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Europe Gets Wii Last

September 15, 2006, 9:11 am EDT
Total comments: 12

In Europe, Wii launches on December 8th for 249 Euros (£179 in the UK).

Wii European launch details announced

15th September 2006 - Today at a press conference held in London’s Docklands, Mr Iwata, Global President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. unveiled a new dimension in home entertainment. Nintendo announced ways to involve every member of the family in gaming via the new Wii console, as well as the much-anticipated price, date and software line-up for the console’s European launch.

Wii is set to revolutionise the face of gaming when it launches in Europe on 8th December 2006 at an estimated retail price of 249 Euros (£179 in the UK), bundled with Wii Sports. Accompanying the console launch will be around 20 software titles including Wii Play and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and from third party publishers launch games include: Ubisoft’s RED STEEL, EA’s Need for Speed: Carbon, Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, THQ’s Disney/ Pixar’s Cars and Sega’s Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz.

Included with every Wii console is one wireless Wii Remote, one Nunchuk, and the groundbreaking collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disk which anyone can play using simple physical movements.

Nintendo today set a new direction for the video games industry by using state of the art technology not just for enhancing graphics and processing power but to introduce new people to the world of video games by creating brand new entertainment that is fresh and accessible to everyone.

Mr Iwata, Nintendo’s President, outlined how the Wii would build on Nintendo’s learnings and existing success with DS and continue this expansion of the gaming audience in unique and unprecedented ways.

With Wii, Nintendo aims to create a console that can be enjoyed by every member of the family. Every Wii console will include a series of on-screen “channels" that make up the Wii Channel Menu. The Wii Channel Menu is the starting point for all of the console’s functions. The “channels" offer a gateway to a rich variety of entertainment options. When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games. Additional functions allow users to download classic games to Wii’s Virtual Console.

Nintendo believe that encouraging users to pick up the controller to access the internet quickly, check the news or see tomorrows weather is one way of ensuring that everyone in the household can use, interact and ultimately engage with Wii. And once users have picked up the controller to perform these basic functions, it’s a small step to get involved in some more fun game play action.

Wii launches across Europe on 8th December 2006 at the estimated retail price of 249 Euros (£179 in the UK). Nintendo first party games will retail at the estimated retail price of between 49 Euros and 59 Euros (£34 to £39 in the UK).

Additional controllers will also be available from launch at the estimated retail prices of: Wii Remote - 39 Euros (£29 in UK), Nunchuk – 19 Euros (£14 in UK) and the Classic Controller – 19 Euros (£14 in UK)

Click onto www.Wii.com for all of the most up to date official information on Wii.

Talkback

Dirk TemporoSeptember 15, 2006

Sony=FAIL'D

Good luck trying to take back Europe when you're four months late to the party Sony!

Hostile CreationSeptember 15, 2006

I'm pretty impressed that they're launching globally so quickly.

PlugabugzSeptember 15, 2006

I'm impressed too really. I was expecting 2007, but everyone to get it within 3 weeks... wow.

TJ SpykeSeptember 15, 2006

This is much better than the reports yesterday that it wouldn't come out in Europe until March. This is bad news for Sony because Nintendo has been pretty strong there lately thanks to the DS.

WuTangTurtleSeptember 15, 2006

wow, sony really is in alot of trouble in Europe, the 2nd biggest industry for games. They are going to be so behind.

I wonder if, how, and when Sony will be able to catch up in each market. Think about it Sony is already behind vs the 360 worldwide, and now they will be last place globally for the first year almost certainly.

Let's see how Final Fantasy and Metal Gear sells the system. Last time i checked in with my final fantasy friends they where all jaded by the recently released games and upcoming versions.

thame^September 15, 2006

250 Euros = 317.15 U.S. dollars. And we'll obviously be getting games at the usual 59 EUR = $75. Highest price point and last release date. Why does Europe always get screwed? =\

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusSeptember 17, 2006

Cause you're Europe.

CalibanSeptember 18, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: thame^
250 Euros = 317.15 U.S. dollars. And we'll obviously be getting games at the usual 59 EUR = $75. Highest price point and last release date. Why does Europe always get screwed? =\


Just in case you didn't know, Europe has some wierd laws and specially in regards to consoles/computers (to put it simply), if you followed Sony dealings with trying to make the PS2 to be considered a computer then you know what I'm talking about, btw, Sony was denied and so now they have to pay them an awful huge amount in taxes that they "evaded" or at least tried to evade.
So I think that's why Europe always pays more when it comes to Nintendo products because they are never considered to be a computer, it's a console.
I bet that Nintendo could pass the Wii as console, but they would have to get someone really good to defend their case.

vuduSeptember 18, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Svevan
Cause you're Europe.
Ouch. Especially considering that came from someone living in Oregon.

KDR_11kSeptember 18, 2006

Caliban: Those were import fees and they have been abolished for years now, Sony just fought for a refund.

CalibanSeptember 18, 2006

KDR > LOL, they were fighting for a refund, gosh, only Sony.
Wasn't Sony also touting for the PS3 to be perceived as a computer just to evade those same fees?

KDR_11kSeptember 19, 2006

No, I think that's unrelated.

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