General Nintendo sales/business discussion topic (previously: The Wii U Thread)

[Detective Shadzter]

Which Wii is which? says the casUal customer with a Mini budget.

I thought they already made a slim model.

In fact it was just last year.

wat r u doin nintendo

Last year's redesign wasn't any smaller or slimmer, it just lost the ability to stand tall and backwards compatibility with Gamecube games.

[Doctor MK]

Yep, Nintendo has just made the Wii U launch 50% more confusing to potential customers and given the shop staff an even harder job of selling this stuff.

At least it's not... the MiWi 2!

I'm sure there's already been some heartbroken children on Christmas as a result of that shameless rip-off... I think they'd probably rather get a lump of coal in their stocking. Better value for money, certainly.

[Solkia]

I could have sworn it was smaller. My sister has one for her children, and I remember it being a little smaller.

[Blue Blood]

I thought they already made a slim model.

In fact it was just last year.

wat r u doin nintendo

They didn't ever make one. They just removed GCN support and stopped putting a stand in the box. This is the first actual redesign. I agree with Doc MK. Nintendo have just released the U, which will be experience stock shortages for a while, and have at the same time just launched this Wii Mini. People are going to get confused because they already have no idea what the U is. Though Nintendo are probably hoping that this will curb sales of rival consoles, especially the new slim PS3, because it's cheap.

[Doctor MK]

I agree with Doc MK. Nintendo have just released the U, which will be experience stock shortages for a while, and have at the same time just launched this Wii Mini. People are going to get confused because they already have no idea what the U is.

Aye, it's shrewd business genius, capitalising on the fact that the core audience of the Wii is going to have next to no clue what a Wii U is.

Despite the fact that the Wii is essentially dead now, Nintendo are hoping that...

*just replace Wii with Wii Mini*

[Badnik Mechanic]

I want a new Nintendo Wii-U not the Nintendo Wii, I want a Wii-U deluxe not the normal Wii-U nor the Nintendo Wii-Mini. I'll need 3 extra controllers for my Nintendo Wii-U, but I can't get an extra Wii-U pad so I'll need to get a wii-mote, it's packaged as Nintendo Wii.

And the Nintendo Wii-U comes out at christmas but don't get mixed up with the Nintendo Mini. Just make sure you get the extra controlelrs, which are packaged as Wii.

I'm sure your gran will unerstand that.

[Detective Shadzter]

Nintendo Europe has posted this leaflet/brochure for the Wii U on Facebook that you can view online.

http://cdn01.nintend...rochure_UKV.pdf

[Blue Blood]

Sorry, Hogfather:

With any sense though, all previous Wii models will cease production. It will just be a choice of Wii U or Wii Mini.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Wow! They actually list Bayonetta as a 'coming soon' title. Holy cow man thats a bit misleading!

With any sense though, all previous Wii models will cease production. It will just be a choice of Wii U or Wii Mini.

It's still a really really shady business move to do. 'Right we've released the new console in very limited numbers... Re-Release the old one!'

[Blue Blood]

It's still a really really shady business move to do. 'Right we've released the new console in very limited numbers... Re-Release the old one!'

I don't see it as that bad. Sony released a new PS3 model with the clear intention of hoping to undercut the Wii U and bank on the obvious fact that stock would be limited. Nintendo are doing the same thing with the Wii Mini. You don't let your competitors take your sales without putting up a fight. I know what you mean by shady cause the fact that consumers are idiots will definitely factor into their plan, but it's also pretty standard practice from the competition point of view.

[Carbo]

There's not really anything wrong with doing a new Wii mainline model if only for the sake of cost efficiency, and the concept of new models in Nintendo's past repertoire haven't been that scathing to their current consoles while still maintaining a steady flow. The brand name is still profitable enough for Nintendo to keep pushing it for the very same reasons Sony kept publishing the PS2, even though it'd have been a more justifiable reason for them since it's successor lacks backwardcompatibility.

The only real problem is still Wii U's name, but after the impressive launch numbers in the US I'm frankly a bit surprised at how it seems people are having an easy time discerning the difference between the two consoles ever since the 3DS malarkey, and since demand is still racking up high with Nintendo being able to stock up faster, both Wii and Wii U are probably going to be comfortable existing together for now. The Wii U is definitely going to ride shotgun on the marketing wagon. I'd be surprised if the Mini ever gets advertising.

[JezMM]

Yeah, as long as game store staff are clear and certain about what the customer wants (I know from Mollfie's tales of working at GAME that she is always very careful about making sure people buying 3DS games know they won't work on a regular DS if she's suspicious that the customer may not know) I think it'll all make sense to most customers.

Especially with the gamepad being the face of the Wii U, packaging shouldn't be too confusing, especially if they make sure to put them right next to each other.

[Detective Shadzter]

Wii Mini officially announced, first pictures of Nintendo's new console

Wii Mini is available exclusively in Canada next month

Posted by Thomas East on 27th Nov 2012 at 13:41

Nintendo Canada have officially announced that Wii Mini will be available in the country from 7 December.

The new Wii Mini is a small version of the Wii console but it doesn't feature GameCube compatability, nordoes it have any internet capabilities. So Nintendo fans in Canada won't be able to play Mario Kart Wii online on the Wii Mini or download any games from the Wii Shopping Channel. However, at $99.99, it is a budget version of the Wii.

The Wii Mini has a matte black and red-trimmed design, is slimmer than the original Wii and, according to reports, is just longer than a Wii Remote. It will also come with a red Nunchuk and a red Wii Remote with MotionPlus built in. It is also top-loading so you won't slot your games into a drive on the front of the machine as you would with a Wii.

"There are games in the Wii library for every type of player," said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada's vice president and general manager. "Wii Mini is a great gift for

the holidays that brings everyone in the family together to play. Wii Mini has a mini price, but it's all about big fun."

As for whether it will be released in the UK, Nintendo's press release states: "Wii Mini is available exclusively in Canada during the holiday season. No information is available about its potential availability in other territories in the future."

Do you like the look of the Wii Mini?

http://www.officialn...os-new-console/

[JezMM]

I have to say I love the finish on the top there. It's a very stylish little thing, in a sort of 80's kinda way. No internet connectivity is a shame but admittedly there's not a huge amount to gain from Wii online at this late stage.

[Solkia]

I get the feeling this'll become one of those collector consoles in the future.

[Detective Shadzter]

I guess it's ok as a cheap console to play with family, but I think getting rid of online functionality is daft. Wasn't expecting them to make it a top-loader.

[\gunther]

I sure as balls won't ever buy one, but that sure is aesthetically pleasing.

Kinda odd that it's only slated for Canada now, though.

Edited November 27, 2012 by gunthetra

[Badnik Mechanic]

No internet connectivity is a shame but admittedly there's not a huge amount to gain from Wii online at this late stage.

True, but theres all the other internet services you no longer get. Netflicks, Hulu etc. Then again those things are on so many things these days anyway.

I get the feeling this'll become one of those collector consoles in the future.

Exclusive to Canada and that nobody in their right mind should buy one. Probably will, kinda like that UK exclusive PSP that came out urm... . ... . I can't remember when it came out but I know it did. I think? I don't know...

[Thrippa]

I really, really wish they'd named the Wii U something else. I'd hoped the fact that after 2 years media were still referring to it as a 'new Wii controller' might alert Nintendo that something was still unclear. . . I was already wondering how many of those 300K Wiis were mitaken for Wii Us, and now we have another new Wii? (That still won't play DanceDance Revolution or other games still on sale that require the GC sockets despite being Wii games.)

Curiously, the thing I've still got my Wii hooked up for is the News Channel. I wish the Wii U had one; out-of-town papers are ridiculously expensive and the local one is a twice-a-week deal, so no real news. And I wish they'd hurry up and get Wii Fit U out, so I can stop having to shuffle disks every morning; the Wii Fit channel has also gone. But I'm very glad that unlike with the GC games on the Wii you can exit out of the Wii-compatibility mode and return to the Wii U menu.

[JezMM]

Curiously, the thing I've still got my Wii hooked up for is the News Channel. I wish the Wii U had one; out-of-town papers are ridiculously expensive and the local one is a twice-a-week deal, so no real news.

Really? I always found the Wii News channel kind of lackluster compared to most news websites, in terms of both content and presentation.

And hell, Firefox has latest news stories built into it unless removed by the user.

[Detective Shadzter]

Here's the Wii Mini site:

http://www.nintendo....try=CA&lang=en/

I can't see anything on there about SD card and USB support and from the couple of angles shown in the pics I can't see an SD card slot or USB port.

[SuperLink]

I have to say, it's an adorable little console.

But I also have to say still too expensive methinks.

That and this is a potential market disaster, as many have pointed out, there's the WiiU which has already generated tons of confusion due to Nintendo being unclear, and now this going on sale around the same time?

I know they're trying to break into the market which loved the iPodPadPhoneNotebookThing and all their tons of models, but they really need to market the difference between these.

And lack of online is.. dumb.

PS. I'm sure it won't stay Canada exclusive, I can't imagine there's such a particular demand for it there that they'd create a whole new model.

[Detective Shadzter]

I can't find any information about how much memory it has either, if any. If it doesn't end up supporting SD cards, then it better have some decent flash memory.

[Blue Blood]

Well it's gorgeous. But that's it. It's a huge waste of money. Seeing it exclusive to just Canada makes me think that in all over terriories Nintendo would rather stick with a still decent Wii unit.

I can't find any information about how much memory it has either, if any. If it doesn't end up supporting SD cards, then it better have some decent flash memory.

For what, save files for Wii Sports and NSMBW? You can't download anything on it, nor will the audience of this console be buying many games.

Edited November 27, 2012 by Blue Blood

[Detective Shadzter]

UPDATE 3: Nintendo UK has issued Eurogamer the following statement on the Wii Mini:

"The system launches in Canada on December 7th with a suggested retail price of $99.99. No announcements have been made regarding other regions.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-27-nintendo-wii-mini-leaked-by-retailer