Topic: Wii Mini are every where this week, and that' can't be good :-(

I think a some people are missing the point of the Wii Mini slightly. I think it's simply a case of Nintendo wanting to keep costs of Wii production down. There's realistically no way that they'd completely discontinue the Wii yet - some companies are still publishing games for it and I can't think of a single console that disappeared within a year of its successor launching - you can still buy a DSi even though the 3DS has been out for 2 1/2 years! The Wii Mini allows them to produce the console at minimal cost, while withholding features such as online connectivity which may push people onto the Wii U instead.

I do find it interesting that they're so easy to find in America, though. It's been out in the UK since March and I've not seen a single one anywhere!

Funny enough, there were people complaining about the 2DS 's name that it'll just confuse people about the difference between a regular DS and the 3DS. I don't vouch much for the intelligence of the general population but if they can tell the difference between the DS family and the million different iPhones and Galaxies out there then the difference between "Mini" and "U" should not completely fry their brains. The difference between them is right on the freaking box. If the person is looking for a Wii "U" then unless their reading comprehension skills is at a ant's level then they'll get the one with the "U" in it's title.

It really seems like an act of desperation on the part of Nintendo

don't be silly... the Wii U has already been on the market for a year or so outside the US. It is just a way to get rid of old part supplies. Walmart et al. are well known for shifting loads of yesterday's tech gadgets on Black Friday so this sudden wave of Wii Mini adverts will be very short-lived.

I honestly agree with you here in the most part. Now please don't laugh at me when I type this. Nintendo really needs to hope Sony don't release the Vita TV in the US/EU next year. It is selling extremely well in Japan at the moment. Plus games will get patched to support the DS3/DS4 controller. If the Vita does come out in the west and sells well. Developers will make games for it. Plus the option of steaming your PS4 games to it no matter where you are as long as you have a decent wifi connection.

Look at it this way if and this is a big if. Sony does release the VTV next year in the west and it sells well and developers start taking it seriously. Then compare the Vita to the Wii U.

1,Vita TV $99 ($100 cheaper than the Wii U)

2, Will have and currently has some decent exclusives and 3rd party titles.

3, Steam your PS4 titles where ever you are. Pretty much have your PS4 in your pocket.

4, Will have some backwards compatibility with PSone titles and PS2. Plus a lot of cool indie titles.

5, Family friendly (youtube, netflix ect)

6, HD gaming for less than $100

Again this will most likely not happen. But if it did then I generally fear for the Wii U future.

...wut?

1. There is no price set.
2. What great exclusives are there for families?
3. Assuming you drop $400 for the PS4 in the first place
4. Digital only. Wii U has Virtual Console too.
5. Aside from those, why should families buy this device?
6. No, you have to buy a memory card too, so this point is moot.

Heck, your argument can apply to the PS Vita TV being a threat to PS4 as well. I doubt developers will embrace this if the PS4 is as great as it is.

1. Well if it were to come the price would probably be $99
2.Wel there's Tearaw.....oh wait. I hear the kids like those collaboration battle games
3. True Dat and Sony has even said and shown Remote play works best in the same internet connection
4. For what the Vita TV is Digital Only is okay. Its competing with other digital only boxes like Apple TV.
5.Good Question
6.Comes with a GB of memory irrc,

On your last point most developers mostly indies are targeting both Vita and PS4 for their current games doing cross-buy/play/save. The Vita TV will get a lot of games based on that alone. Its the main big hook of why the Vita and PS4's hardware and development environment are so similar.

Better read what he said before posting. So my post is to both @DarkwingLz and @ocelot20

1. I think what he is getting at is that if you convert how much yen it cost it only comes out to $99 USD so that is a good starting point to assume the price. But my question there is where are Wii U's that are only $199?
2. He didn't say great exclusives for families. He said it is family friendly due to netflix, etc. The apps are family friendly.
3. Sony said the streaming of PS4 to Vita works best if your on the same wifi. So there are questions how well remote play will work over distances.
4. Of course it's digital only. But for PS and PS2 games what would anyone expect?
5. Families should buy it because it is a cheap way for them to have a streaming device and HD gaming from an established library.
6. It comes with 1 gig of internal memory so it depends what you are planning to do with the device. It does take Vita game cards so if that's the way you going I'm sure 1 gig will be good. It's almost like you needing to buy a HDD to be able to really do any downloading with the Wii U.

Devs will embrace the Vita a lot more if they did release the Vita TV and it sold well. Plain and simple.

@Atariboy wins this thread. There's honestly no purpose for anyone else to be posting anything further.
Well done, my friend.

...i just wanted to show off my pretty avatar here.

@MOB why did you remove the photo?

Because it was better used in that EA article on the main page

Good way to get people that didn't buy a console last gen into gaming and get those people attached to the Nintendo brand name.

The Wii sold nearly 50 million units in the entire North America. Its not like everyone in the US has a console. There are far more people, everywhere, that didn't buy a console at all because they don't see something they may only use once in a while as a worthy investment. An entry point of $99 is far more accessible. What would be smarter is to include another Wii mote and Nunchuk and the Wii Sports games. $99 for something that 2 people can play right out of the box is tremendous value.

Any time I suggest to anyone that we should get a kid a WiiU the response is "We/they already have one".

@Atariboy: I don't remember where I read that at but I read that the Kirby Anniversary collection was the last game Nintendo is doing for the Wii. And honestly I haven't seen Nintendo themselves make a game for the Wii since then.

Money For Nintendo is money for Nintendo. Even if this did undercut the Wii U a bit, the profit they rake in from the Mini will make up for it.