Wii is. Technology gets cheaper over time, something you seem oblivious to, and they aren't being released at the same time. These two differences are what make my comparisons valid and yours logically flawed. Do you understand the word "context"?

    Innovation doesn't cost as much as sheer hardware, however it takes a lot of thought (and sometimes genius) to come up with. This is ENTIRELY true. And I'm not being negative about Nintendo when I say they're selling innovation rather than sheer hardware, because a) it's true and b) innovation isn't any less valuable than hardware (in many cases it's moreso).

    As for the forced bundle, that is something I'm unhappy about. I don't particularly want to pay £50 for Wii sports when I don't even want it.

    The rest of your post has nothing to do with anything I've said in this thread, so I can quite happily ignore it. I've never ONCE said that innovation is in any way less valuable than hardware. What I have said is that it's more profitable.

    In your last paragraph you have a go at me for saying there's no reason why you can't have both good hardware AND innovation. You asked me whether I'd like innovation but less hardware or more hardware and less innovation. There is no reason why you can't have both, even from a marketing POV, in a hypothetical product.

    Banging on about how this wouldn't work FOR NINTENDO is completely irrelevant to me as a consumer, since you asked me what would be best for consumers and not what would be best for Nintendo.

    In short your attacks on me are illogical, based on mis-interpretation/mis-representation of my points and some sort of insecurity (about Nintendo and the Wii) that means you try to read the worst in anything that could possibly be remotely negative.

    The only thing I have said is bad (for me) about the Wii is the inclusion of Wii sports because I wasn't going to buy it and now I'm forced to. Anything else is your own paranoia and insecurity or need to attack any percieved "anti-Nintendo" comments.

    You have said my posts are "wrong" and "anti-Nintendo" yet you have spectacularly failed to actually support those claims in the post above, even to the point of accusing me of things I have never said (like how I don't care for innovation, despite never saying that).

    Read posts before you try attacking people in future. Don't try and attack them for what you read INTO their posts like all the garbage about me saying the Wii is bad value and that I don't like innovation. I never said that.
    Edited by 8 at 17/09/06 @ 15:47

  • dk_rare #234 5 years ago

    I just didn't realize that HD could not play DS content. I mean in Australia, Foxtel (our largest and only real choice for pay tv) doesn't broadcast in HD. I mean shit, I would be spewing if I spent thousands of dollars on a HD TV and it couldn't play my 100 dollar a month subscription to foxtel at least as good as my current widescreen SDTV, I'd be fuckin' livid!

    My eyes are really being opened here to the limiting nature of HD, the only reason I knew I wasn't getting a HDTV before was the the high cost of it, but now I find out my Wii and my pay tv will "look rubbish on HDTVs"... it's like, WOW. I really didn't know that before.

  • immateriaux #235 5 years ago

    jesus manic_mouse, you have a serious persecution complex. You really need to take some time and look at your self long and hard in the mirror. And don't tell me what my "attacks" are based on when you very clearly have failed to understand them.

  • manic_mouse #236 5 years ago

    "I would be spewing if I spent thousands of dollars on a HD TV and it couldn't play my 100 dollar a month subscription to foxtel at least as good as my current widescreen SDTV, I'd be fuckin' livid! "

    It's just the nature of the way these things work. If you display at lower than native resolution on a screen it generally looks quite bad. I'd rather play SD games on my 20" SDTV than my 32" HDTV. But don't get me wrong, it's not like their unplayable or anything on HDTVs.

  • manic_mouse #237 5 years ago

    @ immateriaux

    You said many things I said are "wrong". You have yet to show how. You have also claimed I said many things I didn't.

    If you can't back up what you say, or your logically flawed arguments, don't say anything. Especially if you have to resort to the old "you don't understand my argument" after it's been demonstrated to be flawed:

    You aren't comparing the GC and Wii in the context of when they were released. I am. Context is what makes you saying the Wii hardware is better value for money because it's more powerful rubbish, since technology gets cheaper over time.

    Simple, no? The GC was released in 1999 at £130, the Wii in 2006 at £130ish. The GC was powerful when it was released. The Wii isn't, which makes it worse value in terms of hardware. In terms of innovation, however, the Wii is miles ahead of the GC which offered little.

    In terms of hardware the Wii does compare unfavourably to the GC for when it was released. In terms of innovation the Wii is miles ahead. I don't know if I can spell it out any simpler for you than that.

    So is the above statement wrong?

    I never said the Wii was bad value overall. I never said innovation wasn't good, or valuable. Both were things you accused me of. Hiding behind a childish excuse doesn't change that.
    Edited by 7 at 17/09/06 @ 16:29

  • Tayl #238 5 years ago

    -"to the limiting nature of HD"

    It's only limiting for now, in some select circumstances, in this crossover period. Upscaling DVD players prove that there are feasible, relatively inexpensive ways to bridge that gap but Nintendo, with their bizzare reticence to acknowledge that HD *is* here to stay, are making no similar effort to compromise. Because they're cheap, and because they think that they alone know best.

    Meanwhile, us 360/HDTV owners will continue to enjoy eyeball-lacerating picture sharpness, and smile at the squinty dudes who keep telling themselves that HD's some sort of white elephant technology.

  • dk_rare #239 5 years ago

    Well, I guess the good thing is if HD does catch in in 5 years time, you can probably get state of the art large current gen screens for pretty cheap, so my PS2, Wii and every console that came out before it (theres a room full of them, lol) can live in wedded bliss.

  • manic_mouse #240 5 years ago

    "Well, I guess the good thing is if HD does catch in in 5 years time, you can probably get state of the art large current gen screens for pretty cheap, so my PS2, Wii and every console that came out before it (theres a room full of them, lol) can live in wedded bliss."

    It's all supply and demand anyway, so in a few years "going HD" will be a fraction of the cost it is these days. And of course by that time there'll be plenty of content available.

    Some of us just like to be on the cutting edge, but we pay a premium for it.

  • dk_rare #241 5 years ago

    I do like cutting edge. A friend of mine just got a huge plasma screen, and I'm like WOW, when my favourite 360 games come out I'm SO going to yours. But he paid more than I paid for my car and a years rent at my place combined :S

  • dk_rare #242 5 years ago

    "Meanwhile, us 360/HDTV owners will continue to enjoy eyeball-lacerating picture sharpness, and smile at the squinty dudes who keep telling themselves that HD's some sort of white elephant technology."

    I play my 360 in HD sometimes on my monitor in 120 x 1024, that's why I bought the VGA cord for it. And I do enjoy it, but I can't afford to buy a big screen HD for my lounge, it's just not possible. And when I do, chances are it wont be big enough for four plus people to sit around and enjoy properly, it wont run in the exact "best" resolution or some rubbish (Which seems to be a major hang up to some people here, if it isn't "the best" then they probably wont enjoy the game, being distracted by it all, or if their brightness is exactly right, or rear speakers too close to the chair).

    Or scared that they will overuse their screens and that they will fail, like all those specials you see on Channel 4, with couples that bought a big lcd/plasma, only for it to fail two years later and being told that it isnt' covered by the warrenty. I'm actually thinking of opting for a projector, a friend has one, 360 looks great on it in high resolutions, my Cube looks STUNNING on a screen that big and the only reason we don't watch tv on it is because the bulbs will burn out if it is used too much. I don't get what is so special about HDTVs that you have to rebuy your dvds, redownload your movies, give up any hope of your old vhs collection working (if you still have a vcr that is), and be so limited as to only playing PS3 and 360 on it. That would suck, knowing that anything else will look rubbish on it, I will get HD eventually and I will want it when Halo 3 comes out, but living life thinking that I NEED it, that anything else is less than without it, living life thinking that resolution is the major factor in enjoying games... I'd rather give up gaming.

    "Oh wow, is that game any good?!?"
    "nah, it doesn't run in 1060p or whatever, it's not worth looking at"
    "oh yeah, that's a shame, wheres my corner of games that I am allowed to play again?"
    "over there, oh and hey, remember, the more numbers before the letter "p" means more fun!"

    pshh.

  • smelly #243 5 years ago

    The funny thing is, all these people going on about how great hd is and how glad they are that they are one of the few early adopters..

    Will be the exact same people moaning like bitches when the price comes down to a decent value which everyone can afford, but without all the glitches, much more stable, and of a better quality.

    I (like everyone else) will probably end up buying a hi def tv.. But not until every channel is showing every program in hidef. And not before standards have sorted themselves out (i.e. all this 780, 780p. 1080p, etc nonsense.. who gives a fuck? Just give me a hi def tv), or indeed bluray/hddvd. And again when my current tv(s) has given up the ghost. And at a price along the lines of normal tv's. And without any new standards on the horizon to make them redundant.

    Which I cant see happening for at least another 4 or 5 years yet. So I'll care about hidef around ps4/xbox3 time.

    At the moment, it's nothing but a VERY FUCKING EXPENSIVE gimmick.

  • #244 5 years ago

    Which part of the US are you moving to smelly?

  • Lawlost #245 5 years ago

    ok forum people I am in a quandry. Should I buy a xbox360 core version or a wii? I do not have a high def tv and I'm unlikely to buy one for 2/3 years. So I'm thinking £200 for a 360 isn't bad and buy the cable when I get a new tv.........but if I do not need high def buy a wii so any advice anyone.

  • Santino #246 5 years ago

    Lawlost

    To get the 360 functional (saving games) you will have to buy some memory storage and if you want to play a game you will have to buy one. Just so you know that the core package really is just less than bare bones, if the 360 is the system you want then forget about the core you are better off saving for the premium. Which system should you choose? totally up to you it generally comes down to if you want the same games you have been playing now with much better graphics or a new game experience. good luck with your choice i hope u are happy with whatever you decide!
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/06 @ 20:26

  • immateriaux #247 5 years ago

    manic_mouse, you've yet to demonstrate anything other than your insecurity and paranoia, so stop getting ahead of your self.

    In seven years the value of money changes. You cannot directly compare a seven years old price with todays in the simplistic way you are trying to do. A proper grasp of "context" would take that into account. Likewise claiming "technology" gets cheaper over time is ludicrously simplistic, nevermind in certain cases just inaccurate.

    As for the rest of your comments, it is quite clear you've missed the point of what I was saying, and your comparisons continue to be woefully invalid. If you think that it is childish to point this out to you, so be it. I'm being childish.

    But it is worth highlighting that it was software that counted most in second gen consoles, not hardware. The fact that a Gamecube could shunt more pixels than a PS2 back then proved meaningless. And it is totally irrelevant to what the market requires NOW and what makes a good console NOW, Nintendo will be aware of this fact given the lack of significant success that the GameCube had.

    Likewise, in price comparison of Xbox and Wii, and fanciful notions of an X-Box specced Wii, you've ignored the fact of the former selling so much below cost - even though it was pointed out to you - a very significant factor to price points.

    Basically, your analysis has been very simplistic at best.

    In purely present day terms, comparing the rather pointless anemic offering of the "core" Xbox and the delayed and expensive PS3, the Wii is the best all round package on offer, for all the reasons that I did actually mention but you claim I haven't (for some odd unperceptive reason). Microsoft may change that come Christmas by pricing the Xbox more attractively than at present but on current comparisons, pound for pound, there's more going for the Nintendo. Objectively.

  • smelly #248 5 years ago

    >I think you guys are happier arguing about the things than playing on them


    When most people around here are either ps2 or 360 owners, can you blame them?

    :-D

    (couldnt resist)

  • AOFanboi #249 5 years ago

    Stop comparing prices, you mindless buffoons!

    Did the GC come with Wi-Fi? NO. The X360 Core? NO. Wii? YES.

    Did the GC have an online service with stuff like weather, chatting and downloads? NO. The X360 Core? YES but hey there's nowhere to store downloads. Wii? YES.

    Did the GC come with a game? NO. (Unless you buy a slightly more expensive package). The X360 Core? NO. (Except many stores sold a bundle, but the games cost extra.) Wii? YES.

    Did the GC come with a wireless controller? NO. The X360 Core? NO. Wii? YES.

    Did the GC's controller innovate in the field? NO. (It was another iteration over the Dreamcast's.) The X360 Core? NO. Wii? YES. (Motion and position sensor, in two components.)

    Did the GC come with a memory card? NO. Does the X360 Core come with a memory card? NO. Wii? YES.

    Can the GC play old games from NES, SNES, N64 and others, purchased at a small cost and downloaded online? NO. The X360? NO. (In fact, backward compatibility to even the last gen requires a HDD and only works for some titles.) Wii? YES.

    In summary: The Wii is WORTH ITS PRICE! This discussion is now AT AN END!

  • DDevil #250 5 years ago

    "Of course you can alway's play the 12th Mario on it. LOL."

    Good point, now I'm DEFINITELY getting a Wii. I love the Mario games.

  • Hughes. #251 5 years ago

    @AOFanboi

    Stop comparing prices, you mindless buffoons!

    Oh well, if you take prices out of the equation, the PS3 also gets a "YES" to every point you made.... oh, except the "free" game, Wii Sports, (which will be close to useless unless people buy a second Wiimote and Nunchuk, increasing the cost by £45) Of course this "free" game is assumed by most to be the reason the UK Wii costs nearly £50 more than in any other territory.

    Some more questions, is Wii region free? NO. Is 360 Core? YES. Is PS3? YES.

    Does it offer HD movie playback straight out of the box? NO. Does 360 Core? NO. Does PS3, YES.

    Is 512 MB of onboard memory remotely adequate for storing downloaded content? NO. Is nothing at all with 360 Core? NO. Is 60 GB on the PS3? It should just about do.



    So if we're not comapring prices, by your own logic...

    In summary: The PS3 is WORTH ITS PRICE! This discussion is now AT AN END!

    Well, I think it's a bit expensive myself, but I'm glad you're not one of these Sony hating fanatics that seem so commonplace these days!

    (Cheeky naughtiness aside, I'll probably get a Wii when the price drops to £150 and I can choose what game I want bundled. I have no doubt there will be plenty of fun to be had, and once it's established it will prompt the same sort of innovation as the DS)
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/06 @ 22:10

  • dk_rare #252 5 years ago

    Nintendo is the holder of some of the most popular gaming IPs in the known universe, so it isn't fair on MS or Sony to compare exclusive titles (Mass Effect though, Bioware woo! So looking forward to it). Each console has just as many strong titles, so that is a null argument, unless you HAVE to have the latest Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Gears of War or Halo game, then you should absolutely buy the console before that games release.

    HD not being all it's cracked up to be or not (don't get me wrong, if I spent that much money on a TV I wouldn't want anyone telling me the things it isn't good for, who would want to see the bad points for that much money?), I think most people agree that the Wii is an interesting console at the elast and many people agree that it is plain fucking awesome.

  • dk_rare #253 5 years ago

    Is 512 MB of onboard memory remotely adequate for storing downloaded content? NO. Is nothing at all with 360 Core? NO. Is 60 GB on the PS3? It should just about do.

    I think the idea is that your Wii is online 24/7. There are PC games that you don't even install on your harddrive, you just stream them to play them, you can even pay a monthly fee for as many games as you want to stream. Real games too.

    Well, on the Telstra site you can anyway

  • quantumsheep #254 5 years ago

    Expensive hobby we have, eh?

    I just worked out that if all next gen consoles were available now, at their current rrp (or suggested ones for those not out yet) it'd cost me almost £900 - just for the machines =O

    Add in handhelds and you're easily over a grand.

    Bloody hell.


    Then there's accessories.

    Oh, and games too! :p



    No wonder there are fanboys. That's a lot of money to anyone I'd wager (though obviously most people don't buy them all at once!).

    I used to say 'buy all three', though obviously not everyone can.

    I wonder if I could only afford one, would I be a tad jealous of the exclusives on other machines and would I want to justify my purchasing decision?

    Having all three consoles is the answer my friends. Buy all the machines, play all the exclusives, be happy!

    But it only now dawned on me how expensive that could be.

    In short, I understand the fanboy mentality now.

    Doesn't mean I have to like it though, eh? ;)


    Then add the cost of getting an HDTV on top of that...

    Eeek!

    /faints





    @ dk_rare:

    "Oh wow, is that game any good?!?"
    "nah, it doesn't run in 1060p or whatever, it's not worth looking at"
    "oh yeah, that's a shame, wheres my corner of games that I am allowed to play again?"
    "over there, oh and hey, remember, the more numbers before the letter "p" means more fun!"

    pshh.

    This particularly made me giggle - thanks ;)
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/06 @ 00:17

  • smelly #255 5 years ago

    LOL! Okay I'll bite. If we're going to play the price game. The Wii's RRP is 179 quid, it'll be cheaper online no doubt.. So for this price comparision we'll stick to RRPs. So 360 (going by amazon rrp prices here):

    Console £199.99
    Memory card to save game : £23.99
    Game : £60
    Online subscription : £50 per year

    = £333.98

    Regardles of what you say, that's a bit of a big difference. No doubt some twat will point out "yeah but if you get them on this website, it'll be cheaper", or "that pricess is wrong, it's actually £2 cheaper".. But that guy is a stupid idiot who's missing the point.



    @Zero_Cool : Yes.. Every single one of those games would be totally possible even on current gen. Saying that the wii COULDNT play those games is nonsense. Just chop the graphics down and they'll run even on an xbox.

    But regardless of which, i can gaurantee most of those will come out on the ps3 too.


    Regardless of what you fantasise about, the wii isnt as unpowerful as you believe it to be.. No matter how many times you tell yourself that while jerking off, it wont make it true.

    Not that graphical power matters, if the least powerful console becomes the most popular. People will make most exclusives for that, then port up to the other two. Just like happened with the technically inferior ps2 (Which was just as far behind in terms of tech)


    But yet the wii will have shit loads of games exclusive to the wii. Who cares if it's mario's 50th game (or whatever) every single mario platformer has in most cases been brilliant, ditto to zelda, metroid, warioware, etc etc. Im sure you wont mind when halo 3 comes out and is yet again the same game but with prettier graphics to wank over?

    (for me - dont care what anyone else thinks) Good exclusives are the only really decent reason to own a console. So for me, i'll definately be getting a wii, but also another console which gets the better exclusives, and from track record that'll probably be the ps3... But only once it comes down to a reasonably decent price (Sub 200 quid)


    Watch someone miss the point out of the entire post - and pick up on one sentence to go "boo hoo" over.

  • Tayl #256 5 years ago

    smelly wrote:
    Console £199.99
    Memory card to save game : £23.99
    Game : £60
    Online subscription : £50 per year

    = £333.98


    Amazon.co.uk wrote:
    Console £199.99
    Memory card to save game : £22.99
    Game : £39.99
    Online Subscription : £32.99

    = £295.96

    /highlights without comment.

  • smelly #257 5 years ago

    *Sigh* QUOTE:

    So for this price comparision we'll stick to RRPs.

    "No doubt some twat will point out "yeah but if you get them on this website, it'll be cheaper", or "that pricess is wrong, it's actually £2 cheaper".. But that guy is a stupid idiot who's missing the point. "

    You DO know what a RRP is dont you?
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/06 @ 09:48

  • Muddtallica #258 5 years ago

    Zero_Cool: "Of course you can alway's play the 12th Mario on it. LOL. "

    This is another argument that I see cropping up in flamewars that I just can't get my head around. You'd think as gamers, they would understand - yes, of course I want a Wii (lol) so I can play "the 12th Mario" (probably more like 20th), just like I want to a 360 for the third Halo, and a PS3 for the tenth or whatever Metal Gear. And, judging from Zero_Cool's post, just like he wants to play the fifth Virtua Fighter, third Virtua Tennis and fourth Devil May Cry. :p

    I've always noticed that gamers, one and all, are a bunch of big hypocrites. We all sit here flapping our gums about wanting innovation and new horizons, when all we really want is for Final Fantasy XIII to come out as quick as possible. But I don't see that as a bad thing; one of the best things about a new generation of consoles is seeing how the latest technology makes all your old favourite franchises seem new again, whether through a new dimension, new controls, or even simply through lovely new graphics. Wii is a system as well placed to do that as any console I can remember, so I'm there.

  • SlackMaster #259 5 years ago

    I'll not buy it at launch even though I'd really like one... I didn't really want a bundled game and Wii sports doesn't really interest me.

    I'd have brought it if it was £150 but I think £180 is just that little bit too much especially in the run up to Xmas... All of you that don't think it's that much clearly still live at home and are supported by your parents... Personally I'm on a real salary but with the cost of living I just can't afford to shell out over £180 in one go.

  • bloodflowers #260 5 years ago

    Too expensive compared to the competitor for what's on offer.

    Respect to Nintendo though for not jumping on the HD bandwagon. Wii owners will probably be enjoying smooth frame rates while we squint at our highly detailed juddervision some more.

  • lambtron #261 5 years ago

    Hmm it does seem too much money IMHO but then so does the 360. Let's not even discuss the PS3 - that's the equivalent of being bum raped. Given what's in the box though I really think they could have gone lower in terms of price for the Wii.

  • lefizz #262 5 years ago

    The Price of construction/hardware ratio of the wii to its opposition is a joke.
    Thw 360 full pack must cost at least £400 to make, the PS3 probably cost bets part of £500 to make. The Wii probably cost £50 to make. In terms of what you get horse power and hardware wise for your money the Wii is a dead duck. But we dont play tech spec apart from on forums, we played games. And so its mostly irrelavant.
    However i do think much like the DS the Wii pricing is in this country at least something of a joke. It took me over a year to get a DS, I'll easily wait that for the Wii.

    I have to say that i think Sony are in more and more trouble as time goes on. In Japan i can see the Wii laying waste to the PS3 much as the DS has done to the PSP.

    In America and Europe the 360/Wii/PS3 battle is going to be tough. Sony are too late for alot of early adopters in this region, the are too expensive compared to everyone. And with the Wii and 360 you have both end of the spectrum covered dependsin on wether you like cookey japanese games or action games on the 360. Oh and there is the small matter of not have a next gen footy game for a year.

    What an utter bollox up on behalf of Sony.

  • Vin #263 5 years ago

    Good lord, the price is astonishingly cheap for the package.

    Roll on the Ps3 launch when all and sundry declare the Wii cheap and brillant value for money.

  • patchbox360 #264 5 years ago





    Wii owners will be experiencing xbox graphics for the next 4 years with no game shown as yet to justify the Wiimote as a true innovation - yuck

  • Azazel #265 5 years ago

    Are you a stone troll or a river troll? I only ask because stone trolls have magic resistance.

  • immateriaux #266 5 years ago

    @Azazel

    that made me laugh - cheers :)
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/06 @ 23:39

  • paulrim #267 5 years ago

    @smelly

    "But not until every channel is showing every program in hidef."

    So when the BBC or ITV go HD for all their new programs, but show repeats from time to time, like Only Fools and Horses, which are in SD, this would stop you from buying a HDTV? What about TCM which usually show old movies or UKTV Gold which shows old programs, these won't be in HD, more reasons to not buy HD?

    "And without any new standards on the horizon to make them redundant. "

    Do you understand how technology works? Do you think companies develop a new product and then put their feet up and not plan for the replacement? Just look at the rate new PC processors come out. If you refuse to buy something because a new, better product will come out in a few years time, you'll never buy anything!

  • Avenger77 #268 5 years ago

    Fuck this, £20 quid more, and you have a xbox 360

  • Sackless #269 5 years ago

    good, its one more chance for me to get me hands on one

  • zam786 #270 5 years ago

    actually 179 is a great price considering u get a free game with it and in japan you dont. and zero_cool most of the games there are lame i mean zelda cleans all of them then theres metroid,mario,red steel,project hammer the list is endless and i dont give a much about graphics because if i wanted to then il just play my pc which can clean the ps3 and xbox 360 combined. and half life 2 on pc was a true hd game which came out in 2004 if im correct

  • zam786 #271 5 years ago

    @patchxbox360

    Wii owners will be experiencing xbox graphics for the next 4 years with no game shown as yet to justify the Wiimote as a true innovation - yuck

    well 360 il be playing games with graphics i used to play 3 yrs ago on my pc and nothing on the xbox is innovative at its best not even the graphics because my new computer just creams it using 2 gpus rather then 1 oh yeah and paying just to play online i mean come on get a grip looser

  • djtapczan #272 5 years ago

    For poor Polish man this is 2 much but metroid 3 ? :) oh god support me for this sure superb electronic state of the art