I know some people will think this is premature and I already have a Wii U so a price drop is of no particular concern of mine, however, it would likely mean that online games would have a lot more players.

I imagine the Wii U will drop in price when the next playstation and xbox consoles release. I'm sure the Wii U is already more affordable than what the new systems will cost, so if it costs even less then, that's going to convince a lot of people to buy one. It was weird having the Wii U release without any competition. I think that had a lot to do with why sales weren't as high, but Nintendo knows how they make their money: in the long run. So, they had a bunch of people buy it at launch, and a bunch of people will buy it when the other consoles release and people will steadily buy it over the years as well.

When the Wii U came out, people just wondered why they would buy it if they already had a game console. With a whole new round of consoles coming out, people start to wonder which console they should get, instead of if they should get one at all. And, of course, the Wii U will be the most affordable, thus persuading people to buy Wii U instead.

So, do you guys think there will be a price drop when the new consoles release? If not, then when?

IDK, but maybe they'll give us ambassadors 10 free DC and 10 free GCN games

It depends on the price of the other two. If they are as powerful as people claim they are, I doubt they will be the same price as the Wii U.

I may be wrong, but aren't they already losing money on this? I don't think it needs a price drop personally.

Well, the ps3 was $500-$600 and the xbox 360 was $300 to $400. Considering that the new systems are supposed to be really powerful, I would say that it is likely that the ps4 will probably cost about what the ps3 did at launch and xbox's next system will probably be at least $400. I could see Microsoft selling the new xbox at a low price trying to compete better with Nintendo, but if that happens, I'm pretty sure Nintendo would drop the price on the Wii U, if maybe just by $50.

@Nintengirl I'm not saying it needs a price drop and I'm definitely not talking about dropping the price now. This is just a discussion for when you think a price drop might happen.

This is blind optimism at its finest

so true

If the Wii U doesn't sell well for the rest of the year, expect a price drop.

I just can't see it selling substantially until November when Nintendo's games start to release.

I wonder if they might have learned, start the system with a "core" title, like a Zelda or even Smash Bros. next time (Wii had Twilight Princess)? That gets the "core" to buy the system, and possibly gets them talking about it to their family and friends over the holidays. Release it with a game like one that was released a few months prior on your company's handheld (NSMB2), and apparently it doesn't do as well. I think the NINTENDO launch titles, while good, are missing a "great" feature/function. Now, if NSMBU had had online multiplayer, that is a NEW way to advertise a Mario game at the "core" that grew up with Nintendo, but have perhaps moved on. NSMBU though, is a very odd title, that feels rushed in several ways to me; that doesn't mean it's not a good game though.

Nintendo I think just failed with their own Wii U launch titles, lacking online, and more casual appeal like Wii Sports had. I think the Wii U pack-in game needed to be a "Wii Sports" type of game, and I don't think Nintendo Land is it.

Do they need to drop the price? It depends on what their plans are for the system, but I think the first place they could improve upon is the advertisements and game releases (I'm perfectly fine with the games I have so far, but it seems some are holding out for titles like Pikmin 3 and other NINTENDO titles not out yet).

As for a price drop, I think it depends on what happens with the "new" consoles some. If Microsoft gets their new system out for $199.99 or less, expect the Wii U to get a price drop. I honestly am expecting Microsoft to expand upon their Xbox Live subscription services, so I'm expecting a lower priced, contracted though, console from them next (think like a cell phone, getting it cheaper, but being under a "contract" for 2 years with a cell company for "service").

I don't think Nintendo has had a great launch game since nintendo 64. Gamecube had Luigi's Mansion. Sure, a good game, but not a big game. Wii had Wii Sports and Twilight Princess. Wii Sports was definitely not a big game and TP was a port of a gamecube game. Nothing to get you to buy a new system than to play a game that you could get for a system that you already own, right? Wii U had Nintendo Land. Like Luigi's Mansion, a good game, but not a big game. Although, Black Ops 2 was what I got the Wii U for and I know that Nintendo's franchises will be on the system, so that helps.

I'd argue for GCN having a great game since Smash Bros. Melee came out less than a month after launch (and still a few weeks before Christmas).

I thought the Resident Evil remake came out during the GameCube launch window too. I can't say for sure though--I wasn't really a fan of the GameCube, I only bought one much later.

Concidering Nintendo's already selling this at a loss, I find it hard to believe so.
It really depends on how Microsoft and Sony price their products as well.

Gamecube had Pikmin, Luigi's Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II, Super Smash Bros, SSX Tricky and Waverace Blue Storm during launch. I'd say thats a good launch. If you couldn't find 2 or 3 games that you really enjoyed from just those few of the launch games then then you don't like many types of games to begin with.

There was also Pikmin, a phenomenal new IP, and Rogue Squadron 2, a game that looked like the movies when it came out (and still arguably so. Factor 5 did a really good job on that game). Then there was Wave Race: Blue Storm, a fantastic racing game. There was plenty of quality in the Gamecube's launch.

However, the long run is what matters most, and the Cube did not succeed there.

Additionally, when it comes to the Wii, Wii Sports was the game that made the system fly off store shelves and cost twice as much off of eBay. It was the quintisential system seller.

Now, for me personally, I think it would be a very smart move to announce a price drop right before or after Microsoft and Sony announce their consoles. It would mean more people owning the thing, which is an all-around plus. In terms of buyer remorse, I know I won't have any, and knowing Nintendo they could very well introduce an ambassadors program again for Wii U (if we get free Gamecube games, I'll be a very happy camper). If the Wii U were to cost nearly half as much as the other systems, it would really steal a lot of thunder away from Microsoft and Sony, and show that they're very serious with the Wii U. As for them selling at a loss, since there would be more games out and more on the way that had just been announced. Nintendo's problem with their profits is people not buying enough games. I'd bet that would be remedied by the time a price drop would be announced.

I would bet any amount of money that Nintendo already has a price drop planned for when the other consoles are released, AND I would wager they had said price drop planned almost regardless of how the system was selling. It's a really good strategy, seeing as how the Wii's lower price point did help it keep selling in the long run, even up against the other big boys. Bring the system out at a higher cost, get a full year of sales under your belt, and then drop the price point to something probably MUCH lower than what Microsoft and Sony are going to be touting. And if those machines are anywhere near the rumored specs, I think you would be a fool to not expect original PS3-level pricing AT THE VERY LEAST. A 250ish-dollar Wii U console stacked against a console that costs twice as much and may be playing pretty much the same games at first? That would be the best situation Nintendo could hope for.

I think Nintendo's gonna put out their software, along with 3rd parties, and won't need to drop the price until the end of 2014, assuming that's when those consoles will come out, or will come out at the end of this year at a $450-500 price point. I think Nintendo will be able to push alot of consoles once Pikmin 3 and Monster Hunter 3 come out, Smash Bros. info, Mario Kart, Zelda, etc. big titles even Xbox/PS kids want to see. If everyone gets what they expect(were promised kinda) from Nintendo, I'm sure people will see Wii U as being a must have gadget, even along side the other consoles regardless of how much more power it can do. We will just have to wait and see though...

I'll bet the deed to my house that Wii Sports sold more consoles than any title with the possible exceptions of Pong and GameBoy Tetris. Nothing against Nintendo Land, but if Wii U had a title with Wii Sports' wow factor we wouldn't have any threads of this type.

Remember that the production costs get lower with time, so by the end of the year if they cut the price down, they might not be losing money as the production costs have gone down as well, so I don't think that's a huge problem. Depending on how the other two will be priced (and how their launch lineup will be), Nintendo may have to indeed cut the price if their new games/announced games haven't boosted the sales.

Nintendo has already said it's not coming. And if it is, it won't be soon.