Topic: WiiFit bundle by Christmas?

[UncleBob]

Dude...

Wii + WiiSports + WiiFit for $250 by early December.

Better than PS3/360 Price Drop?  'Tickle Me Patch Holiday Barbie' second year in a row?  UncleBob just talking out his ass?

[Nick DiMola]

I could see it happen, but maybe at $270 instead.

[KDR_11k]

Yeah, if it wasn't for the board I'd agree on 250$ but with that big board bundled in there it'll definitely cost more.

[UncleBob]

Here's my train of thought.  WiiFit (game only) seems to be a pretty low budget title (Similar to Wii Play, Wii Sports, etc).  So I can easily see it being bundled with the Balance Board for $50.

Nintendo is (supposedly) already making money on the Wii Bundle as it is.  $200 for the system and $50 for Wii Sports.  I don't know internal Nintendo numbers or anything, but I'd say they could drop the price of the hardware by $20 and still make a small profit.

Add in the fact that a title that has already sold 9 million copies (Wii Sports), they've probably made their money back on it - thus if it were a regular title, they could drop the price on it at retail.  Since it's a pack in, they'll have to drop the price of the bundle.  Wii Sports (I think) is $50 stand alone in Japan, right?  So let's drop it to $20, dropping the current Wii Bundle to $200.

Heck, part of me wants to say that Wii Sports could just be dropped from this bundle completely... but running under the assumption that it had a low budget and has more than made up for that by now, it just seems to make sense to continue to bundle it with the system, as popular as it is.

Now, add in the WiiFit and Balance Board for the $50 retail - and there ya go, $250.  Way below the price of the PS3 and still below the (current) price of the 360 Core.  Pack in two awesome and popular games (Which I have no doubt WiiFit will be) and two awesome controllers (Wii Controller and Balance Board) and you've got a bundle that would be unbeatable at Christmas.

Additionally, if Nintendo wants to ever see other Wii games using the Balance Board, they'll need to sell a *lot* of them.  Packing them in with the system is the best way to do this.

My only concern with this if WiiFit is actually ready for release, though it did seem pretty far along.  But if they get it out by Christmas, they could then reveal the secret Super Smash Bros, Brawl mode that uses it...

[Requiem]

I have to admit, $250 is a tasty looking price. When people see $300 that just seems like a whole nother ball park.

Still, I don't see this happening. Nintendo will probably keep their bundle the way it is now (don't fix something that ain't broke), and just advertise WiiFit and the board for a price of 50 bones.

Seriously, if the Wii is selling like hot-cakes, why try and make it even more appealing when you don't have to.

[Ceric]

I think if Nintendo starts to find that WiiFit seriously takes off they may start selling a 250 bundle with it instead of WiiSport.  Especially if they find it hits a non-gamer demographic different then WiiSports.

Also I wouldn't put this games development as cheap.  The underlying Tech and the bringing it all together for the board probably took a fair amount of man hours.  Meaning more cost.  Sure it may be spread out among several games but you can't assume that.

[that Baby guy]

Genius, UncleBob!  You can't have a Wii controller without it working on SSBB.

Now then, I think you're right.  That board is something Nintendo should want everyone to own.  Since the Wii may need an increased value package to combat price drops and the board could use widespread support, the two could work wonders together.

Honestly, though, I see it being on one disc in this situation.  A Wii Sports/WiiFit combo disc.

[Kairon]

As cool as this is, I'm saddened that we haven't seen Wii Music or Motorsports.

[Mashiro]

I would have love to have seen Wii Music.

[Requiem]

They made it already, they just release it and be done with it!

We saw Wii Drums here, and we saw Wii Symphony here and that was more than a year ago!

[Ian Sane]

"Heck, part of me wants to say that Wii Sports could just be dropped from this bundle completely... but running under the assumption that it had a low budget and has more than made up for that by now, it just seems to make sense to continue to bundle it with the system, as popular as it is."

I don't know about that.  I think the fact that the Wii comes with Wii Sports is part of the appeal.  It also is a good demonstration of the remote while Wii Fit will be more of demo of the pad.  Plus Wii Sports comes across more as a game while Wii Fit comes across more like exercise software.  In other words Wii Sports looks like it's more fun which is the whole point of the Wii.

Switching the bundle to Wii Fit also requires more seperate products.  Wii Fit has to be a seperate item as well since so many people already have Wiis.  However Wii Sports isn't a seperate product but would now have to be so Wii Fit bundle people can buy it.  If Wii Sports stays Nintendo doesn't have to release it seperately and they don't need to have Wii Fit as both a pack-in AND a seperate product.

Nintendo also has had issues with, you know, making these damn things since they always sell out.  Including the pad is one more thing Nintendo needs to make to have a complete Wii.  They might be able to fill demand better without it.

[Kairon]

So maybe Wii Fit will be a completely stand alone item then... hmmm. $50?

[Kairon]

Confirmed from Reggie: This won't be out in the US this year, but in Japan. And they don't know how much it'll cost, but it will prob be more than $50.

Chris Kohler gets the Scoop.

[Louieturkey]

All I know is this is awesome and is the thing I've been looking for to really get a work out.  I've been doing DDR and WiiSports and this will top off all of those with a good exercise program along with the recreation those two games give.  I'll spend $60 or $70 for it as well.

[KDR_11k]

Considering Wii Sports probably cost Nintendo 1$ or less per copy they could feasibly keep it in the WiiFit bundle.

[BlackNMild2k1]

If demand dies down then I can see them creating a new bundle using Wii Sports & Wii Play on the same disc, kinda like SMB & Duck Hunt back on the NES. Even pack in the 2nd controller and keep the price at $250. But I think Wii Fit will stay seperate since it promotes a different kind of gameplay experience. Besides, they will maximize profits off of the game by selling it seperate.ly

[couchmonkey]

I don't think the Wii Sports bundle will stop being popular until well into 2008...which may be a good time to start a Wii Fit bundle, I guess!
Actually, a Wii Fit bundle might be a good idea, since Reggie confirmed that the game and board together will cost more than an average Wii game.  A Wii Fit bundle for under $250 or so (Nintendo must be making mad profits on Wii at this time) might be attractive to people that don't already have a Wii.

[UncleBob]

Reggie's interfew was just him saying crap to keep Sony and MS from ramping out their holiday plans this Christmas season.  Just wait and see.