Topic: Wii U Price dropped by a lot in the UK

Welcome to the wide world of capitalism, where the customers feel entitled to everything but the companies couldn't care less

10 Free Dreamcasts? Does SEGA agree with this?

Actually it doesn't.

Australia's dollar is worth more than the US dollar at the moment according to the exchange rate.. However, because we have a higher average wage, on the ground the dollar is not considered to be worth as much. We have an average wage of $70k. The American average wage is $43k. One dollar simply does not mean as much for us as it does for you.

And that is why exchange rates are one of the horrible and inaccurate ways to measure how much goods should cost, region to region.

Regarding this price drop: a retailer wants to sell inventory. Nintendo has no control over at retail price beyond a guideline RRP, so I wouldn't read too much into this.

I should have a "Call Waltz" button

I just went to turn on the Waltz Signal.

Er, no. I have no knowledge of the number of dissatisfied customers. However, I assume that a majority of owners of a new Wii U console paid the originally set prices before this started happening

That's nice dear, now go play in the yard.

Yes, I assume because I don't have solid knowledge of such matters and..._{admittedly, I won't have intentions of investigating it unless it's really important :s}

I should also note that Mickeymac's new name is right in one sense. The average wage in the UK is only around 27,000 pounds, so 300 pounds is a substantial chunk of that. However, game consoles have always been a real luxury item in the UK, unlike in Australia and the US, where we're at the point where it's assumed people play games, so sales expectations by the vendors will be lower for the region. That is why Nintendo hasn't cut the official RRP as yet, I imagine. I suspect Nintendo is happy with how the console is tracking in the UK at this stage.

And yet in the post I was responding to you said a "considerable number" were. I cannot understand why you would automatically assume that just because some retailers (and I've only seen reference to two online retailers - only one of which I've ever heard of) have discounted the price, Nintendo suddenly has dissatisfied customers who need to be placated.

Even assuming that's true, why would they? Are the early adopters who felt burned going to publicly torch their Wii Us or besiege Nintendo HQ? Will they start massive social protests to punish Nintendo for the incredible outrage of having forced them with violence unless they paid an "extra" fifty quid for their entertainment device?

Okay, I should've approached this with a better picture of what's on. I did a quick look-up of the prices around shops in the UK region, and saw the original prices.

In reply to the second paragraph, if there were some major price cut, I just feared it would give the company a bad rep and a lower standing with the consumers. From what I've seen on VGCharts and NintendoLife's article about the country's software sales, the UK had performed okay with the overall sales of the console and games. However, the market for game consoles don't seem to be as strong compared to other countries, as mentioned in this thread. So in the end, it just seemed to be a concern for the video game company to do nothing about the sudden price cut. But like what I've witness from my search and your implications, that wouldn't seem to be the case with only a couple of sellers. My apologies...

I think you'd have a valid point if Nintendo dropped the RRP and papers like the Sun would be jumping all over it, but that's not the case here (thankfully).

I am a bit surprised about these retailers cutting price, but it might have more to do with them not attracting customers generally than anything to do with the Wii U specifically, i.e., they bought a lot of kit and people didn't buy from them, so they're desperately trying to attract eyes.

Bankai's point is also very relevant. It was seven years before I managed to make the equivalent of what I was earning at my last job in the States, but I was able to support a family of three for years on two-thirds that (impossible in Northern California - at least a middle class lifestyle with a mortgage and holidays abroad) because the cost of living in Scotland is a lot lower than places like San Francisco or New York City.

I'm now earning pretty much the same wage I was eleven years ago (no meaningful pay rise in four years and that's not adjusted for inflation either - just a straight currency conversion), but I'm still in the top %5 of wage-earners in this country. Before you go thinking I'm super rich, you're in the top one percent if you're making a little over £50k a year (source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/datablog/2012/jun/22/househ... There are very very few people in the UK making six figures or better, so it's a lot different than living in the States where CEOs getting millions is taken for granted.

re. the large price difference between US and UK/Europe: you guys need to factor in the VAT. A large chunck of the retail price (21% here in Holland) goes to the taxman. Sales taxes in the US are much lower or zero.

Secondly: Nintendo doesnt set the street price. Retailers often lower the console price to attract more business. Everyone knows most console buyers also buy a couple of games and/or accessories so they can sell the console with very little or no profit margin (Google "loss leader"). .

And further to what Mk_II just said, UK prices (and most European prices) include VAT. In North America, sales taxes are generally added after purchase.

e.g. I paid $349.99 Canadian for my Wii U Deluxe, plus $17.50 Saskatchewan sales tax, plus $17.50 Canadian GST. Total $384.99 Canadian.

I think our prices will still be lower than UK, but they will be a lot closer if you divide by 1.20 (assuming 20% VAT) and then convert to Canadian dollars.

I'm glad I didn't buy a Wii U yet in case something like this happens in NA too. I've already heard of Nintendo Land getting bundled free with the Basic (which I honestly thought it should have been in the first place to be anywhere near as desirable as the Deluxe or to compete with the PS3 bundles). I really don't anticipate many people buying the Wii U in the near future now that the holidays are over, unless they bundle games or do price cuts or something to entice us.

Well I've learnt my lesson now! They did it with the 3DS and that pissed me off but now they done it again with Wii-U. No more buying at launch from Ninty. They broke my trust.

no they didnt. Nintendo doesnt set the prices, they're not allowed to by law.

@Monsta: Really you shouldn't buy anything new at launch with that attitude as it will always be cheaper later. If you're an early adopter of any new electronic toy you should accept that you'll be paying more than most people who end up buying it later on.

And as noted for the millionth time two online retailers discounting items they couldn't shift has nothing to do with Nintendo!

I'm fine with it. If you buy something early, obviously there will be price drops later. People should keep that in mind. I love my Wii U (and I don't live in the UK)