Topic: Wii Fit Priced at $89.99 in the U.S.

[NWR_Neal]

A free gift will be available for the first 1,000 people who pre-order the game at the Nintendo World store starting on April 18th.
 http://nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15784

 Nintendo announced today that their upcoming fitness game, Wii Fit, will be priced at $89.99 in the United States. The game will come bundled with the Wii Balance Board and will be in stores as early as May 19th.    

Also, Nintendo publicized the fact that the first 1,000 people to pre-order the game from New York City’s Nintendo World store will get a limited edition Wii Fit t-shirt featuring Shigeru Miyamoto’s image and his reproduced autograph.    

  NINTENDO NEWS: WII FIT TO KEEP AMERICANS MOVING AT $89.99 MSRP    

April 15, 2008 - In anticipation of the U.S. launch of Wii Fit™, the new interactive fitness game for the popular Wii™ system, Nintendo of America Inc. has announced pricing details for this groundbreaking release. Available at Nintendo World store starting on May 19, Wii Fit and the innovative Wii Balance Board™ accessory will be bundled and sold together at a suggested retail price of $89.99.    

Boasting a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, Wii Fit provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Using the included wireless Wii Balance Board accessory, every member of the household can step up and stay active, setting individual fitness goals and tracking their progress over time.      

Consumers in the New York area who pre-order Wii Fit from the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza will receive a special bonus item. From April 18-20, the first 1,000 consumers who place a $5 deposit for Wii Fit will receive a limited edition Wii Fit T-shirt featuring the image and reproduced autograph of legendary Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.      

Through mid-February, Wii Fit had sold more than 1.4 million copies in Japan since its Dec. 1, 2007 launch. For more information about Wii Fit, please visit www.WiiFit.com.

[NWR_Neal]

It looks like this is going to be like Mario Galaxy where its available at NWS on Sunday and then trickles out to everywhere else throughout the week.

Also, anyone gonna try to pre-order and get the shirt?

[DAaaMan64]

Hopefully the balance board will lead to an announcement of the next 1080 game.

[Nick DiMola]

My god this is expensive. I was thinking about picking it up but at 90 bucks ... I'll pass. Maybe if it was around $70 I would consider it, however at this price there is just no way, especially considering the fact that the board is the only part of it I was interested in.

If you break it down, Wii Fit itself is worth about 30 bucks (at most) which makes the Balance Board $60 which is freakin' crazy.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Don't forget it's the BIGGER amerikan board.

[Nick DiMola]

Ah yes that's right, because we are fatter.

[King of Twitch]

Reparation for keeping game prices at $50.

[decoyman]

Price=idiocy. No-buy for this gamer.

[animecyberrat]

back in the N64 days this would be considered a bargain.

[Enner]

Pressure pads don't come cheap!
People will be buying it anyway. I mean, they got Guitar Hero, right?

[mantidor]

Add another dissenting voice, some of the minigames seemed fun, but at that price no way, I'll spend my money in okami and maybe mario kart. Unfortunately Nintendo won't care and it won't hurt the sales one bit.

[ShyGuy]

I was going to buy this just for the fitness, but apparently Prizefighter uses the board as well...

[Kairon]

I can still justify this at $90. It's innovative, applies to a healthy lifestyle, and will prob make for a great discussion piece. Plus there are actually third party games in the pipeline for it. It's everything I can justify a higher price tag for.

[stevey]

[ShyGuy]

That picture is WIN.

[DAaaMan64]

LOL @ Reggie

[decoyman]

This is what the kid is saying:

IT'S OVER NINE THOUUSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNDDDDDD*

*cents, if you include tax.

[Ian Sane]

People will be buying it anyway. I mean, they got Guitar Hero, right?

Guitar Hero fulfills everyone's fantasy of being a rockstar.  It's air guitar in videogame form.  Wii Fit doesn't exactly have the same fantasy appeal.

The pricing makes it look like a forced bundle.  $50 for the game and $40 for the board.  That's probably not how the actual costs divide up but it looks that way.  In comparison Wii Sports looked like a free pack-in with the console.  Wii Play and Link's Crossbow Training looked like deals.  You got an accessory and a pack-in that worked almost like an expanded demo.  The upcoming Mario Kart is the same way.  It all seems very value-oriented.  None of those cost more than a regular game with no additional hardware would cost.

Value is tremendously important with selling non-games in North America.  Non-games have a very deliberate lack of depth so they work better as budget titles.  After all we're not bored of "real" games over here.  This is expensive, regardless of how much the board is actually worth.  It's a luxury game like Guitar Hero or DDR or Rock Band.  Those three games are popular with the same casual audience that Wii Fit is being targetted at.  With this price point those games become direct competition.  And Guitar Hero is a million times cooler than Wii Fit AND it's also a well established brand.  I don't see too many people picking an exercise game that's borderline edutainment over a guitar themed rhythm game that appeals to both casuals and hardcores.

Remember that Wii Sports is a SPORTS GAME.  It simulates something people find FUN that they can't normally do in the comfort of their home.  Most of Wii Fit's activities can be done at home for FREE.  I think there's a big difference.  No one fantasizes about exercise.  They do it or they don't.  The fulfillment of fantasy is largely the POINT of a videogame.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Fantasy will take a backseat to poor self-image.

Wii Fit is not a game.  Quit pitting it against games.

[UncleBob]

Maybe I should take advantage of the $132 from Activision and return my Guitar Hero III for this.

[animecyberrat]

but if you're over weight fantasizing about exercise and actually exercising are two different things. I agree this is too much for me to consider this game, but compared to other diet plans, its a bargain.

[Tanookisuit]

My temporarily fat a$$ is buying this thing.  $90 works for me.

[Kairon]

I want the original picture Stevey.

[NWR_Neal]

Yea, I'm gonna bite on this mainly because i'm a whore for peripherals. Its reasons like that why I have two sets of bongos, a myriad of Guitar Hero/Rock Band accessories and the Wii Zapper.
I was hoping for $80, but expected $90

[Arbok]

I want the original picture Stevey.

The Wii Fit version is a thousand times more brilliant though...