Expected Prices for the Nintendo Wii

Cost has been one of the more anticipated aspects of the Nintendo Wii console launch and after releasing dates for the console’s arrival around the world, the cost puzzle piece finally fell into place. Retailers will be locked in fierce competition, more or less guaranteeing standard costs across the board.

Nintendo has made no secret of targeting consumers not typically seen as gamers with the Nintendo Wii and the console’s price point reflects that. Where the Sony Playstation 3 comes in at the lofty price of $500 for its lower-end model and $600 for the premium edition, the Nintendo Wii will clock in at the more affordable cost of $250.

Included in that $250 price point is the console itself, a stand to display it upright, the much-talked about Wiimote, a sensor bar used to calibrate the Wiimote, a nunchuk-style attachment for the Wiimote, a start-up disk to configure the console after purchase, cables for power and television display, a copy of Wii Sports (not in Japan) and two AA batteries for the Wiimote.

Outside of that extensive list, consumers will most likely need to purchase an SD memory card used as storage for the device and additional controllers.

Where Sony with its Playstation 3 and Microsoft with its Xbox 360 typically take losses on hardware sales in the hopes of significant gains through software sales. One analyst estimate pegs Sony’s actual cost of producing the Playstation 3 at $800, a far cry from its price point. It’s quite possible that Nintendo is also taking a loss on the Wii, but that hasn’t been Nintendo’s typical operating procedure.

In keeping with that lower-cost approach, peripherals for the Wii are also priced lower than those of Nintendo’s competitors. Nintendo has publicly said that Nintendo Wii games will come in at $50 or less where Sony’s Playstation 3 games typically retail for $60. Where a Playstation 3 controller is slated to retail for $50, the basic model of the Wiimote will be $40. Additional attachments like the nunchuk and classic controller will naturally be extra. Of course, those small incremental costs can start to add up for a full set up with four controllers and full attachment sets.

Nintendo’s online presence offers a whole new set of costs, though basic access to online capabilities is free. The Virtual Console, as Nintendo is calling its online content-delivery system, will price classic NES, Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 games through points in much the same way Xbox Live Microsoft Points operate. Naturally, these points are prime candidates to be used as throw-ins for deals on software and hardware in the coming months.

Outside of Nintendo’s hands will be the pricing of third-party subscription-based online content, such as Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star Online on the Xbox 360. Price points may of course be recommended, but third-party groups are under no obligation to heed those recommendations.

Of course the Nintendo Wii will have a significant international presence as well and in Japan the system will retail for JP¥25,000 and in Canada, CAD $280 will land a Nintendo Wii console. 250 Euros will be the price point in Europe and £179 will land the Nintendo Wii in Great Britain.

Where pricing goes from here is anyone’s guess. As Christmas rolls around, it is very likely that Nintendo, as it did with the Gamecube, will progressively slash the price of the console to systematically build interest in consumers that may still see the price of the console as a deciding factor in purchase.

The initial price of the console is certainly attractive, but it is up to Nintendo to continue building on all of the potential buzz the Nintendo Wii can generate.

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