Has your decision on which console you wanna buy changed with the Wii pricing?

[sikkinixx]

I realize the massive Nintendo community here on MR probably was gonna be a Wii as long as it wasnt $300+ but for those who were on the fence, with the wii costing $250 does it encourage you to buy one more? Or are you still going to get a PS3/360/nothing?

Personally, once I actually try the Wii I will probably wanna buy one asap. Unless Sony pulls an ace outta their ass at TGS my purchase of a PS3 in 06 is in doubt because right now Resistance and those amazing graphics are about the only reasons I really really want a PS3 at launch (although if i can get reliable pre-order for one on launch then the PS3 is in). Zelda will hopefully be better than WW before it and the low (but higher than I wanted) price, and good stock of the hardware are all strong pulls for me to give Nintendo another kick at the can after the failure, in my eyes, of the Gamecube.

[twistedlegato]

I was gonna get one from the begining expecting it to be around $300-$350...

But i was VERY suprised about how cheap this thing is!
It makes me happier knowing that i will be able to save money for the *Expensive* Wii-motes and nun-chuck pairs!

[greatdevourer]

I realize the massive Nintendo community here on MR probably was gonna be a Wii as long as it wasnt $300+ Well, for us lucky people living in the UK, it is over $300 :mad:

[sikkinixx]

I was gonna get one from the begining expecting it to be around $300-$350...

But i was VERY suprised about how cheap this thing is!
It makes me happier knowing that i will be able to save money for the *Expensive* Wii-motes and nun-chuck pairs!

dude, obviously you were gonna get one, you are MR Nintendo fan #1:p but anyway, you were actually surprised? Its what they said all along, they said it wasn't going to be more than $250...

[Abulia]

Yea. Another Wii thread...

[BlizzardBomb]

Yea. Another Wii thread...

Well it's not like there's a load of Mac games coming. Then you have PS3 threads which quickly turn into flame wars. Then you have the Xbox 360 threads which seem to... not exist.

[Archmagination]

I was suprised at the price, but then that doesn't really matter.. the Wii just looks soo good that I just have to buy it.

[risc]

No, I actually think in Australia the Wii costs too much money considering what it doesn't do. GameCubes cost $99 each here. I don't think the Wii is worth an extra $300 premium. I'll be sticking to my 360 now, and I'll use that $400 to buy the games released in November/December, and yeah I know $400 doesn't buy many games on the 360, it also seems it doesn't buy much console either.

[zim]

As long as the game play is good then why care? I will be buying :D

[MacRumorUser]

Not so much pricing, but the region free fiasco has certainly put a halt on my buying plans, and the no dvd playback which must of cost all of $0.25c to implement has annoyed me too.

Sony already changed my PS3 plans by delaying release in Europe to 2007...

So looks like I'll have to stick with my Xbox 360 until both Sony & Nintendo get their act together.

[After G]

Not really ... Wii's still the cheapest.

[BlizzardBomb]

Not really ... Wii's still the cheapest.

Especially considering it has WiFi, HD-AV cables (supposedly) and a game (which is made out of 5 games) out of the box.

[Mavimao]

Not so much pricing, but the region free fiasco has certainly put a halt on my buying plans

What fiasco is keeping you from buying one?

Anyway, I might wait until after Christmas to get one. I have my DS and that's all the gaming I need for right now.

But one day I WILL get a wii, be sure of that!

[guifa]

Not so much pricing, but the region free fiasco has certainly put a halt on my buying plans, and the no dvd playback which must of cost all of $0.25c to implement has annoyed me too.
Actually, I remember back when the last generationw as coming out, I read a number of articles saying that the licensing cost was ~USD 20.00. So that'd be an roughly an extra 16€, ¥2000 or £11. Nintendo's trying to keep it as cheap as possible and selling at cost.

[MacRumorUser]

What fiasco is keeping you from buying one?

The fact that one day they say it is region free, the next it is no longer region free :rolleyes:

[Mavimao]

The fact that one day they say it is region free, the next it is no longer region free :rolleyes:

I haven't heard anything.... where have they said this?

EDIT: ah nevermind, I saw the story on IGN...man, what the hell is going on over at Nintendo?! Gotta love that multi-continental corporation lifestyle!

[MacRumorUser]

I haven't heard anything.... where have they said this?

Updated news / interview on IGN

Originally Posted by IGN
IGN: Is the plan to keep Wii games region free? How about the online service - will users be restricted to UK content, or will they be able to dip into say Japanese services if they prefer to?

David Yarnton: The Wii will be region-coded.

IGN: There was a report we had out of the US…

David Yarnton: No that was a mistake… games and online services will be region coded.

[Laslo Panaflex]

I was planning on buying no matter what the price was, for one reason, Zelda TP. Wii sports and the added channel functionality is just icing on the cake.

[sikkinixx]

im surprised wii sports is such a draw actually, to me it looks like more a demo for how to use the controller in a variety of ways than an actual game I would be willing to sit down and play all the time.

[MacRumorUser]

im surprised wii sports is such a draw actually, to me it looks like more a demo for how to use the controller in a variety of ways than an actual game I would be willing to sit down and play all the time.

Yeah me too, hence i'd rather not have it bundled, or give it us free. If they are full games then yes I can see the attraction, but I dont imagine they are very deep, hell is the tennis game still on the rails ? If all the games are like that boredom would set in as soon as the novelty of the controller has worn (about an hour out of the box)....

[Dagless]

Well I was always going to buy one. Cost aside there is no other system that will have Metroid Prime 3 and Twilight Princess. thankfully the cost is realistic (same price as a PSP for gods sake, or nearly 2 DS Lites). It's good. It's affordable. My cousin is buying 2 for his 40" TV's in his pub, a little OT but you could not expect drunk folk playing Halo 2 multiplayers in a pub. Now Wii sports and you have YouTube gold. No Twilight Princess or anything like that though.

Anywho. My plans to buy an iMac a week ago have disrupted any console buying plans but has pushed it back to a definite Christmas present of the ol' parents. So the only thing that changed my plans was Apple coming out with a block buster of a deal.

[zap2]

Its price didn't change.....it was finally told

[Tommyg117]

Hell yes I'm gonna buy one. Just gotta get those preorders up ( I miss the amazon one because I was at class) and then I'm in.

[Krevnik]

Not really... I was gonna buy a 360 (done), a PS3, and a Wii... and if Sony's pricing doesn't make me flinch, I don't think Nintendo's is ever gonna be able to do it. :)

[7on]

dunno, depends if Nintendo plans to throw Twilight Princess onto the next console too :p

[sikkinixx]

Its price didn't change.....it was finally told

sorry doc, should i edit it for you? :rolleyes:

[plinkoman]

of course I will buy it. people who thought it would come with two controllers, two nunchucks, a classic controller, wii sports, and a multitude of free virtual console games for $179, and would be released this month were delusional, and the people bitching about price and dvd (who gives a *******) are wayyy over-reacting.

[MacRumorUser]

and the people bitching about price and dvd (who gives a *******) are wayyy over-reacting.

Plenty of people do obviously. So you dont, fair do's we respect that, you could at least accept and respect other peoples opinions rather than shouting off (who gives a *******)

I ask you this question.... if Apple tomorrow announced that all future macs will not ship with DVD PLAYER with their macs & superdrives, as they believe we all have dvd players anyway and want to save what must amount to a negligable amount per unit because they also dont want to pass that cost onto the consumer, (regardless of the fact that the hardware is all there) do you not think there would be an outcry ?

[zap2]

I ask you this question.... if Apple tomorrow announced that all future macs will not ship with DVD PLAYER with their macs & superdrives, as they believe we all have dvd players anyway and want to save what must amount to a negligable amount per unit because they also dont want to pass that cost onto the consumer, (regardless of the fact that the hardware is all there) do you not think there would be an outcry ?


Very Different..If a Sony said tomorrow that they PS3 will be 2k, would you be upset? I would because the PS3, the Wii and the X360 don't do as much as most computers(other then games) However I'd be willing to spend 2k on a Computer

Its 2 very different games...the Wii is mainly for a TV, while a Computer is mainly has its own screen(not always) With the TV, most people have DVD player hooked up to it, or have a Computer. One a Computer Display, not many people have a DVD hooked up also


And computer makers sell units that are 2k, with tons of place to add features that add price, but then low other things to make the money back. Game console can't really do that, its a small price point, there for less room to cut corners

[mkaake]

Plenty of people do obviously. So you dont, fair do's we respect that, you could at least accept and respect other peoples opinions rather than shouting off

I ask you this question.... if Apple tomorrow announced that all future macs will not ship with DVD PLAYER with their macs & superdrives, as they believe we all have dvd players anyway and want to save what must amount to a negligable amount per unit because they also dont want to pass that cost onto the consumer, (regardless of the fact that the hardware is all there) do you not think there would be an outcry ?

Than I would use VLC.

Point being, it's a different market than gaming consoles. Saw someone in another thread bring this up, but don't you already have a 360?

In any event, they've said it won't do DVD's out of the box... which they've said all along. They could still very easily bring out a dongle (which they said they would do last year at E3, if memory serves) and then you can have your extra dvd player, and pay for it to.

As for me, and lots of other Wii-buyers, we don't want to pay for that functionality, as it's *really* not important to us. And you need to stop with your pulling up different numbers of how much it would cost to add it to the console - you have no idea, you're just pulling numbers out of your butt that support your argument. Sorry for being so blunt, but that's the way it is. You have no idea if it cost .01/console, .25/console, 343.10/console to add dvd playback functionality (or more correctly, the proper licencing), so stating that it would cost them 'next to nothing' is a little foolhearty.

And on topic, no, my decision to buy the Wii hasn't changed with the announcement that the price will be what they said it would be, with the addition of Wii sports to the mix. The only thing that really peeved me was that it'll cost $60 to add additional players to the mix, but given the tech inside of the new stuff, I can't say that it's *too* suprising, just dissapointing. But there was a time when a stick of ram for a Mac Plus cost about as much as I paid for my eMac...


<edit>

Further research (read: Google) shows that dvd players face a fee of approximately 5.00/player. Hardly 0.25.

According to Philips, several Chinese DVD player manufacturers have agreed to pay licensing fees for DVD technology that they've previously refused to do.

Based on the press release, Sony and Philips, the main patent holders, also had to bow a little bit in order to get the manufacturers to agree on their rules. All DVD players that are manufactured and sold inside China and exempted from licensing fees until end of this year. Also all manufacturers who join now, can also apply to a "DVD Player Compliance Reward Program" that reduces the licensing fees from $5.00 per player to $3.50 per player.

Source: Philips

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/3339.cfm

It's come down. Back in 2001, it was $10/player.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/2819

[twistedlegato]

dude, obviously you were gonna get one, you are MR Nintendo fan #1:p but anyway, you were actually surprised? Its what they said all along, they said it wasn't going to be more than $250...


Well... before Nintendo at E3 i was expecting what the price was ($300-$350)
Mainly because of the 360 and Ps3 pricing, and the controler scheme looked pretty advance so i thought it would be pretty expenisve, but i was wrong and im happy!

So yes i actully was suprised 3 months ago, but yesterday it was CONFIRMED so now i am acrully really excited!

[twistedlegato]

The fact that one day they say it is region free, the next it is no longer region free :rolleyes:

I know this is stupid but what region free, or region coded?

[plinkoman]

Plenty of people do obviously. So you dont, fair do's we respect that, you could at least accept and respect other peoples opinions rather than shouting off

I ask you this question.... if Apple tomorrow announced that all future macs will not ship with DVD PLAYER with their macs & superdrives, as they believe we all have dvd players anyway and want to save what must amount to a negligable amount per unit because they also dont want to pass that cost onto the consumer, (regardless of the fact that the hardware is all there) do you not think there would be an outcry ?

I buy a game console to play games; thats it. thats why I pay $250 for it. I buy a computer to do a many many things. thats why I pay $2500 for it. BIG BIG difference there. not to mention that that is a stupid argument anyways because of all the software that comes on dvds, and using dvds to backup data etc... a dvd drive in a computer is not just a movie player.

I cannot believe you care so much about being able to play dvds on a wii. Of all the things to make a fuss about, you're going off about the dvd playback. I agree it would have been nice, but does it really matter that much?

Most everyone these days has a dvd player (especially the people who would be in the market for a game console), so adding it would be pointless. It would be costing nintendo $,5, 10, 20 (whatever licensing fees are) for each and every one of the 4 million wii's they plan to ship this year, and for what? something 90% of their customers don't need?

[ReanimationLP]

I probably am going to get the Xbox 360 first, then its a toss up between the Playstation 3 and the Wii.

[KafkaWasRight]

I'm sticking with my original plan: pick up a Wii at launch, or close to it, and wait until March or April for a PS3.
I have a feeling that my Wii game purchases will be few and far between (there are only two launch titles I'm interested in) but there are enough 360 and PS2 games in the pipeline, as well as some old GameCube games, to keep me going for a while.

[zap2]

sorry doc, should i edit it for you? :rolleyes:


If you want..but then that might make the Wii look good..wouldn't want that:rolleyes:

You can leave it as it..I just want people to be informed and now that Nintnedo never went back on its word

[greatdevourer]

My cousin is buying 2 for his 40" TV's in his pub, a little OT but you could not expect drunk folk playing Halo 2 multiplayers in a pub. I'm with Alex Albrecht here - Drunken Wii Sports = lots of broken noses :D

I know this is stupid but what region free, or region coded? Region free means that only Japanese games will work on Japanese consoles, only US games will work on US consoles, and only EU games will work on EU consoles. Otherwise known as the "let's make Europe feel even less wanted" system. Region free is where any game from anywhere will play on any device (in this case, Wii, but it also affects the 360, DVD players, etc)

[KafkaWasRight]

Region free means that only Japanese games will work on Japanese consoles, only US games will work on US consoles, and only EU games will work on EU consoles. Otherwise known as the "let's make Europe feel even less wanted" system. Region free is where any game from anywhere will play on any device (in this case, Wii, but it also affects the 360, DVD players, etc)

I think that's a nice way to sum it up. Even though it's not a feature I would use much, it would be a nice option to have (unlike the DVD issue, which is far beyond overkill for me).

[JimbobB]

Region free means that only Japanese games will work on Japanese consoles, only US games will work on US consoles, and only EU games will work on EU consoles. Otherwise known as the "let's make Europe feel even less wanted" system. Region free is where any game from anywhere will play on any device (in this case, Wii, but it also affects the 360, DVD players, etc)I think that's a nice way to sum it up. Even though it's not a feature I would use much, it would be a nice option to have (unlike the DVD issue, which is far beyond overkill for me).

Even if it is slightly wrong, it should read

"Region coded means that Japanese games will work on Japanese consoles ..."

Otherwise there's 2 definitions from region free ......

Anyway, I'm a bit miffed at the Wii pricing for the UK. We seem to get shafted yet again with the $ to £ conversion and I would of liked the standard console package that Japan got. it looks as though Wii Sports is just a demonstration tool to get people up to speed with using the Wiimote. The region coding is a pain as well.

I'll probably just keep using my faithful Gamecube for a bit longer while I decide. I still have oodles of games to finish ..... Paper Mario, Fire Emblem, Eternal Darkness (seriously stuck on this one!), both Viewtiful Joe's, Killer 7 .... I think you get the picture.

[viccles]

Nope I'll still be buying it

[gloss]

I ask you this question.... if Apple tomorrow announced that all future macs will not ship with DVD PLAYER with their macs & superdrives, as they believe we all have dvd players anyway and want to save what must amount to a negligable amount per unit because they also dont want to pass that cost onto the consumer, (regardless of the fact that the hardware is all there) do you not think there would be an outcry ?

Apples and Oranges. The Wii is advertised as a gaming console, nothing more. PCs are inherantly multifunctional, capable of serving as a media center, blah blah. Nonsensical comparison.

[MacRumorUser]

since i'm accused of not know exact figure for DVD playback....


Philips DVD Licencing figures

nintendo would have to pay to manufacture DVD players

• An entrance fee of USD 10,000 of which USD 5,000 is creditable against running royalties;

and then for each console sold

• A standard royalty of USD 2.50 for each DVD-Video Player or DVD-ROM Player


------

those saying that well not adding DVD playback means they dont pass that $2.50 on to us, I ask you this question. If you had the option of paying $2.50 more for your Wii with dvd, against saving $2.50 minus dvd, would you not ?

Also why would this cost be passed onto the consumer anyway. sony & Xbox are taking a losses on each piece of hardware, why couldnt nintendo decide to bury this cost and set it against the huge profits they get from software and licencing to other publishers... ?


Apples and Oranges. The Wii is advertised as a gaming console, nothing more. PCs are inherantly multifunctional, capable of serving as a media center, blah blah. Nonsensical comparison.


no it isnt. Its 2006/07 A time when convergence should be the byword for technology.

[mkaake]

<edit>

never mind. I'm pretty sure that even though you undoubtedly have more than enough capability of playing dvd's in your house, you're going to make this a sticking issue for some time to come... no matter what is said on the subject.

which is doubly confusing because you already have an xbox 360, with dvd playback... so the whole "I want to have fewer things hooked up to my tv" argument is a little weak. I mean really.

[MacRumorUser]

<edit>

never mind. I'm pretty sure that even though you undoubtedly have more than enough capability of playing dvd's in your house, you're going to make this a sticking issue for some time to come... no matter what is said on the subject.

which is doubly confusing because you already have an xbox 360, with dvd playback... so the whole "I want to have fewer things hooked up to my tv" argument is a little weak. I mean really.


Thank you for editing and taking the personal attacks out. I've only tried to state a case for one perspective/side - i've not tried to attack other people opinions by telling them at any point to shut TFU etc... which (not meaning you personally) a lot of peoples reactions seem to be when they dont agree with somthing.

in regards to owning a 360, yes i do. But I ask you a question does the Wii have to be in the same room as the xbox 360 ? ;)

I'm only saying I think the reasoning from nintendo was a bit lame IMO, that's all - not thats it a sticking point.

Yes i'm still going to buy a wii, although I will have to wait until the region coding issue is cleared up as there are too many conflicting reports on the net. Besides most of my GC titles are import, so I may have to buy a US machine to guarantee they work regardless.

I'm sure the wii will be a great little machine, but i'm just being objective with all the hardware and see the niggling issues that are there (which I do agree others might not find them niggling), i'm not trying to attack others opinions, or lombast them out of the forums.

[gloss]

no it isnt. Its 2006/07 A time when convergence should be the byword for technology.

You can flower that up as much as you want but it doesn't change the fact that the redundancy is totally unneccessary. What portion of potential Wii buyers are there, do you think, who don't already own a DVD player? At $10 per console, that's $40 million on Nintendo's dime before Christmas for a technology that 90% of everyone who buys the system already has sitting under their TV. Not smart business.

A more apt analogy would be if Apple decided to stop including floppy drives or analog modems with their PCs, since the majority of the people purchasing the machines would have no use for the extra hardware. Maybe one day they'll...oh, wait.

[sam10685]

but the region free fiasco has certainly put a halt on my buying plans


this is silly. ever single console prior to this has been region-limited. except the DS.

[weg]

Has your decision on which console you wanna buy changed with the Wii pricing?

Not with the pricing.. but with this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zumZ8v0e3I) :D *rotfl*

[sikkinixx]

If you want..but then that might make the Wii look good..wouldn't want that:rolleyes:

You can leave it as it..I just want people to be informed and now that Nintnedo never went back on its word

lol you are sucha smart ass. what i meant by the whole thing was now that the pricing is finalized has it changed your decision. Nintendo did say it would be under 250, and it is... albeit by 1 cent , cheeky cheeky ;)

lol and weg, that thing is funny :) although the "wii" isn't cute, just slutty and the PS3 is fat, which is odd since it has better visuals than the wii but it does a nice job of ripping them

[MacRumorUser]

this is silly. ever single console prior to this has been region-limited. except the DS.

With the N64 & Snes you had cartridge dongles that got round the problem

With the cube you at least had Freeloader to bypass region restrictions

With the Wii I was hoping I wouldnt have to, especially since all ps3 titles will be region free, and a lot of xbox 360 games are region free.

I dont know how long it will take till a work around is available for the wii and hence it will make me halt pre-ordering a european model.

It's not silly at all. I never said I wasnt getting one because its not region free, I said it would halt me getting one - until the region position is clearly in operation and what needs to be done to get around it for me personally, if it takes a month or two before all the user reports file in about the wii, then that's how long I'll take to decide.

In the end I may have to import a Wii (but that means i wont be able to pick up any pal releases) so it makes the choice of which wii to get far more considered for me.

Region problems arent an issue for Japanese and USA gamers, but for Europeans they are a pain in the backside.

Years of having piss poor pal conversion releases (huge borders top and bottom, and 17.5% slower gameplay) , waiting months and months for a version to arrive - if it ever does (it took 18 months after the US release for Animal Crossing to appear in Europe).


:)

[plinkoman]

Also why would this cost be passed onto the consumer anyway. sony & Xbox are taking a losses on each piece of hardware, why couldnt nintendo decide to bury this cost and set it against the huge profits they get from software and licencing to other publishers... ?

I'll say it again; nintendo doesn't have anything else to fall back on like sony and microsoft. All nintendo has is it's consoles, games, and accessories. You really expect them to take a loss on their flagship product?

by your figures, it would cost an extra $2.50 per wii. So for all 4 million wii's they plan to ship this year, and including the initial cost would cost nintendo a grand total of $10,010,000 USD extra this year alone. For something that virtually all their customers already have (face it, no one who doesn't already have a dvd player these days is going to be in the market for a game console), that would be a very bad business move on their part.

As for raising the price of the wii to include it; just look at how everyone around here reacted to the wii being only $20 more than most reasonable speculations. and again, why should we all have to pay for something we don't need?

[MacRumorUser]

and again, why should we all have to pay for something we don't need?

Fair enough I do see your point, and agree a lot of people dont care for DVD playback, I just wish they would release a dongle to unlock the feature for those that do. I'd happily pay $20 for it - hey it proved popular with the Xbox & original ps2 where you had to buy the remote to get DVD software for playback.

That way everyone is happy.


--- on a side note ---

I dont understand why im receiving such hostility on this forum. Just because I have opinions of the Wii that you dont agree with. I dont show any hostility towards people - i respect their opinions even if I dont agree with them. I've been a Nintendo fan for a long time, and have had pretty much every Nintendo hardware (exluding Virtual Boy) and I'm not flaming them, and yet there seems to be an attitude on this forum that if you say any concerns you have with some Nintendos choices, it automatically make you vermin and should be disrespected and flamed.

This is the 'mac community discussion forums' and not the 'mac community say anything we dont agree with and we will flame you forums'......

[ZoomZoomZoom]

I am definitely buying a Wii now. The guys across the hall from me have the 360. I simply can't afford a PS3. And with the Wii this affordable, I don't even think I'll wait for my roommate to dave in to buy one, as it won't dent my wallet 'too' bad. Happy day.

I ask you this question. If you had the option of paying $2.50 more for your Wii with dvd, against saving $2.50 minus dvd, would you not ?

Also why would this cost be passed onto the consumer anyway. sony & Xbox are taking a losses on each piece of hardware, why couldnt nintendo decide to bury this cost and set it against the huge profits they get from software and licencing to other publishers... ?

I can care less about playing DVDs on Wii. Don't know about other people, but it's not too hard to have a machine that can play DVDs.

As for cost being passed onto the consumer - money has to come from somewhere. You can't make a $2.50 cost go "poof". I agree that it's a small cost at first glance, but it adds up as more units are sold. And I doubt that adding in DVD functionality to the Wii is going to sell any noticeable number of units, as it's hardly a deal breaker.

[MacRumorUser]

As for cost being passed onto the consumer - money has to come from somewhere. You can't make a $2.50 cost go "poof". I agree that it's a small cost at first glance, but it adds up as more units are sold. And I doubt that adding in DVD functionality to the Wii is going to sell any noticeable number of units, as it's hardly a deal breaker.

I refer to the answer I posted above

Fair enough I do see your point, and agree a lot of people dont care for DVD playback, I just wish they would release a dongle to unlock the feature for those that do. I'd happily pay $20 for it - hey it proved popular with the Xbox & original ps2 where you had to buy the remote to get DVD software for playback.

[Dagless]

I agree with you on the Region points, MRU. I'd never say no to earlier, cheaper games. I might get mine from abroad just to make things simple. Means I can't just walk into a shop and buy a game, but seriously - 8 out of the 12 DS games I own are US imports. Even then the UK ones were impulse buys, one bought (Advance Wars) for a single rail journey, another because it's rare in America etc...

Plus shops here, CD-Wow and a few local ones are now stocking NTSC Gamecube games.

It's a tough un! Hell at £180 I could buy a UK and US Wii :cool:

[greatdevourer]

this is silly. ever single console prior to this has been region-limited. except the DS. If you're gonna include the handheld market, then that's (iirc) every handheld ever.

As to DVD, people didn't complain as much when the GC didn't have a DVD drive, and that was when DVD players were expensive. Their motto then still stands. They make game consoles. Their hardware is designed to play games. Nothing else.

EDIT: Oh, and my Wii will probably be a Japanese import

[MacRumorUser]

If you're gonna include the handheld market, then that's (iirc) every handheld ever.

As to DVD, people didn't complain as much when the GC didn't have a DVD drive, and that was when DVD players were expensive. Their motto then still stands. They make game consoles. Their hardware is designed to play games. Nothing else.

My Cube plays DVD's ;) http://www.golem.de/0312/28993-16479-gamecube_q.jpg

[BlizzardBomb]

My Cube plays DVD's ;)

So you don't need another DVD player then. ;)

[zap2]

My Cube plays DVD's ;) http://www.golem.de/0312/28993-16479-gamecube_q.jpg


Taking out the Q eh?

Wow, when I quoted it, the picture changed? MRU did you change the picture?(before it was a picture from a household)

[MacRumorUser]

Taking out the Q eh?

Wow, when I quoted it, the picture changed? MRU did you change the picture?(before it was a picture from a household)

Yeah I did mate, because this one at least shows the remote and stuff :) the other shot for people who never seen a Q doesnt really show it if you know what I mean :)

Here's another picture showing the shiny reflective front of the Q
http://www.kabliskkeep.com/gamecubewstuff.JPG

[viccles]

Yeah I did mate, because this one at least shows the remote and stuff :) the other shot for people who never seen a Q doesnt really show it if you know what I mean :)

Here's another picture showing the shiny reflective front of the Q
http://www.kabliskkeep.com/gamecubewstuff.JPG

Wow what is that? Never seen one before

[MacRumorUser]

Its the lovely Q!

It was a joint venture with Nintendo & Panasonic to release a Gamecube & DVD player all in one.

It was only released in Japan and some asian territories (Though you can change the language in the menu to English) and in a comparitivley small amount. Its a really lovely machine.

Mine plays Gamecube games from Japan & America nativley and I have to use the Datel Freeloader disc to play Pal games on the system.

:) I bought the Q over a normal cube, because of the design, mulit region gaming and dvd playback facility. Hence the reason why I would have liked to have seen some of those in the Wii.

[Moria]

The only reason that people are annoyed at the price is because the media had been hyping a really cheap launch. Nintendo said it would be $250 or under. And it is, they've done nothing wrong.

I'm getting one, and would whatever the price was (unless it was something stupid ofcourse).

[greatdevourer]

Its the lovely Q!

It was a joint venture with Nintendo & Panasonic to release a Gamecube & DVD player all in one.

It was only released in Japan and some asian territories (Though you can change the language in the menu to English) and in a comparitivley small amount. Its a really lovely machine.

Mine plays Gamecube games from Japan & America nativley and I have to use the Datel Freeloader disc to play Pal games on the system.

:) I bought the Q over a normal cube, because of the design, mulit region gaming and dvd playback facility. Hence the reason why I would have liked to have seen some of those in the Wii. Does the Q have the component output? And is it only NTSC games that can do progressive, or is it only NTSC consoles?

[2nyRiggz]

Yea I'm still getting one and I never had a problem with the price....Its worth it...all the consoles are worth their price...at least I think. $60 for the controller is a lot but I can deal with it...I might not even need another wiimote anyway.

MRU that GC is great....I like bright things myself but that would just distract me from the TV screen:)


Bless

[MacRumorUser]

Does the Q have the component output? And is it only NTSC games that can do progressive, or is it only NTSC consoles?

Yes. I use component. And yep only NTSC games can do progressive, they took that feature out of all the pal games.

[sikkinixx]

Their motto then still stands. They make game consoles. Their hardware is designed to play games. Nothing else.



right, and thats why they included a web brower, photo viewing/editing and Wii channels, because its for games only ;)

[greatdevourer]

Yes. I use component. And yep only NTSC games can do progressive, they took that feature out of all the pal games. Hmmk... time to get an NTSC version of Resi 4 :D (if it supports the same save-file from my PAL copy)

[sikkinixx]

a quick thought, maybe MS will do a 360 core bundle. Up here in Canada you get the premium+PGR3+3 months XBL gold+1250 MS points for $500 (the same price it was at launch), which makes the $400 core look pretty lame. But for the yanks, the core 360 is $300 so if they chucked in a game like PDZ or PGR3 suddenly for 50 bucks more than a Wii you are getting a decent/good game with a 360.

Parents/non-gamers won't know that the premium is a better deal and that they have to buy a memory card and HD cables and blah blah, but if it worked on a bunch of people MS could steal a lot of business,

I think people expect video games to nickel and dime them to death anyway (paying for a web browser, No HDMI cable for PS3 with the $600 version, $30 plug n charge kits, $100 WiFi adaptors, etc etc.) so even having to buy a memory card with a core 360 wouldnt be a big push away from it

[MacRumorUser]

Yeah they have a 360 bundle very similar here too in Ireland :-

Xbox 360 premium, PGR3, Extra Wireless controller + 1200 Gamer points for €399 (so not a price cut but definetly a very good deal, those extras cost over €130 here)

Makes the core even more redundant...

[chairguru22]

still getting the Wii on Day 1. nothing can change that.

[bobber205]

Its price didn't change.....it was finally told
Exactly. :cool:

[zap2]

right, and thats why they included a web brower, photo viewing/editing and Wii channels, because its for games only ;)


Thats true, but I'm think that thought that most living living rooms have a DVD play while the lack Web Browsers, Photo Editing and views, but that still doesn't explain why add new and weather stuff, most Living rooms have it....cool never the less.

[bobber205]

I wouldn't be surprised if the channel features can be incorported into games if the developers want them to. For example if it's raining outside, it's raining in the game. That wouldn't have been possible w/o the channels, and therefore are "gaming" related.

[sikkinixx]

I wouldn't be surprised if the channel features can be incorported into games if the developers want them to. For example if it's raining outside, it's raining in the game. That wouldn't have been possible w/o the channels, and therefore are "gaming" related.

nice way to find an excuse lol

[bobber205]

Yeah. I admit. It's an "excuse". But a very plausible and likely excuse. While it's probably there now to just get more people to think it's a great deal, I'm sure they're planning on using it as some point.

2 months, 3 days till launch.

[Dagless]

I wouldn't be surprised if the channel features can be incorported into games if the developers want them to. For example if it's raining outside, it's raining in the game. That wouldn't have been possible w/o the channels, and therefore are "gaming" related.

That's the first thing I thought about when I saw the Weather Channel. Would be fantastic for Animal Crossing, but hey in Saddleworth it's always raining :D

[sikkinixx]

:( i just watched IGN's Zelda gameplay montage (cuz ya know...even Rocky had a montage, a sports trainin montage) now i want that damn game... :(

and i figured out, for the PS3+Resistance AND a Wii+Zelda it would be $1231.65 (cdn) assuming that the Wii is $299.99 and zelda is $59.99, damn thats a big bill to foot... I have $478.01 coming from an income tax mess up and $299.65 saved for a grand total of $777.66! over half there....hmmm having both WOULD be nice....how much do you think a cube would get me trade in? Maybe I can make this work...

[bobber205]

:( i just watched IGN's Zelda gameplay montage (cuz ya know...even Rocky had a montage, a sports trainin montage) now i want that damn game... :(

and i figured out, for the PS3+Resistance AND a Wii+Zelda it would be $1231.65 (cdn) assuming that the Wii is $299.99 and zelda is $59.99, damn thats a big bill to foot... I have $478.01 coming from an income tax mess up and $299.65 saved for a grand total of $777.66! over half there....hmmm having both WOULD be nice....how much do you think a cube would get me trade in? Maybe I can make this work...

Trade in cube? 50 bucks.

[sikkinixx]

Trade in cube? 50 bucks.

hmm so thats 827, plus GRAW, Obilivon, Tiger Woods 06, and the GTA collection for Xbox...hmm probably 60 or so (canadian cash mind u) so thats about 890 plus i can cancel my $25 pre-order on GoW, thats ~$915...hmmm $316 away.. lol damn my girlfriend will kill me if she finds out i wanna spend $1200 on video games in 2 days lol

[MacRumorUser]

lol damn my girlfriend will kill me if she finds out i wanna spend $1200 on video games in 2 days lol

You could always sell her too ;) :D :D :D

[sikkinixx]

You could always sell her too ;) :D :D :D

nah, the amount she could sell for would be too small to matter....

*looks around to make sure she isn't reading this* ;)

[2nyRiggz]

^You will have to marry your PS3/Wii if she ever sees that post.....hope the PS3/Wii is warm enough for you;)


Bless

[sikkinixx]

^You will have to marry your PS3/Wii if she ever sees that post.....hope the PS3/Wii is warm enough for you;)


Bless

well if they are anything like the oven (aka. Xbox 360) i think I will be able to cope ;)

[GFLPraxis]

nah, the amount she could sell for would be too small to matter....

*looks around to make sure she isn't reading this* ;)

Considering that half the people on the Internet have never had and never will have girlfriends, you could probably fetch a hefty amount on eBay.

[sikkinixx]

Considering that half the people on the Internet have never had and never will have girlfriends, you could probably fetch a hefty amount on eBay.


lol i can just imagine
"well sweety, pack your bags!! Some dude in Texas just paid $100 bucks for you!............hey hey don't yell, its a legally binding contract you know..you don't wanna break the law do you? .....well you said you liked hot weather!..... you're plane leaves tomorrow, I suckered the guy into paying for a first class ticket but i only bought you it in coach, am i thrifty or what?!...On the bright side im only $100 away from my goal :cool: "










*on a side note, please don't think I would actually do this! I'm not THAT desperate...yet*

[MacRumorUser]

lol!

*on a side note, please don't think I would actually do this! I'm not THAT desperate...yet*


I think the conversation would be more like..

you - honey, you like ebay right ?

girlfriend - well yeah, me and the girls are always surfing it at the office looking for a bargain

you - wow, i'd bet youd like to be on it all the time yes?

girlfriend - yeah, but we do have work to do at the office too

you - well it could be arranged, i could get you on ebay for an entire week ;)

girlfriend - what ? yeah and miss a week at work

you - well technically you'd be earning money whilst on it, possibly very good money

girlfriend - stop talking rubbish, you cant make money being on ebay

you - well you can, and I can make it happen, I can also arrange a long holiday free of charge afterwards. A chance to meet new people

girlfriend - really ? That sounds cool if it was true

you - so do you want me to arrange it

girlfriend - i dont know..

you - ar go on, treat yourself.. its a week on ebay making lots of money....

girlfriend - mmm, i just.....

you - a free holiday, a chance to meet new people, who could say no?

girlfriend - well ok, do it. Youve convinced me.....


(20 minutes later she's on ebay, and your just 1 lonely fat guy away from having a Wii & PS3 :) )


See convincing her might be very easy.... :D

[zero2dash]

Has your decision on which console you wanna buy changed with the Wii pricing?

No, then yes, now no again.

Originally I was going to purchase one unquestionably.
Then they revealed the price and I'm one of the "pissed off about the price" people.
Over the weekend, with some more thought (and some video viewing from the other day), I've decided to buy one anyway.

Initially my complaint was "a 360 is $50 more". In retrospect - not exactly. A Core 360 doesn't get you a wireless controller or a game, so then you have to buy the Premium to come with similar accessories. Ok, $400...$150 more. But wait - Wii has online play, free. $0. What's a year subscription of Live? $50. Making the Wii $200 cheaper in total.

I'll buy a Wii by waiting in a 24hr Walmart just like I did when I bought my Gamecube at midnight on launch day. I'll get there around 5pm on that Saturday, and probably be one of the first ones there (with the Gamecube I was #3).

[sikkinixx]

I think the conversation would be more like..

...

(20 minutes later she's on ebay, and your just 1 lonely fat guy away from having a Wii & PS3 :) )


See convincing her might be very easy.... :D

no it would be more like

Me-hey! i need some extra cash so I thought I could put you on eBa...

Her- I have found someone else who understand my needs. my mantoy Jacques. Havea nice life dirtbag.

and then im just one lonely fat guy with no Wii or a PS3

[yg17]

Nope, I wouldn't waste my time with the Wii even if it was a dollar.

[Dagless]

^ that's just a foolish thing to say.

I was in town today, had a go on some PS2 golf game that used gloves and strings. And I gotta say, even with my sudden affection for golf games (or rather ones that don't use buttons, ok, Touch Golf) I have found something that has taken the crown. It's so fun to play. I mean it was only a store demo but I was there for 20 minutes with a mate as we swung virtual golf clubs to our hearts extent. Only when the store manager said "it's time to let someone else have a go" did we stop playing.

I said to him "if this is an ounce of what the Wii is like then I'm never going back to regular gaming". I'm hooked. I really can't wait to be playing some of these upcoming Wii sport games. From "I'd love a Wii" to "buying an iMac instead", I'm now back to a must.

Think the game was called Real World Golf or something. A little buggy, but ****** fun.

[sikkinixx]

^ that's just a foolish thing to say.




maybe he just doesn't like it? It's not everyone's cup of tea.

that being said, I am stoked for golf games on Wii. Screw Wii-Sports, I want Tiger Woods 08. I was talking to my dad about it and I get the feeling I could get him into buying/playing a golf game you actually swing at instead of pushing a button

[Dagless]

maybe he just doesn't like it? It's not everyone's cup of tea.

that being said, I am stoked for golf games on Wii. Screw Wii-Sports, I want Tiger Woods 08. I was talking to my dad about it and I get the feeling I could get him into buying/playing a golf game you actually swing at instead of pushing a button

I mean come on - a 50p weather, news feed and web browser station for your TV?

Up until now I've been teetering on novelty/awesome with the controller. The glove golf game had me and my mate laughing our heads off. Tiger Woods on the 360 never did that, no other golf game has. Funny that it took a PS2 to show me how fun the Wii is going to be.

[takao]

Up until now I've been teetering on novelty/awesome with the controller. The glove golf game had me and my mate laughing our heads off. Tiger Woods on the 360 never did that, no other golf game has. Funny that it took a PS2 to show me how fun the Wii is going to be.

well i found out that especially the eye toy / singstar/etc. playing crowd of my friends are anticipating the Wii the most and _not_ the hardcore internet forums visiting crowd... and believe it or not: of those nobody compared about lacking value

i know at least 6-7 friends etc. who are thinking about buying one without owning a gamecube

[Abulia]

^ that's just a foolish thing to say.
No, the only foolish thing is dimissing other people's opinions because they don't match your own.

[Dagless]

No, the only foolish thing is dimissing other people's opinions because they don't match your own.

Tee-hee :D you absolutely missed what I was getting at.

He said he wouldn't buy a web-browser, mini media centre, news feed, email and weather 'receiver' for 50p.

I said that's foolish.

[Abulia]

Tee-hee :D you absolutely missed what I was getting at.

He said he wouldn't buy a web-browser, mini media centre, news feed, email and weather 'receiver' for 50p.

I said that's foolish.
I wouldn't either; I already have all of those.

[GFLPraxis]

He said he wouldn't buy it for a dollar- that's an exagguration.

I'd buy ANY console for a dollar. XBox, PS2, GameCube, Wii, PS3, X360.

Even if I absolutely hated the thing I'd just sell it for a hundred times what I bought it for :p

[Dagless]

I wouldn't either; I already have all of those.

Fairplay but for £7 I could make every TV in my house have it's own dedicated media centre. I'd be up for that. Not to mention one for the car.

[greatdevourer]

Fairplay but for £7 I could make every TV in my house have it's own dedicated media centre. I'd be up for that. Not to mention one for the car. Hell, I'd get £100's worth and make me a renderfarm :cool:

[rockthecasbah]

The announcement of the $250 didn't affect me buying it, i still would have like you said if it were under $300, but the announcement about additional controller pricing is frustrating. I am one of those people that likes having 4 controllers so if everyone wants to play they can, but i can't do that now. Additionally i will only be buying 1 game at launch probably since i can't afford to buy multiple and an additional Wiimote + nunchuck. I had hoped they'd include 2 controllers and no game, allowing me to buy TP and another game :(

[Dagless]

you wouldn't need to buy newspapers anymore! be cheaper to buy a Wii in the morning, plug it into a TV, then throw it away in the evening.

[sikkinixx]

I still dont get why they are shipping the wiimote and the nunchuck seperately. Someone on here said "well some games dont need the nunchuck", fair enough but thats like shipping an Xbox360 controller without a right analog stick. Some games dont need it but a lot do, so you would have to pay another 20 bucks for a right stick to plug in.

(on a side note, my thread has over 100 posts! and almost 2000 views! :D im so proud)

[BlizzardBomb]

you wouldn't need to buy newspapers anymore! be cheaper to buy a Wii in the morning, plug it into a TV, then throw it away in the evening.

On the downside, you have to deal with 480p resolution which would be quite annoying when you're reading lots of text. Not saying it's bad, but it could be better.

[GFLPraxis]

On the downside, you have to deal with 480p resolution which would be quite annoying when you're reading lots of text. Not saying it's bad, but it could be better.

The zoom function looks to work quite well in the videos.

[jdechko]

Things to do:
1. Buy plane ticket to UK.
2. Go to jimmi's house every evening.
3. Make lots o' cash by selling jimmi's discarded Wii's.

:D

Wow, that sounds kinda creepy.

[MacRumorUser]

Make lots o' cash by selling jimmi's discarded Wii's.

:D

Wow, that sounds kinda creepy.

Touching anyones discarded wii is creepy ;) :D

[sikkinixx]

Touching anyones discarded wii is creepy ;) :D

lol poor nintendo, their lil system is the biggest running joke, on IGN the editor guy used a freakin dozen different ways in one little paragraph!

Good marketing i suppose...

[johnnyjibbs]

Nintendo Wii all the way. Just as I have a DS partly because of the innovation, I will be getting a Wii to get my hands on the controller remote, etc. It's going to be brilliant. Zelda? Say no more! I've always been a sucker for Mario and Zelda games anyway.

PS2 still has very little to offer me 6 years on. Ditto PSP - it's just a PS2 that can be taken on the train.

360 will sink beyond trace once the other 2 come out. I can see Nintendo clawing its way back into the running this latest offering (as long as they don't shoot themselves in the foot too many times...) :D

[macfan881]

i was surprised as well it depends id like to see what the plans are going to be for the classic games and the prices if they are a decent price and or way to get them ill deffintly get if not may consider xbox 360 and wait till ps 3 comes way down

[HecubusPro]

I already have a 360.

I will not buy a PS3. This will be the first time since the NES that I have not bought a major console release. Why? Because it's too damn expensive!

I've had a Wii on pre-order at my local gameshop here in LA since July. I will be getting it on day one or earlier. I think the price is still a deal, and you get a great pack in. WiiSports is super fun.

[MacRumorUser]

360 will sink beyond trace once the other 2 come out. I can see Nintendo clawing its way back into the running this latest offering (as long as they don't shoot themselves in the foot too many times...) :D


:rolleyes: 10 million consoles sold by end of the year, yep Xbox 360 is really going to sink beyond trace :rolleyes:

Nintendo shooting themselves in the foot, have you seen what Sony have been doing for the past 8 months.

[beez7777]

Not so much pricing, but the region free fiasco has certainly put a halt on my buying plans, and the no dvd playback which must of cost all of $0.25c to implement has annoyed me too.

Sony already changed my PS3 plans by delaying release in Europe to 2007...

So looks like I'll have to stick with my Xbox 360 until both Sony & Nintendo get their act together.

chill out, you're being ridiculous. you seem to be the only one who cares that there's no dvd player. it's 2006. most people i know have 5 dvd players. there is no reason for nintendo to put one in the wii, regardless of how cheap you think it would be for them. if that and the region free "fiasco" are keeping you from buying this system then it doesnt seem like you ever wanted one in the first place.

[Dagless]

chill out, you're being ridiculous. you seem to be the only one who cares that there's no dvd player. it's 2006. most people i know have 5 dvd players. there is no reason for nintendo to put one in the wii, regardless of how cheap you think it would be for them. if that and the region free "fiasco" are keeping you from buying this system then it doesnt seem like you ever wanted one in the first place.

Trust me, it's very easy for you to not care about region free. Try living in a region that doesn't have progressive scan, that has games launching days, weeks, months after your own and that charge extra for the privilege.

Come to Europe where the Cube can't even output S-Video or the original Xbox could only output 480i. Where the PS2 costs $185, the PSP $336 and the 360 Premium $506. I wouldn't mind paying them prices if the games played just as well as they do from other regions.

[zap2]

Trust me, it's very easy for you to not care about region free. Try living in a region that doesn't have progressive scan, that has games launching days, weeks, months after your own and that charge extra for the privilege.

Come to Europe where the Cube can't even output S-Video or the original Xbox could only output 480i. Where the PS2 costs $185, the PSP $336 and the 360 Premium $506. I wouldn't mind paying them prices if the games played just as well as they do from other regions.


I have to say, I'd be pissed if I got this treatment, as you guys pay more and get less! Sometimes I look at Japan and think how we should have that, looking at what you guys get makes me lucky :)

[bobber205]

With my interests, I should have been born Japanese... I wish... :D

[bobber205]

Duplicate post...

[GFLPraxis]

360 will sink beyond trace once the other 2 come out.

Maybe in Japan, but it's user base is already too well established in the United States.

[takao]

Maybe in Japan, but it's user base is already too well established in the United States.

for the "maybe in japan" : they sold 74k so far for whole 2006 ... that likely means that within 1 week both sony and nintendo will have overtaken the 360 for this year

my guess is that within 3 weeks _tops_ they will be already behind in japan including the numbers from 2005

i guess the US will be more difficult simply because more 360 were sold up untill now but don't forget what happened to the last early launch ... sure the 360 might be at 6 millions already but can they make 10 this year ? i somehow doubt it with all the other stuff coming out this fall/winter

[MacRumorUser]

chill out, you're being ridiculous. you seem to be the only one who cares that there's no dvd player.

You do not have to be so rude and ignorant.

:rolleyes: Do you only read the first post in a thread because you seem to miss points made in all the following posts.

From an earlier post

Fair enough I do see your point, and agree a lot of people dont care for DVD playback, I just wish they would release a dongle to unlock the feature for those that do. I'd happily pay $20 for it - hey it proved popular with the Xbox & original ps2 where you had to buy the remote to get DVD software for playback.

That way everyone is happy.


--- on a side note ---

I dont understand why im receiving such hostility on this forum. Just because I have opinions of the Wii that you dont agree with. I dont show any hostility towards people - i respect their opinions even if I dont agree with them. I've been a Nintendo fan for a long time, and have had pretty much every Nintendo hardware (exluding Virtual Boy) and I'm not flaming them, and yet there seems to be an attitude on this forum that if you say any concerns you have with some Nintendos choices, it automatically make you vermin and should be disrespected and flamed.

This is the 'mac community discussion forums' and not the 'mac community say anything we dont agree with and we will flame you forums'......


There is another issue about no DVD that I thought about in other threads, we were talking about will non gamers pick up and buy a wii. Well i think non gamers would be far more tempted to do so if it had a 'dual' purpose than if it was just one thing, it's a much more justifyable purchase.

By not including DVD playback, it could be seen as narrowing it's market rather than expanding it.

------------------------

As for region free, as Jimmy posted - Region free is a major + point for europe where we have been treated very poorly in video game terms for years.

how would you like to wait 6 - 18 months for a game to be released after everyone else
how would you like to have 1" borders top and bottom squeezing the picture to make everyone look like fat midgets
how would you like to have all your games run 17.5% slower
how would you like to have to pay 30-40% more for the privellege of playing this 'poor' version

There is no point telling us that all nintendo machines have had regions. Yes they have, but all of them have been VERY easily circumvented (gotten around).

Cartridge based systems had the cartridge lifter that allowed USA games to be played on Pal machines
Gamecube had the Datel Freeloader which solved the issue of region gaming.

With Wii it's a question of 'we just dont know' if it will ever be able to play other regions. So when I said my decision will be halted, it's not out of vitriol towards nintendo, it simply because I want to be able to make an informed purchase which you cant do until the machine has had time to pass through the hands of gamers and the community.

With the Xbox 360 a lot of the games are region free, with Sony PS3 all the games are region free. So how is it wrong for some of us to feel slightly let down by the lack of region free gaming in the Nintendo Wii ?

-------------------------

There are really sensible reasons some of us post things, unlike the VENOM that is spurted back by some ignorant posters who are incapable of seeing past their own opinions.

I have never said I wasnt getting a Wii, I merely stated reasons why I would make a considered purchase instead of an impulse.

[2nyRiggz]

MRU don't let it get to you...people have been spitting venom at me since the days of mecca...hell I've even made a few ignore list(like I give a damn) but its just something you take and be the bigger about it.

I'm more than happy to spit fire at some of these jackA**** on this section of MR but I can't be bothered but it won't stop me from stating what I see and don't you stop either.


Bless

[GFLPraxis]

for the "maybe in japan" : they sold 74k so far for whole 2006 ... that likely means that within 1 week both sony and nintendo will have overtaken the 360 for this year

my guess is that within 3 weeks _tops_ they will be already behind in japan including the numbers from 2005

i guess the US will be more difficult simply because more 360 were sold up untill now but don't forget what happened to the last early launch ... sure the 360 might be at 6 millions already but can they make 10 this year ? i somehow doubt it with all the other stuff coming out this fall/winter

Last week the GameCube outsold the XBox 360, and the GameBoy Micro has routinely outsold it and can probably be considered it's closest competitor.

The GBA SP, PSP, PS2, regular DS, and DS Lite consistently outsell it...the DS Lite often by over a hundred times. It only beats the original GameBoy Advance and original XBox, and sometimes the GameCube, in sales.

The original XBox usually sells under ten units every week. Japanese just hate XBox for some reason- probably because most of the Japanese people I've heard from just don't like FPS and prefer RPG's, game types the XBox lacks.

Regardless, the XBox 360 is here to stay in the United States. It's already sold far more than the Dreamcast ever did, and is predicted to reach 10 million by the end of this year, which would be somewhere around half of the GameCube's total sales.

[weg]

I have to say, I'd be pissed if I got this treatment, as you guys pay more and get less!

Well, at least Nintendo gave us the black DS lite long before the Americans got it ;-) (and it's even region free..)

[Sky Blue]

By not including DVD playback, it could be seen as narrowing it's market rather than expanding it.


Nintendo said it would make an extra dongle to play DVDs.

Question.

If there was an external DVD drive for 49.99, would you buy it?

[Dagless]

Nintendo said it would make an extra dongle to play DVDs.

Question.

If there was an external DVD drive for 49.99, would you buy it?

No. I don't need the functionality, I didn't need it in my PS2 or Xbox, I don't need it here.

[MacRumorUser]

MRU don't let it get to you... and don't you stop either.


Bless

Thanks mate. :)



If there was an external DVD drive for 49.99, would you buy it?


An external drive, no as I dont agree with external devices as big and cumbersome as this. However if its just a usb dongle required to unlock the feature, (much like the original xbox or ps2 remote dongle, or wavebird style reciever dongle) then yes I would buy that.

[aidanpendragon]

Maybe even Nintendo thought talk of needing a "dongle" for your "Wii" would be far too OTT.

...Sorry, I can take either term with a straight face, but both...!

[DougTheImpaler]

FWIW, I *do* need DVD playback on at least one console I own, because I don't own a standalone DVD player. I used my PC until I got my PS2, and now I use my 360. I doubt I'm even close to being alone on this, honestly.

[paddy]

MRU I just want to add a voice of support to your dvd complaint. I have a few dvd players but I would love to be able to use the Wii as my main one eliminating the need for the others on my main tv set up. Just more convenient like. One sleek little Wii underneath your TV that'll do everything - stream photos, movies, internet, play dvd and of course play games.

[heyisa]

The Wii would be a no-brainer buy if Mario Galaxies was the included game.

[zap2]

I can see how people might want DVD in the Wii, but will it stop you from buying it..or make it just a wii(pun:D ) bit hard to fork of the cash?


Honestly, I buy GameSystems for Games..thats what it comes down to for me. I have 11 DVD players in my house(inculding Macs and PC, one of which is in sitting in my basement down stairs, but it still works)

[jdechko]

Regarding Region Coding, I think it really sucks, and everyone loses in the end. The whole idea of region coding is to restrict content to certain groups and essentially price fix (anti-trust), but since there's no global law against anti-trust, the content companies (ie: Hollywood and game devs) can't really be prosecuted.

I say that everyone loses in the end because we really do. Yeah, it seems like our European brethren get the shaft most often, most likely because the majority (it seems) of the content comes from the US and Japan. And I'm not saying that no good content comes from other places; it does and that's why everyone loses, as not everyone has equal access to the same good (and bad) content. Just look at the new regions for Blu-Ray. While there are fewer than for DVD, Region 1 includes both US and Japan.

At least this round, we're taking a step in the right direction... 2 out of 3 isn't bad, and in 5 years, hopefully it will be 3 out of 3. The world is slowly developing into a global economy, and whether the content studios (and technology developers) realize it or not, things have changed and they will continue to change. Just look at the legal online music and movie distribution. Even 5 years ago something like this was impossible. The technology just wasn't there, but also the movie and recording industries were making more money than they'd dreamed of. Now things are (slowly) changing for the better of the consumer, and rest assured MRU and all the others upset about the region coding, that it will change for you as well. And I'm sure that there'll be some way to beat the region coding. :)

[/rant]

[dalvin200]

hell no.. the wii is under £200.. so will do for me :)

bit pee'd off with the region lockdown tho.. i mean.. they didn't lock the DS lite, so why do it for Wii?

altho if apple released their true video pod, i will have to tos a coin :)

[GFLPraxis]

FWIW, I *do* need DVD playback on at least one console I own, because I don't own a standalone DVD player. I used my PC until I got my PS2, and now I use my 360. I doubt I'm even close to being alone on this, honestly.

I saw a DVD player for $25 in the paper the other day, and your PS2, PC, and XBox 360 still play DVD fine...

[zim]

Regarding Region Coding, I think it really sucks, and everyone loses in the end. The whole idea of region coding is to restrict content to certain groups and essentially price fix (anti-trust), but since there's no global law against anti-trust, the content companies (ie: Hollywood and game devs) can't really be prosecuted.

I say that everyone loses in the end because we really do. Yeah, it seems like our European brethren get the shaft most often, most likely because the majority (it seems) of the content comes from the US and Japan. And I'm not saying that no good content comes from other places; it does and that's why everyone loses, as not everyone has equal access to the same good (and bad) content. Just look at the new regions for Blu-Ray. While there are fewer than for DVD, Region 1 includes both US and Japan.

I agree with your point about region coding and it not being good for a global market but I also feel that to the average user of DVDs, Gaming, etc.. hasn't a clue as to what they are missing out on. I recently gave a presentation at school, college, which included a discussion on regional coding, specifically how the media companies are controlling our access to content. Prior to my presentation I was prepared to explain region coding because I felt that there would be a few who didn't know what it was... shocked as I was to find out that only two individuals out of the whole class, 25 or so, actually knew what I was talking about.. the rest were dumbfounded that they couldn't just buy any old DVD from anywhere in the world and have it work on their DVD player etc..

Dreaming of a region coded free world....

[MacRumorUser]

Prior to my presentation I was prepared to explain region coding because I felt that there would be a few who didn't know what it was... shocked as I was to find out that only two individuals out of the whole class, 25 or so, actually knew what I was talking about.. the rest were dumbfounded that they couldn't just buy any old DVD from anywhere in the world and have it work on their DVD player etc..

Dreaming of a region coded free world....

Simply because your in the USA I guess, people have no need to think about region coding. Out of 'State' = Out of Mind attitude. :)
Hence the attack/flaming/slamming I recieved from posters from the US about not giving a '****' about region free...

When you have lived in a country (nay territory) with a healthy import market (heck just look at the back of a UK gaming magazine, adverts for loads of import shops) and plenty of American & Canadian websites who have profited hugely from this market too (DVDBoxoffice.com - based in Canada; advertise a lot in the UK mags) for DVD & Games to be sold to Europe then it proves how important Region Free is to a lot of gamers - albeit not in the US.

I share you dream of a region coded free world :)

[zim]

Simply because your in the USA I guess, people have no need to think about region coding. Out of 'State' out of mind attitude. :)

True, but what about those that travel from the US to overseas? Region Coding does effect them (Dealing with PAL vs NTSC can also be an issue and likely the same people who are unaware of region coding are also unaware of video formating). Region coding benefits the producing studio and no one else, it allows them to set different prices, release different versions etc. I know the reasons behind DVDs but I don't see where nintendo benifits from region coding other then price fixing. Having recently been to Paris I found that there was a number of DVDs for sale that were region free.. mind you I was looking at DVDs pertaining to art I was also happy to have been abel to pick up a French version of Brain Age for my DS.. now if I only knew French (my wife does so the purchase was not a waste)!

MacRumorUser!! you edited yours after I replied... hehe... I am in the US and I do care about region free. Remember the old cartridge days where in order to use an import you had to crack the case? I don't think cracking the Wii media will resolve region coding.

[MacRumorUser]

MacRumorUser!! you edited yours after I replied... hehe... I am in the US and I do care about region free. Remember the old cartridge days where in order to use an import you had to crack the case? I don't think cracking the Wii media will resolve region coding.

I added the last paragraph :)


:) Yep I do remember those days. But in the end they released this kind of halfway cartridge, that fitted into the slot lifiting the so the other cartridges fitted into it without having to get the chisel out . thank goodness.

Then they got wise to this and decided we need to stop them doing this so we'll add a bit of code and make the machine not play them. So the importers released another cartidge thing that not only lifted the cartridge but had two slots. 1 for the USA game and 1 for the pal....

Just as bad as modding these days I guess, all just to play legally bought games. Daft isnt it :)

[takao]

about region free:
perhaps it's mroe of an issue to UK+Ireland since for them it makes no difference of language...

personally i have never imported and perhaps never will since i want the market here becoming better and thus i buy my games here to support the market here ...

importing all games wont bring games here faster

[MacRumorUser]

about region free:
perhaps it's mroe of an issue to UK+Ireland since for them it makes no difference of language...

Yeah that's possibly the case also. I can see if English isnt your first language (if you have any other language that is) then you would be willing to wait for a native language version.

[harveypooka]

Well, for us lucky people living in the UK, it is over $300 :mad:

Has an official UK price been listed?

Good topic by the way!

[zim]

about region free:
perhaps it's mroe of an issue to UK+Ireland since for them it makes no difference of language...

personally i have never imported and perhaps never will since i want the market here becoming better and thus i buy my games here to support the market here ...

importing all games wont bring games here faster

Okay.. yes true, support the market here, I agree 100% (assuming here is US). BUT, there are a lot of games out there that never get released here.. good games! Also, games with different levels or slightly different graphics, such as the euro in Brain Age vs US currency, just one example.. not the best but it is an example. I honestly don't feel that anyone would be importing to save a buck, usually imports are much more expensive than what we could buy in our own backyards it is more for the excitment of having something unique.

[jdechko]

about region free:
perhaps it's mroe of an issue to UK+Ireland since for them it makes no difference of language...

personally i have never imported and perhaps never will since i want the market here becoming better and thus i buy my games here to support the market here ...

importing all games wont bring games here faster

But part it's part of the problem. As long as it's legal to do a soft-mod (ie: Using an action replay disk to boot around region coding on the gamecube) the content devs have something to lose. As zim and I have mentioned, part of the reason is to price fix content. MRU and others are pissed that they have to pay nearly double what we pay in the US for a game which has often had features removed or reduced.

(not trying to attack what you've said, just voicing my opinion, takao)

I understand about supporting the local stores, but personally, I want to get the best gaming experience possible: the best games at the best price. Region coding on games goes pretty much against that. Importing games might help the game developers realize that they need to think about the gamers who really want to play games from different genres and different locations.

I'm not into importing myself mainly because I just don't have enough time as it is, but I'd really like the option to play some of those niche games that come out of japan.

[greatdevourer]

Has an official UK price been listed?

Good topic by the way! Yeah, £180! ($337)

[sikkinixx]

Yeah, £180! ($337)

ouch, thats a lot! over 25% more than the americans pay, although still cheaper than the 900$ PS3 or whatever price the UK is getting raped at

[takao]

I understand about supporting the local stores, but personally, I want to get the best gaming experience possible: the best games at the best price. Region coding on games goes pretty much against that. Importing games might help the game developers realize that they need to think about the gamers who really want to play games from different genres and different locations.

well and then the game comes out a month later and is sitting on the shelves in europe ... what does the publisher see ? game sold good in japan/US and bombs in EU (because those who knew about it have it already)
what will he do next time ? launch earlier because people imported ? no publisher will be doing that

they will only take the market more seriously if they see in their statistics a higher number below "PAL Version Sales"

edit: and importing is not always cheaper... i guess that's a UK thing ... around here it's actually more expensive 5-15€ more per game normally

[MacRumorUser]

what will he do next time ? launch earlier because people imported ? no publisher will be doing that

Very Wrong I'm afraid.

That's exactly what publishers will & ARE doing now with the Xbox 360. A lot of the games are released only 1 - 2 weeks apart from the Europe & USA.

Region Free HAS made release schedule a vast improvment with the current next gen machine. I imagine this will be the same with PS3 as most games will be multiplatform anyway


Nintendo have a rather bad rep in Europe for the time it takes to release things here.

edit: and importing is not always cheaper... i guess that's a UK thing ... around here it's actually more expensive 5-15€ more per game normally

It's cheaper here and we have € Euro. Hell it's cheaper to buy from the web in UK £ then buy in Euro's here at retail stores.

Example - dead rising is £39.99 from Play / Sendit / Amazon (UK) which is €59.36
to buy the same game in HMV / Gamestop / Game Stores in Ireland costs €69.99 - 74.99


Buying from UK saves me €10-15
USA/Canada generally saves me €15-20 per game
Buying from Asia generally saves me €15-40 per game

[takao]

Very Wrong I'm afraid.

That's exactly what publishers will & ARE doing now with the Xbox 360. A lot of the games are released only 1 - 2 weeks apart from the Europe & USA.

Region Free HAS made release schedule a vast improvment with the current next gen machine. I imagine this will be the same with PS3 as most games will be multiplatform anyway

and what has that to do with region free ? zero zip nada ... that's a developer thing not the accomplishment of importing games... if that were true we would have that for quite some time

that aside launching a game without a 50hz mode/or with PAL slowdown doesn't count

how long did it take for enchant arms to hit the US ? 9 months ?

Nintendo have a rather bad rep in Europe for the time it takes to release things here.

well not as bad as square enix ;)
it's up to the developer ... ubisoft is thus one of my favourite developers

It's cheaper here and we have € Euro. Hell it's cheaper to buy from the web in UK £ then buy in Euro's here at retail stores.

Buying from USA/Canada generally saves me €10-15 per game
Buying from Asia generally saves me €15-40 per game

then you are lucky around here it's the reverse


console only developers still have to learn from PC too game developers (guess which games from the 360, launch within 1-2 weeks between europe-US) how to bring those games forward faster