So I was lucky enough to scrape an invite to the Nintendo Wii media launch that was held at the Wanderers Country Club yesterday.
To be honest I really didn’t feel like going and was not so interested in hearing a bunch of marketing people jibber jabber on about something I know about already… Death by Powerpoint again… But I decided to go and hassle them about the overpriced, badly marketed Wii anyway.
Well that was the plan, when I got there I was astounded. They had put up 9 huge Plasma’s to ‘practice’ on and there were tons of well educated Wii marketers running around helping out wherever they could. The whole thing was entirely well put together and managed. We sat through a 10 minute briefing of the system and what there plans are and then we were allowed to play again.
I was very skeptical about how well the Core Group were going to do with the Nintendo licence, but after yesterday I am very very optimistic about it. They have tied up all the retailers already, the games are coming, the units are here and well stocked. The price is higher than I would have liked but when you compare us to the UK we are pretty much evenly priced.
The Nintendo Wii is a beauty to behold, the way it transformed the normally boring journalists into a bunch of arm waving maniacs was amazing, it truly was a sight to behold 😉
I just can’t see how anyone is going to be able to resist picking up one of these before Christmas as it is just so much fun. Yes the graphics are nothing like what we have come to expect from the 360 or PS3 but to be perfectly honest the graphics in Zelda are not half bad.
Now for some details that you may or may not care about.
Recommend Retail Price = R2899
Wii Remote = R499 (R599 with Wii play bundle)
Nunchuk = R249
Classic Controller = R249
AAA games = R599
Games = R499
We will be getting the virtual console ability in Q1 2008, they are not targeting hard core gamers really but they do expect us to pick it up as a secondary console (and they are right 🙂 ), they are very much targeting lapsed gamer and people who haven’t gamed before.
You can start purchasing the Wii this weekend at pretty much all the major retailers, once again I recommend supporting our local speciality gaming stores like BTGames.
Last Updated: September 27, 2007
bokka1
September 27, 2007 at 09:12
I have pre-ordered mine from BT, but I am still not sure if I am going to buy it.
I am scared that the novelty will wear off and it will lie in my cupboard after a few months.
Lazy, will you be getting it.
LazySAGamer
September 27, 2007 at 09:24
I just have to have one, I don’t see it as ever being my main console but for fooling around with friends on a rainy day and for my kids the thing looks unbeatable…
A couple of beers and a few rounds of boxing with the wife sounds like an enjoyable evening 😉
BlueCollar
September 27, 2007 at 09:29
The novelty will wear off quite quickly, believe me. The controller is then something that’s amazing in some games and mediocre in others.
bokka1
September 27, 2007 at 09:40
@ Bluecollar: Do you have one?
JP
September 27, 2007 at 09:45
I’m definitely getting one.
If all you get are party games of course it’s gonna get old. Get the proper games like resi4, Zelda and Metriod and you’ll be a happy chappy.
BlueCollar
September 27, 2007 at 09:53
bokka, I don’t own one, but I currently have one at home, so “yes and no”.
Miktar
September 27, 2007 at 10:23
I am not impressed. Core Group refused to answer questions and they skirted around the pricing issue with the deftness of a company used to getting its way. (Personal Opinion Core, stop sending angry emails to my editor).
I love how they mentioned the Fortune article, but neglect to mention that even that article cites the cheap price of the Wii as a *deciding factor* in the success of it.
But hey – people can blow R3000 on a $250 console if they want.
And no Zelda at launch (rumour)? No Mario Galaxy until next year? No Metriod 3 until sometime next year?
No, sorry. I’m not impressed.
LazySAGamer
September 27, 2007 at 10:35
@Miktar, I thought they just didn’t like me 🙂 The price is still a problem but you can’t compare us to the US pricing, when comparing to the UK pricing we are competitive…
The lack of first party titles coming in is a worry, we always have DVD crave though.
Miktar
September 27, 2007 at 10:46
No, even compared to the UK pricing I believe we’re being ripped off. But I’m not going to speak on this subject any more, I’m just going to wait and see how R3000 does for a console that should cost half that.
I have a Wii (it’s broken, thanks to the ATI chipset flaw, great), and I love it. I’m the world’s biggest goddamn Nintendo fan – but I refuse to believe the Wii should cost R3000.
bokka1
September 27, 2007 at 11:37
@ Miktar: What do you think is the right price?
JP
September 27, 2007 at 11:41
R2500>*
Bill
September 27, 2007 at 12:32
Its still cheaper than buying a WII from the UK on current exchange rate
baba
September 27, 2007 at 12:53
Too expensive compared to other countries. It is a previous gen machine with nice controls, now I have got to pay between R500-R600 for a previous gen game? No ways!
I’ll stick with my 360, and maybe one day get a PS3
Ruslan
September 27, 2007 at 13:39
Zelda is in the country but hasnt been ratified by the FP board thus it wont be available for sale at launch. I have had the game in my hand and thus far Metacritic has given it the highest Wii rating for now.
Lupus
September 27, 2007 at 14:35
R3000 for the console, I mean the price for a US one even if you do the multiplying by ten for imports is R2500 roughly, and if you do it from pounds it’s R2600, they are making us pay an additional R400 for what? Also the game pricing is ridiculous? Sorry this is one Ninty console I won’t spend money, also I don’t want to get burned again like my Cube did.
Jak
September 27, 2007 at 21:44
You dont even get any great games. Where is PES, FIFA, DMC4, GTA. This thing really is for youngsters or really really casual gamers.
Ruslan
September 28, 2007 at 07:01
@Jak – I would be careful about such remarks after seeing the Wii overtake all other “next-gen” consoles. Maybe its this “casual” crowd who make up the largest chunk of the gaming market afterall? Who knows? Its clear though that a simple console with motion sensing controllers and fun, party games is ruling the charts. Now who would have thought about that in our we-demand-pretty-graphics-over-gameplay era?