Topic: Wii Hardware Revision Confirmed for North America

[Daan]

A complete farewell for GameCube support in the west?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/28040

The streamlined version of the Wii, which was revealed during GamesCom 2011, has now also being confirmed for North America.

This hardware revision forces the Wii to sit in a horizontal position, instead of vertical, which was possible thanks to an included stand. The new system also removes all GameCube support, making its software and accessories incompatible.

The new Wii is set to arrive on October 23 for a suggested retail price of $149.99. As for now, the hardware will only be available as part of a bundle with a Wii Remote Plus controller, a Nunchuk controller, the game New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and a special Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack CD.

[broodwars]

NoA won't put the Mario Galaxy OST CD up on Club Nintendo, but they'll print up a batch to give away for free with  new batches of Wiis for the 5 people who don't own one by now.  They won't bring over the Operation Rainfall games, but they'll bring over a Wii that has no reason to exist.

Ugh, NoA just continues to find ways to irritate me.

[BlackNMild2k1]

But this new Wii raises profit margins by $7.38 per unit and is guaranteed to sell since it will be the only Wii unit on the shelf come Xmas.

[broodwars]

But this new Wii raises profit margins by $7.38 per unit and is guaranteed to sell since it will be the only Wii unit on the shelf come Xmas.

I doubt that, considering the Wii hasn't been flying off shelves this year, so retailers probably have a nice stockpile of GCN-enabled Wiis they still have to get rid of.

So NoA's been so ineffective at giving people a reason to buy Wii software that they're now bringing over this neutered Wii just so they can make pocket change on the fraction of people who don't own a Wii by now.  Great.

[Ceric]

So pretty much if I want a Wii to have after WiiU I should go ahead and get one.  GCN BC should be the only reason to own a Wii really after WiiU.

[UncleBob]

So pretty much if I want a Wii to have after WiiU I should go ahead and get one.  GCN BC should be the only reason to own a Wii really after WiiU.

Why not just buy a GCN?

[Ceric]

So pretty much if I want a Wii to have after WiiU I should go ahead and get one.  GCN BC should be the only reason to own a Wii really after WiiU.

Why not just buy a GCN?

Wireless.  I have a Cube with a network adapter.

[Kytim89]

I would be more receptive to a black version of this console if NoA was gracious enough to give us Xenoblade, Last Story and Pandora's Tower.

[Chozo Ghost]

There's nothing good about this revision from the perspective of consumers. I doubt anyone cares about the GCN compatibility one way or another at this point, because those who do already have a Wii and/or GCN. What does suck though is that it forces the console to be positioned horizontally and that is something that will matter to a lot of people.

So Nintendo managed to shave off less than $8 in manufacturing costs? That's great for Nintendo, but it does nothing for consumers. If that ends up translated into a price drop and/or better bundle deals then it would be a good thing for consumers, but right now its nothing but a negative thing.

[Ceric]

Be better if they at the very least released it in a color that we didn't already have.

[Enner]

Ooo, I would've really liked to have the soundtrack CDs.

[BlackNMild2k1]

So Nintendo managed to shave off less than $8 in manufacturing costs?

Just be clear, that is just a number i pulled out of a hat. Don't take that as fact.

They probably saved that much just by changing the drive type from one that has to accept small DVD. But I imagine the GC ports only costed them about a $1 or $2 per system anyway.

[NWR_pap64]

That does it, I am keeping my Wii, despite how beat up it is.

[Ceric]

So Nintendo managed to shave off less than $8 in manufacturing costs?

Just be clear, that is just a number i pulled out of a hat. Don't take that as fact.

They probably saved that much just by changing the drive type from one that has to accept small DVD. But I imagine the GC ports only costed them about a $1 or $2 per system anyway.

Don't forget about the stand that's a good Postage Stamp at least.  Plus they can schedule up the Mold destruction because the storage is very expensive.

[SilverQuilava]

It's stuff like this that makes me hope that my Wii never dies out or anything.

[ejamer]

It's stuff like this that convinced me holding onto an old GameCube was a good idea, even though Wii is (was) backwards-compatible.   


Although I don't love this news, it doesn't really deserve much reaction. Nintendo probably could/should have made the switch earlier since most people owning Wii consoles never use the GameCube functionality anyway. Those who are interested in GameCube gaming should already have the means to play - after all, games and controllers and accessories have all been scarce for a while and we're very close to the next generation of Nintendo consoles.

[StrawHatChopper]

Whoa! So much negativity. There's one line in that press release that makes all of it null and void.

The standard Wii bundle, which includes a Wii console (white or black), matching Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controllers, Mario Kartâ„¢ Wii game and Wii Wheelâ„¢ accessory, will continue to be available at a suggested retail price of $149.99.

Unlike NoE, NoA's not getting rid of the good system. They're just selling another SKU in tandem to the current one. I don't see an issue with that.

[Ceric]

Its the same price and some little boy or girl will get jaded because of it.

Though my biggest issue is...
We got this instead of marketing for a new game or just about anything else except and NoA set of Bonusses.
It doesn't serve any real niche at all except to jade someone.
Its not a new size.
Its not a new color.
Doesn't address something like the ROD.
Doesn't address internal space issue.

It just seems like a huge waste of time and effort on everyone's part for a system that should cost next to nothing compared to when they started to make it to now anyway.

We all know the WiiU is probably going to be here next year.  If not a new model of cheap hardware should be the least of Nintendo's worries.  They don't need to sell more handles.  We need more blades.

[MegaByte]

I find it a little strange that it comes with NSMBW, but the (previously unreleased in NA) soundtrack to SMG.

[Chozo Ghost]

Does anyone think the new Wii revision really can't be positioned vertically? Or is that just because they took the stand thing out? If its the later then as long as you keep your old stand you could still be able to do this thing vertically, and 3rd parties might step up and offer their own replacement stands. But on the other hand its also possible the new Wii simply will not work in that position, or if it does it might be harmful to it, so if that's the case then you probably shouldn't do it that way.

I'm just wondering which of those two is the case.

[Ceric]

I actually never used the Vertical stand that came with the Wii really.  I had a really cool one that glowed and had a fan in it to cool my Wii plus a place for 2 nunchuks and 2 Wiimotes.  I currently don't use that.  Mines just sitting vertical on its side.

[Ian Sane]

Looking over this thread it really appears that NOA has been such a fuckshow this year they really can't do anything without attracting some criticism.  Their big sin has been inactivity.  They just haven't done dick all, leaving finished games in limbo with nothing else being released in the meantime.  So now, NOA emerges, but what they have seemingly spent the last six months doing is not of any value to existing Wii owners.  In fact what they have done comes across like a scam since this variation of the Wii is an inferior product.

The worst thing is that this revision is entirely for the benefit of Nintendo.  Localizing those games?  That benefits Nintendo customers.  But this?  This only benefits Nintendo themselves so it naturally is a priority for NOA.  Cutting manufacturing costs is more important than releasing actual games.  The priority is to attract the last few stragglers that have not bought a Wii yet.  The existing Wii owners are of no concern.  Get the new customer, neglect the existing one.

The issue of Nintendo winning back core gamers with the Wii U is of less importance now.  Over this last year I think Nintendo has poisoned their image with EVERYONE.  The question isn't "will the Wii U meet the needs of core gamers?" but rather "will Nintendo support the Wii U in the long run?"  The last thing you want is for people to associate you with not supporting your product for a decent period of time.  Sega built up this reputation with the 32X and Saturn and it sunk them.  Nintendo in 2011 is the company that abandoned the Wii before a successor came out and dropped the DS is favour of launching an overpriced handheld successor with practically no games.  2011 is the year of Nintendo not supporting their hardware with games.

[pureval]

Does anyone know if the CD is going to be the actual soundtrack or just one of their 6 track specials? If the later I do not think it is worth getting upset over.

[Enner]

Does anyone know if the CD is going to be the actual soundtrack or just one of their 6 track specials? If the later I do not think it is worth getting upset over.

Judging from the box art, it looks to be the full 2 disc soundtrack.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Does anyone know if the CD is going to be the actual soundtrack or just one of their 6 track specials? If the later I do not think it is worth getting upset over.

Judging from the box art, it looks to be the full 2 disc soundtrack.

Yes., but what the NoA PR neglected to mention, was that the new SKU has also removed CD playback in addition to GC support, so you will have to use your old Wii or any other device capable of playing disc of any kind to actually listen to it.

I am completely joking in this post. So don't take it seriously