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No Wii U price reveal at E3

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Nintendo not planning to announce price point or release date for upcoming next-generation console at this summer's LA trade show.

Gamers hoping to learn the Wii U's price point at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo are out of luck. Nintendo confirmed today that it will announce the price and launch date for the new system sometime after the show, which runs June 5-7 in Los Angeles.

Nintendo is not going to divulge the Wii U's price point at E3.

Nintendo is not going to divulge the Wii U's price point at E3.

Nintendo has not given any clues as to what the Wii U will cost, but Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter believes the company must launch the system at $250 or below. The reason for this, Pachter says, is that he believes the Xbox 360 Kinect bundle will be priced at this level by the time the Wii U launches.

Another report suggests that the Wii U will carry a higher price tag. Forget the Box claims Nintendo will launch the Wii U at "no less than $300" later this year.

Nintendo may not be revealing the Wii U's price point at E3 2012, but it will show off the system's final hardware configuration. Additionally, the company said it will highlight the system's 2012 software lineup at the show.

THQ's Darksiders II is the only Wii U launch title to be announced thus far. The Wii U is currently scheduled to be released globally during the 2012 holiday season.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He lives in Connecticut, works out of the company's New York City office, and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

115 Comments

  • LusterSoldierGS

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 8:23 pm GMT

    Nintendo choosing not to announce a price at E3 is not a big deal at all. They didn't announce a price for the GameCube or the Wii at E3. Nintendo needs to use E3 to announce the following information:

    Final system specs
    Revealing new launch games
    Revealing information about games already confirmed to launch with the Wii U
    More information about the "Nintendo Network"

    In particular, the "Nintendo Network" is important because Nintendo needs to try and win the support of hardcore gamers who like playing online with their PS3 or Xbox 360.

  • Jpleblancfinal

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 1:31 pm GMT

    If the release of the Wii-U is this year I would say it will probably be October-December like the Wii. And I think odds are good they will announce the price at $249.99. I looked to see what prices Nintendo announced their other consoles and $250 seemed to be it.

  • SPANNER-MAN

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 11:32 am GMT

    I'll say this much nintendo has good sales rep cause they got me to buy the wii and i haven't even bought 1 game for it as of yet, so i sold it.

  • shadowysea07

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 11:30 am GMT

    oh please like nintendo is dumb enough to overcharge for this system like they did the 3ds. they will price it at around 250 at the highest barring them actually adding a bluray dvd player and better online and store features (which i don't see happening either). they can't possibly charge 300 for a system when it still uses the same controller as the wii and is so far only confirmed to be prettier.

  • shadowysea07

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 11:20 am GMT

    i'll be waiting till i hear how much this thing costs as so far its just a prettier wii with a touchscreen controller only one person can use. I'll need at least 20 games at launch for me to buy this as i'm not falling for the same trick twice. too few games on the wii and the only reason i even still own one is for xenoblade.

  • pqwoei

    Posted Apr 30, 2012 8:50 am GMT

    If the launch lineup for the games is good then I'll be buying it, and it should also have strong third party games.

  • soulfulDAGGER

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 9:47 pm GMT

    $299.99. Throw in a new Super Mario Brothers or Zelda and you got a deal. And me camping overnight in line to buy it.

  • roleplayer2004

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 7:17 pm GMT

    I would wait a year or 2 for a price drop then I'll consider buying one.

  • dnguyen3

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 5:27 pm GMT

    $250 US is my max for what I'm gonna pay for. The Vita was $250 US for a handheld. Hope the upcoming next Gens won't make our wallets cry.

  • tduhon07

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 3:39 pm GMT

    SamehH99
    "i dnt care if it sucks or not, if its a new console, IM GETTIN IT"

    Console developers love customers like you.

  • mario113

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 2:47 pm GMT

    guys relax nintendo is probably trying to figure out what point in time to release the wii u and how much it is going for lets not forget they only announced it last year and probably had to go for a few changes to try to keep the cost low (though the fact the controller is a tablet dosn't make my wallet feel any better) heck after the 3DS launch im pretty sure they wan't to extra careful this time to keep from scaring away any potential buyers/

  • bigcrusha

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 4:52 am GMT

    I predict that Nintendo is going to steal the show this time around. Considering both Microsoft and Sony don't plan on revealing any new consoles of their own. I think we're going to see a much more solid and finalized version of the Wii U @ E3.

    This time around they need to impress people, what I think we're going to see is a large list of third party titles, details on the new super mario brothers game and finally 1 more flagship title reveal in HD graphics.

  • SciFiCat

    Posted Apr 29, 2012 4:30 am GMT

    The only reason why Nintendo isn't revealing the price tag of the WiiU is to avoid a counter move from Sony and Microsoft early in the game as these two companies would drop the price of their respective hardware to match or even beat the WiiU.

    The "Wild Card" in this whole equation remains the WiiU's system specs, Nintendo Loyalist are going to buy the system regardless of these characteristics because this section of players only care about Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. regardless of 3rd party support of not. But hardcore players that actually care about 3rd party support will pass it up if they see that there is no firm 3rd party offering on this new machine.

    It is no secret that 3rd parties did not do well on the Wii at all because their software had to compete with Nintendo's own games which had an "evergreen" effect where titles like Mario Kart remained within the Top Ten seller charts months and even years after its release, something 3rd party games can't accomplish or compete against. It is precisely that precarious condition 3rd party games suffered on the Wii that may act as a deterrent from many of these developers to repeat such an experience on WiiU again.

  • nonfanboygamer1

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 10:21 pm GMT

    Not giving a price range is a smart move by Nintendo I think. This will keep the interest in the level of tech that the console actually has. If they announce a low price now people might be quick to dismiss it as being inadequate.

  • hadlee73

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 9:25 pm GMT

    For any of these rumored next-gen consoles (or the Wii U) to be truly next-gen, these companies need to put something into their machines that they have been lacking in great abundance all these years. Give the developers more RAM!

  • SamehH99

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 4:03 pm GMT

    @Vodoo so u have traveled to the future, tried the wii u, and decided that its "low-tech" and not suitable to be a next gen console?

  • SamehH99

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 3:59 pm GMT

    i dnt care if it sucks or not, if its a new console, IM GETTIN IT

  • MalakTawus

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 2:39 pm GMT

    The more i read about it, the more i'm convinced that i'll be disappointed by this Wii U.
    I mean,i'm sure there will be tons of people that will love it,but probably it's not for me

  • Tedd_216

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 1:10 pm GMT

    People people. What's all the fuss as the article states the price point and release date will be released shortly after E3.

  • Hitasp

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 11:15 am GMT

    The price of Wii U not so important, but this is important that this will release with huge games.

  • OllieBrown

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 11:02 am GMT

    This is not surprising. I'm sure this is a move much akin to the release of the 3DS. They want to gauge customer interest before they set the price point (gauge demand). But chances are they will still play it conservatively. With the 3DS, excitement and hype did not equate to demand and it was very overpriced when it was released. Let's hope they've learned their lesson!

  • DJCartmell

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 10:52 am GMT

    I'll play it safe I'll get either the successor to X-Box or Playstaion. After being swindled into getting a Wii by Nintendo as a former fan of theirs I will not bother!

  • jhpeter

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 10:48 am GMT

    Can t wait to play a new Metroid on tablet controller.

  • Marky360

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 10:24 am GMT

    Well this is bad I mean WTH does Nintendo just want us to guess. I mean if I was planning on purchasing a WIIU I'd at least like to know how much it cost or at the very least know when it's doming out I mean we know it's this year but we don't know what day what week hell what month it releases. Come on Nintendo giva dog a bone.

  • wyan_

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 9:08 am GMT

    A tablet as a controller can't possibly be cheap. It will have to launch for at least $300 just because of that. Nintendo is already so damn stingy when it comes to what they give us in hardware. At $250 it scares me how cheap they would have to be to basically bundle two systems in the same box.

  • digitaltiger

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 8:24 am GMT

    Nintendo is being very cautious after the 3ds launch problems and they should be, hopefully Nintendo has learned from their mistakes and will release a good bunch of games at reasonable prices at launch. The consoles price also needs to be no higher then $300 or their going to run into problems, the more information Nintendo can give at E3 the better for Nintendo to build momentum heading into the last part 2012. Nintendo needs to remember games trump gimmicks so don't repel gamers with annoying gimmicks that reduce the fun factor.

  • toyo75

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 4:04 am GMT

    that is one big controller.

  • Vodoo

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 3:33 am GMT

    I think it'll sell for $300. That's the "typical" launch price for a new low-tech system until the 360 and PS3 came out. The 360 and PS3 were also the first real systems that did alot more than just play games, thus the higher price. Being that Nintendo doesn't really go for cutting edge tech and only plays games... $300-$350 is the range I'd go with. Even though the Xbox kinect bundle is cheaper, the Wii U is positioning itself as a next gen system (which it's really not).

  • BoabDreeps

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 2:35 am GMT

    I suspect announcing the price while the tech is on show could cause coffee to come spurting out of some noses....

    "HOW MUCH?!"

  • inso-maniac

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 1:26 am GMT

    nintendo just admit it, its gonna cost a bajillion dollars okok for real nintendo is probably leaving this as another piece on the chessboard against its competitors at e3. sony and microsoft might reveal there consoles aswell so nintendo made a decent move here

  • soulless4now

    Posted Apr 28, 2012 12:47 am GMT

    Guess we'll have to wait until TGS or a special Nintendo event just to find out the price.

  • jurassiraptor

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 10:25 pm GMT

    Likely too pricey and a controller that is too bulky, delicate, expensive, and awkward to use. However, the footage demonstrating playing a Mario game with classic button-pushing controls (as Mario games are meant to be played) -- as opposed to shaking and waving around a wand like current Wii games demand -- has me intrigued.

  • Chico86_basic

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 10:11 pm GMT

    Watch it as sometimes in the future it's ok of Sony releasing PS4 at no less than $600...

  • mpeg3s posted Apr 27, 2012 9:59 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mpeg3s

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 9:59 pm GMT (hide)

    Bye bye Nintendo!

  • KBFloYd

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 9:51 pm GMT

    damn it...that means more speculation even after E3 lol..

  • selbie

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 8:48 pm GMT

    Something tells me the controller is what will keep this thing above $350. Nintendo should also make the console more powerful than the current gen 360 and PS3 otherwise consumers will wonder why they should spend more than what's already available.

    The next gen from MS and Sony will probably be around the 5-700 mark so Nintendo will at least have a price advantage. I just hope all this marketing about 3rd party developers is true, and we see a lot of higher quality games at release. It always seems to be the biggest problem with console launches.

  • moviequest14

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 8:41 pm GMT

    @LindBergh2007 : Compared to the price of current gen consoles at launch that isn't extremely steep for a next-gen system. While I can agree it could run for $450/$400,it could be cheaper , after all a lot of the tech the system *might* be using is 6+ year old tech (though I'm not saying it will be weaker/same as current gen systems). Nintendo also said earlier they ''don't want to make the same {pricing} mistake they made with 3ds and the price cut of 3ds effected their price for wii-u''.

  • hitman047m4

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 8:19 pm GMT

    Why every time Gamespot post a news like this about any console, not just Nintendo, the comments are far from intelligent and a big percentage jumps on the hatred wagon. Gamers are now a days a ridiculous complaining/whining machine... no wonder game developers (software/hardware) are so confuse trying to please the gaming community.

    @HiImUPSMan why is it a joke? People said the the Wii was going to be a joke and yet it outsold the PS3 and XBox360, despite not having too much support from 3rd party developers. Cheaper price, not as powerful or HD as the other consoles... True; nevertheless, that did not stop developers from making good quality games for it.

    @jerseycarter15 The end of Nintendo has been upon us since the N64 or so they (haters) say, and yet they still come up with great stuff, so as MS and Sony.

    @Fuzzy_Yeti_69 yeah, unless Nintendo gather the Umpa Lumpas and they manufacture the console for no cost, so Nintendo can sell it for 100 dollars.

    Shaders, HD graphics, big juice up consoles, gimmicky features, etc, will not make any console successful and/or its games any better, no matter how much support that console has. It is in fact knowing how to use every bit of feature the console has to offer plus solid, non-rushed product will make a console and product successful.

    No big deal about Nintendo (or any company) not saying anything about the price of its next console... people are just overreacting as usual.

  • LindBergh2007

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 5:46 pm GMT

    moviequest14. It is an attempt by Nintendo to save face. The move indicates that Wii U's retail price will indeed be steep and not what its fanboys think it will be. If the system was going to retail for under $400, they wouldn't be trying to hide its SRP. Every report I've heard says Nintendo is targeting a $400-450 price point.

  • HiImUPSMan posted Apr 27, 2012 5:43 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    HiImUPSMan

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 5:43 pm GMT (hide)

    wiiU is a joke.

  • jerseycarter15 posted Apr 27, 2012 5:09 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    jerseycarter15

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 5:09 pm GMT (hide)

    the end of nintendo is upon us

  • rarson

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:58 pm GMT

    I think it's smart not to release the price at E3, because the buzz generated (or not) by the E3 demonstration usually affects the price point anyway, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to announce the price when it might change.

  • WizardGlass

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:54 pm GMT

    @xcollector

    that is exactly correct. Nintendo knows that the WiiU is just another gimmick and has little faith in it. It is similar to movies that dont get reviewed until the day they come out. no faith in the product so they try to hide as much information as possible until release.

    look to the WiiU being 350 dollars and coming out just before thanksgiving.

  • WizardGlass

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:50 pm GMT

    Nintendo can pretty much just sit out of the console race as far as im concerned. i am aghast at their choices with the Wii U. it is barely more powerful than current gen, and yet another gimmick with the tablet controller. add on top of that support for only ONE tablet and i just have to roll my eyes. nintendo has seriously lost sight of their market, hence why you dont see games coming out for the wii that break sales records. oh wait, you actually have to HAVE games to break records, the wii cant even accomplish that!

  • Fuzzy_Yeti_69 posted Apr 27, 2012 4:36 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Fuzzy_Yeti_69

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:36 pm GMT (hide)

    This shouldn't be anymore than $100.

  • Flint247

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:26 pm GMT

    This is actually good, especially after their financial situation. It is best if they play it safe and wait for a perfect time to release the Wii U price and release date and not too soon. The 3DS did feel like it came out too early and the price point wasn't good (I still like the system a lot). Not many developers out there know the Wii U's specs, yet, so I say wait a little while.

    I can wait a while if they need more time. My Wii, 360 and 3DS will keep me busy.

  • Kenshin0011

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:15 pm GMT

    At first I was really disappointed because I REALLY wanted to know when it's being released and how much it will be. But after a bit of mental chewing, I realize that this decision makes sense and it's the best business decision for them.

    For one, releasing the EXACT release date at E3 isn't that big of a deal. We already know for sure form Nintendo's own words that it is coming this year, which could only mean Oct/Nov/Dec, maybe earlier, but I doubt it.

    By not releasing the price, the focus on that goes away. Which is a smart move because some people are just waiting to make their decisions on getting the console based on the price alone. Now, all of the focus and attention is on solely the new console's capabilities and games...Then probably a few weeks after E3, they'll be like, "Hey guys, it costs $349.99 and is out in November".

  • NightFox313

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 4:12 pm GMT

    They could at least announce some more launch titles.

  • xcollector

    Posted Apr 27, 2012 3:18 pm GMT

    Nintendo isn't very confident with their product if they don't want to announce the price. They know it will likely get a negative response and are probably hoping for the E3 hype to sell the product.

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