Nintendo Doesn't Want a 3DS Price Situation on Wii U

I'd pay $450 tops. If it's priced above 500, i'll wait.

i think like 500 dollars if it got the specs i hope for

I say $300 is pretty safe. $400 and above seems a bit high for any Nintendo console. Doesn't seem to be their forte IMO. I think it all depends on how much one of those controllers will end up costing.

Oh, and let's also not forget LAUNCH TITLES. The 3DS had a good lacking of that as well, besides it's high price.

$400 is the sweet spot, and $300 is an even sweeter spot. Provided it launches with some top-notch first party software and ALL ADVERTISED FEATURES AVAILABLE FROM THE START cough*3DS*cough, I'm sure they'll have no problem whatsoever selling this thing.

NL made a news story based on one sentence Reggie said

$400 is my limit, it's what the Wii launched at in Australia and I don't fancy paying any more than that for a Nintendo console. Of course if it goes at $400 in the US then it will be $600 here :/ Other than that they just need to have all features available at launch with a lot of good games to back it up.

@Lan: We're talented like that

Nintendo has had lacking 3rd party support on every console at launch. At least in the 2000s. the fact is you buy a Nintendo console to play Nintendo games on Nintendo hardware. If an occasionally great third party exclusive comes along (coughskylanders), then cool.

No way am I handing over hundreds for their newest system. I'll wait. The price will drop. Even then I probably still won't buy one. Why bother? I used to be such a loyal fan.. they lost me with the Wii. Bye Nintendo, hello Microsoft and Sony.

I think $300 is a good price. If Nintendo prices the Wii U any higher than that people might be reluctant to pick one up. The price needs to stay competitive if they want to lure potential customers outside of their loyal fanbase.

Well then don't price it too high, if the Vita can pull off it's spec at $250 then you know the 3DS was over priced!

$300. Max.

I'm going with $300...though for me $250 wasn't much an issue when I got the 3DS. They need some good launch games.

$300-350 would be the optimal price.

The problem they're facing is that they're releasing (finally) an HD system where the market is already saturated in HD gaming and everything else for that matter. The selling point has to be the controller and decent titles that will invoke a purchase of a "U"nique console. Whatever the price may be, what will this system bring to the table that the current HD consoles don't already have? And that's the scary part, because it's just like how the Wii was promoting sales - through innovative controls, which is precisely what this console is moving towards. And I don't know about all of you guys, but I don't really want another 5 years or so of another Wii. This system has to promise to be functional, fun, and cater to everybody who wants to play it. And that does NOT mean casual.

Anything higher than $300, while not surprising, would be disappointing.

WiiU=PS3 x1.5, but a next generation console power should be at least =PS3 x2, so anything higher than US$300 would be unfair, it should only be a little past the MSRP for the PS3 at WiiU launch day, assuming all of its features are available from start... and that they cut away the ties to the old fashioned Wii brand changing that stupid name for the new console.

Anything over 300 and it'll be sitting there for a long while before I put a game in it.

I'm on the 300 bandwagon. It just won't sell for more than that. I can't afford much more than that now and that's partly why I went with the Wii over the others (like millions of others). That and you'll need to get another game at launch anyway. I'm sure it'll be around $300 with a temporarily satisfying pack-in game (tech demo thing like many others).
It's going to be competing with other HD systems that are already that cheap. I'd love to see it just come with composite cables, I wouldn't be suprised.

I really don't care, buying it regardless. But hope they don't pull another PS3 launch lol.

ill wait till christmas 2013 im sure the wii u will cost less than $250 by then and the game selection will be good.

I don't really want one... It just a wii with an ipad for a controller...

No offense or anything...

$350-$400 seems just fine. Considering the Wii was successful with it's $250 launch price, and the Wii U will be a much more powerful console able to compete with Sony and Microsoft (at least that's Nintendo's claim), $400 is a fair price.

$369.99...watch

Im hoping it to be $300-$350 as well, it doesnt look TOO much better than Ps3...please no arguements over my opinion

I won't be buying until there is a Zelda game on it anyway.

I will ony buy a wii U if it is under 100$ and that wont happen in a very long time 30 years? haha

I say $350 TOPS if they plan on selling a good amount of them. I can already see the PS3 and XBOX dropping their prices to $200 by the time the WiiU launches, and if that's the case, the WiiU will not sell with such a high price.

The 3DS had 3rd party support at launch but third party support rarely sells systems, especially Nintendo systems. There was a lot of lame third party stuff.

I don't trust the Wii U yet. The Wii sold because it was cheap(er) and fun. The Wii U has to cost more. The Wii U costs more and doesn't offer as much to the casual market. HD won't change Wii Sports. It uses a (more) traditional controller that is more complex. The Wii was popular in nursing homes for a reason. It looks like a wii accessory. If people get the 3DS and DS confused then the average non-gamer will too.

So they have to market to so-called "hardcores". It uses the wii brand. You know, that stupid kids system with no power and the motion controls? Enough said. It isn't as powerful as the next gen systems probably will be either. Most "hardcores" don't care much about controllers and the Wii U controller looks uncomfortable. It doesn't look fun to hold.

I just don't see how they can advertise a system that doesn't look fun when you first look at it and costs a lot (bye bye casuals) and is probably not going to satisfy the Xbox/PS3 crowd either. I can't see how this will work. I don't know how the system is because I haven't tried it but that's the point of advertising. You're trying to tell people about something they probably haven't tried.

I just hope it doesn't have the stupid clicky shoulder buttons that break from playing normal games (Phantom Hourglass, Mario Kart DS, Bowser's Inside Story) every year like the DSi, DSi XL and 3DS. I've had the same problem 3 times (twice with the DSi, once with the 3DS) and I'm just playing normal games normally.

Launch is going ot have to be truely amazing and affordable for me to even consider it. The 3DS situation has left me feeling completely exploited.

That doesn't mean I don't love my 3DS. Just that the price difference between launch and now is the equivalent of about 3 retail games. What mess.

I can't justify over $300. Hoping for $250 but I'm sure that ain't gonna happen.

I'd guess this would start at $450 and soon drop to $400

Whatever the launch price is, it'll drop within a year. Best to wait on new tech, 3DS being a prime example. More 3rd party support? Then they learned nothing from the 3DS... Wii U needs Mario or Zelda (or perhaps Smash Bros.) at launch to get people to pay the early adopter tax.

270€ like Wii was at launch in Finland five years ago.

$300 USD. Period. And to be fair to my friends across the pond and down under, they should be priced at a fair market exchange rate, NOT 1€ = $1. That is narrow minded corporate biggotry. It does not cost any more or less to manufacture a PAL Wii as is does a US or Japanese Wii (they are all made at the same factory), so why should the MSRP be so drastically higher in PAL regions?

$300. I'm calling it.

I'm hoping it won't be any more than £250 in the UK. I think the Wii was £180.

£200-300 seems fine to me. Two things sold me on the Wii: Price and Pinball. I already know Wii-U is getting the latter, so we'll see how they do on the former. And yes, as someone said upstream, key features at launch please!

Im not getting the Wii U because it has no compatible gamecube games on it or gamecube controllers. There's Super Mario Sunshine and Luigi's Mansion.

I think the main thing Nintendo needs to do is drop the "Wii" from the title and change the design a bit. Consumers did not see the benefits of the 3RD because it sounded the same and looked the same. Every Nintendo console until now has had a different look and name from the one that came before. If it feels like just an update then a lot of people will not get it at first. Perhaps if its just called the Nintendo U? If it can upres existing games that might make a few people switch early (having seen emulators running Wii games at HD I assume this must be possible).

Lastly they should make a big deal on how there will be a variety of ways to play using classic controllers, wiimotes and the U controller. One of the benefits of the Wii is the variety of play styles you can get because of that versatility. They're going to have to market this at the hard core gamers first I think, especially with the higher price tag and try and pick up casual gamers down the road.

"What else do you think Nintendo needs to avoid to make Wii U a success from the get-go?"

Providing a lack of Eternal Darkness 2. So they need to crack the whip on Silicon Knights!

As an early 3DS adopter, it wasn't the price drop that frustrated me the most (I mean, at least we got the ambassador program). It was the new colours, bundles and limited editions that were released later. Why was this choice not given to early adopters? Oh right, so that you'd get people who'd buy more than one 3DS? Well, in that case, I think I can wait a bit before buying the WiiU...

Let's say it comes with one touchscreen controller and no bundled game like Wii Sports last time round, I'd pay £250 for a bundle that included a couple of launch titles.

the thing is, if it is priced too low, then it is said that nintendo won't make a lot of profit from it.

if it is priced too high, it would put many people off from buying it. i know lots have said they aren't going to buy it because of this, that and the other. and yet not much info about the wii U has been leaked out about it. which will happen in 2012.

@Dodger: re: 'The Wii sold because it was cheap(er) and fun. The Wii U has to cost more. The Wii U costs more and doesn't offer as much to the casual market.'

i agree with the first sentence, but as successful as the wii was, the truth was it was aimed at casual audiences and so those who wanted fighting games, FPS etc turned to the PS3, x box. nintendo's reputation before the wii came along was it had great 3rd party games for the N.E.S, gameboy, super nintendo, not just nintendo games and other stuff than just dance.

hence, you have critics and PS3, x box fanboys labelling the wii as 'kiddish' and having 'kiddy games'. which is not always the case of course, but i think this statement did hurt nintendo's reputation slightly.

@spartacus3765 re: And I don't know about all of you guys, but I don't really want another 5 years or so of another Wii. This system has to promise to be functional, fun, and cater to everybody who wants to play it. And that does NOT mean casual.

i'm with you on that one. gaming is fun, but having masses of shovelware games on the system is not fun. and sadly, as much as i love the wii, some of those shovelware games have sold more or as much as many of the nintendo games. the wii U HAS to offer something different to the wii; i want to see quality 3rd party titles that usually grace the PS3, x box on there. quality first party support is great- it has been great on the wii, but 3rd party-wise, it was mostly lacking.

not sure about nintendo reclaiming their glory days of the 80s, 90s, but if the wii U can offer us the gaming experiences that wasn't always quite there with the wii, then wii U owners wouldn't care what others say.

300 tops

Well here's hoping Nintendo really has learned it's lesson and release the WiiU at a really satisfying price.

Because I basically see it as me having to buy a whole new console just to get the new-fangled controller, and a few features that the competition have already had for the last 5 years (HD, decent online, hopefully demos etc), I really don't want to have to pay very much for it at all.

The original Wii hardware really should have been what the WiiU now is, proper HD with fully realized online service etc, and the controller should have simply been a very cool add-on peripheral for the Wii imo. That would have been a far better and much cheaper solution in the long run imo.

I could go either way with the WiiU depending on the price and just how well Nintendo nails every thing this time around.

Nintendo is going to have to work very hard to win me over and get my money again.

Here's the thing. Once this launches it will already be 5-6 years behind the times as far as graphics go. The only real pull here is the controller. With that said it better be cheap as in no more the 50$ above the ps3 and xbox360. Ill buy it because I'm loyal to Nintendo and currently dont have an HD system mainly for the first party games. That's what Nintendo's all about. First party games will lure the fan base in then it has to offer all the big names from the other two systems.

Lets face it. Nintendo has to have a great first party launch to sell this not third party games more then likely a year or two old. Its going to happen and most people wont care if the game is different because it uses the new controller. Ill pick up some of those games because I'm a Nintendo fan and don't have any other system to play those on.

I had a ps3 and it broke on me so I do know what its like on the other side. I miss a few certain games I can no longer play but right now with a family its makes more sense to go with Nintendo. If they don't come hard at Nintendo fans and have good third party support then it will fail!

I can already see all of nintendo's luster stolen at this years e3 with system announcements from both Sony and Microsoft. You sometimes only get one chance in this industry to show what you got and Nintendo failed at last years e3. They will come hard this year but it will be to little to late. Show Mario Zelda smash bros and all the other first party titles because for the most part no Nintendo fan will care about the rest.

I hope nintendo's future looks bright but its living in the past!!

€300,- At launch with 2 or 3 incredibly awesome exclusive titles or when ever the next Zelda comes out. I would pay €1000,- if Nintendo would fire Reggie or if they let Miyamoto floor him (any which way would suit me) and forbid him from ever speaking again.

It should be between a price range of maybe say $320-$350 idk, I think that's a fair price. But Nintendo will figure out somethin' anyways.

In the USA at least, if Nintendo wants to sell to the widest possible audience, then $250 is the max. It seems that the Wii U is more along the lines of parity to the 360/PS3 rather than clearly exceeding them in terms of processing and graphical power. It is very likely that both the PS3 and 360 will be $200 for the mid-range SKUs, so Nintendo has to price the Wii U to be competive with that. The extra 50 dollars could easily be justifed by the costs of the new controller. A launch price any higher could potentially cripple Nintendo for the entire generation. $300 dollars would be cheap enough for the Nintendo fanboys and fangirls (like everyone who posts comments on Nintendolife! ^_^) but for hardcore gamers, it will be seen as a waste to spend an extra 100 dollars for the Wii U when they can get similiar quality for 100 dollars cheaper with the PS3 or 360. This will especially be true if the rumours on the Wii U having only a 8 gig flash internal hard drive and a potentially messy online system end up to be true. And hardcore gamers who abandoned Nintendo for Sony or Microsoft? I doubt they would come for the Wii U in any situation but there is no chance if the system is $300 dollars. More than $300 dollars and even NIntendo fanboys/girls will balk at buying the system and you have the potential for a Dreamcast like disaster.

It will be very important for the Wii U to build up an install base after it launches, so that it can compete with Sony and Microsoft's next gen consoles (although how much more powerful those systems will be is still a very open question). If its flailing against the current gen consoles, it will outright fail when Sony and Microsoft release their new systems.

I desperatly wanted my 3DS at launch, and was a bit bummed that the price dropped later. (The embassador games didn't impress me one bit.) But that wouldn't have stopped me getting it on day one. I didn't mind playing my normal DS games on it while enjoying it's new features.

But with the Wii U, I feel differently. I'm actually more for holding off until a game comes out that I REALLY want, or the price drops. I've lost a bit of faith in Nintendo in that sense. I wouldn't be so willing to buy a new flash console, and then have nothing to play on it but old games I've had for years. And I'm not going to pay a huge sum of money for a game to hold me over till something good comes out (something I did with my 3DS).

@46 I agree with you. The wii is lacking in good fighter/FPS games. My point was that the Wii U can't really appeal to both groups. I don't think they can sell a more costly system to people who would rather play Wii Sports then Modern Warfare. I'm not knocking wii sports. I just think it isn't Wii enough for the Wii Sports market and has too much Wii for the FPS market and I'm really curious to see how they advertise this thing.

It is harder for people who don't have much experience with gaming to learn a new controller. That's part of why the Wii did well. Teach someone to play wii sports, you just have to explain it as the round button on the front and the button on the back. This thing has duel analog, 4 shoulder buttons, 4 face buttons, a gyroscope and a touch screen.

I can relate to people who have trouble learning a video game controller, my friend has a 360.
"Press A! No, not the A that's been A since forever, the new A that used to be B!"

Nintendo really can't afford for it to be more than $300. This generation demonstrated that $400-600 consoles don't really sell very well.

Considering that ready-to-go PS3 and Xbox 360 bundles will be available for under $200 when the Wii U launches, I think the market price will $250 or less. The accessories should be priced affordably as well, unlike the Wii when it launched.

@Dodger re: My point was that the Wii U can't really appeal to both groups. I don't think they can sell a more costly system to people who would rather play Wii Sports then Modern Warfare. I'm not knocking wii sports. I just think it isn't Wii enough for the Wii Sports market and has too much Wii for the FPS market and I'm really curious to see how they advertise this thing.

even though nintendo are going to market this console to everyone, again, i agree that the wii U will not cater to every person who are into different games. a person who has a wii may not buy a wii U because they think it won't have the types of games they expect would be on there.

i believe the wii U is nintendo's attempt to claw back some of the hardcore gaming crowd, of whom opted for a PS3, x box over the wii. having said that, many nintendo fans who've always stuck by nintendo and consider themselves fans will get a wii U, regardless of what has happened in the past with the wii and nintendo as a company.

as for the price, i'm hoping it is under £300 and not over. otherwise, nintendo will find themselves in a position later on where they have to slash costs in order to sell more units.

In 2012 for $300, Nintendo should be able to build a much better console than the PS3 and still make a profit.

I agree with everything #16 Spartacus3765 said. This aint gonna be no Xbox 360 or PS3, not now, it's too little too late. I'm worried they're going to sell out to the casual crowd again to gain some sales, then we'll have another Wii with little to no real third party support.
They've either got to back this thing up with some of the best first party games they've ever made, or find some way to sell consumers on the new controller.

I won't buy it until it's $300 or below. Higher than that is just out of my price range.

For $400+ the Wii U had better be one heck of a good system. Otherwise I'll just wait and/or buy it on eBay for potentially 1/2 the price or less.

On another note I do hope that there's a good number of 3rd-party supporters so they Wii U can have an extremely strong release, like the Wii.

wow! i would say about $250 but if it were to cost $400 ill probably have to wait like a whole year! maybe more.

Just have 1 or 2 key nintendo franchise games on top of what we had in the 3DS launch timeframe and it will do fine.

I think I'm with everyone else. $250 would be ideal- you'll easily be able to get an xbox or ps3 for $200. Any more than $300 and it will be 3DS all over again.

$350, assuming it comes with 1 control pad, 1 wiimote plus, 1 nunchuk, 1 game.

With 3DS's pricing, current pricing PS3, Xbox360, I think it to be in Nintendo's best interest to aim no higher than $300. Just IMO.

u guys serious? 250 - 500? INSANE!!! nobody will buy it. It has to do what 3DS did. go down to the price of the current wii at 199.99 or else it will not get into enough living rooms for 3rd parties to even consider backing it up. It HAS to be 199.99. and basic Wii will drop to 129.99 mark my word!!!

this thought came to mind a while ago but will putting the name 'wii' in 'wii U' hold the system back like it did with the 3DS when they put the name 'DS' in '3DS'?

with xbox 4gb with kinect at £220 and ps3 160gb at £230 in the shops in the uk. nintendo needs to come in at about £200 i think. most ninty owners will have the other controllers and not want more. where kinect and play seem like extras. nintendos' package will seem standard. also ps3 is a well known bluray player, and a lot of people gravitate towards xbox due to microsoft pc compatability.
who is the wii u aimed at exactly, just seems like ninty fanboys to me. if its gamers ninty will have to have all the bells and whistles, a wow factor and good price to drag them away from there playstation's and xbox's with all the software they have accumulated. it doesn't seem to be marketed a casual user family thing at the moment however it could be.

seems to be a lot of peeps saying that the wii u draws nintendo level with ps3 and xbox. so what will be the life span of wii u. nintendo better start working hard on a successor or built in capability for expansion. something they should have done for the wii.
£200 and i'll buy it £250 a hard think maybe wait. £250+ and forget it, kids your stuck with the wii. ( they love 3ds mind, gonna be a good xmas).

300€, considering that microsony will go there with their graphical power as an excuse to price the system at 12340712498071234910€, pricing and gameplay is what made me stick to nintendo for my entire life.

300-350 is what im thinking. Which is about right for safety reasons and decent pricing. But then again the system specs are saying it surpasses anything out there right now. So i wouldnt be surprised if it cost more like 400. But dang they better take advantage of their console and show Nintendo fans something NEW and BOLD. Theres no excuses this time around. Well see if they really are listening to their beloved fans and taking it up a notch or two. I say go all out or dont even bother this time. I dont really have any problems with wii or anything expect the usual complaints , internet connection , ports of games lacking , just a better way of communicating if the games call for it. Im find with sending messages but when the game says you can use wii speak and you basically cant cause of hardware probs lol man come on. O well sorry went off topic. 300-350 is good for me. Just come out swinging with a new MW SSB I mean something major for online gamers and some Great single player games and we gotta a deal on LAUNCH ! "Gameday shakes on it"

I think that most of you are correct with the $300-$400 range, but I'm guessing more towards the latter. This will allow them to still make some profit, and those consumers that own a Wii now, wont' have to bother paying for more controllers. Sure, the new controller for the Wii U is there, but I'm guessing that most games will only incorporate the tablet functions as nothing more than gimmicky, at least at launch.

So, consider this. How much did you spend when you first got your Wii? Games, controllers and all? I'm guessing about $500. At least that's what I spent. I don't plan on buying an additional Wii U controller (until I see that it's actually worth it), so even the $400 price plus a couple games will put me just over $500. I'll be happy with that.

Lastly, I don't fear a PS360 price drop in the slightest. I'm actually looking forward to it. Since what Nintendo is looking to add to their current user base is "hardcore" fans, this will be quit an incentive to buy the Wii U.
Scenario:
You have old systems that have been out for several years, and a new shiny one in the store. The price drop of the old ones make them look even older and out of date, while the nice, new, pricey one beckons to you. You now have hardcore fever and must purchase the new system to add to your gaming experience.

"Hardcore" is just a general term for gaming fanatics. A person obsessed with one system in exclusion of all others is a "fanboy". There's a difference. The fanboy won't be buying any new system until their chosen comes out. The hardcore fan will be buying at least two systems to keep up his passion for games. In addition, you have the "spoiled hardcore", commonly assumed to be that 13 year old, whiny brat that has to have his parents buy him every gaming device made. They are what is generally considered the "hardcore" market, right now. They actually make up a majority of the gaming market, and spend billions on games each year.

In conclusion, (wow, I've rambled!) even at a $400 price tag, and competition lowering its prices, I predict that Nintendo will do great. I mean, who doesn't like a new toy?

They should make a package where you can buy the system alone. That would be much cheaper for some people and. Also they wouldn't have too many controllers!

A price between $300 and $400 would be about right.

I'm not sure why people here are saying that Wii U isn't any better than 360/PS3. The graphics card is about 7 generations ahead of the PS3's and the additional RAM will make a big difference too.

Another consideration for Wii U is that Nintendo kept to the traditional 5 year console cycle, where as Sony put out a 10 year console for $600. Quite simply the Wii and Wii U should both equal the PS3; so Sony's console was very advanced in its first gen but will be a bit aged in its next gen.

As to the price of controllers etc etc, well I already own a Wii with a variety of controllers and all of those controllers will be compatible with Wii U. So it makes sense to me to buy the Wii U and get the most out of my previous investment. I wonder if my PS3 or 360 controllers will work with their next systems though, I doubt it as none of their others have, even though there has been very little difference between them.

@41 If you want Gamecube compatability then you have the Wii. I wouldn't be suprised to see Gamecube games on WiiU VC though.

$349.99 is what I'm expecting the price to be.

Will I buy it? Almost certainly. I don't even care if the specs are lower than the PS4 - being able to play Mario and Zelda in HD is enough for me.

This may be controversial but I hope the Wii U uses Motion Plus only. I really don't want to see waggle controls for another 5 years.

around 300 fo me. mabye 350

300 - 400 I have that much money in my Wii U savings

Right now i think 250 € would be the perfect price for the WiiU. I see it as a small evolutionary step from the Wii so if Ninty doesn't show me something groundbreaking i doubt i'd pay more than that. 279 € for a bundle with a really great game maybe.

Personally i don't even need many more games than on the Wii. And while the hardcore people cry out for better graphics a small step would be enough for me. The Wii is just an amazing console to me even with the weaker 3rd party support. So personally i'd be fine if Nintendo just continued to make the great games they're doing now. Small improvements on graphics and sound is all i really need. Making the whole online like Mario Kart 7’s communities are sounds like one of the greatest things ever.
The worst thing they could do is to rely too much on third parties and forget about the games that made their own consoles shine so far. I don’t won’t the WiiU to be a PSWii60.

Along with the price i think the most important questions WiiU has to answer will be if its abundance of buttons cater to the casual _{(I mean the SNES didn't have much less buttons and sold quite well ...)} and if the touchscreen really brings anything groundbreaking into play.

Imo it would also be a good idea to support 3D TV’s from the get go. It doesn't have to be glasses free, not every game has to use it and you don't have to make a big fuss about it. Just have it as an option, otherwise you may regret it later.

Except for the controller support it doesn’t have much in common with the Wii imo. So Nintendo U could be the better name after all.

PS: Great comments, peepz. Special nods to Dodger (30.).

Agree w/ the many American who see $300 as a max due too the PS3 and Xbox360 prices when this comes out. And then it better have a good game in the box. I really see $249 as a realistic price for adoption if they really don't want another 3DS scenario. The Wii will be $100, PS3 $200, Xbox360 $150 w/ 4gig. They called it WiiU, so almost everybody will view it as the WiiHD w/ $100 new controller, so $250 is all it's worth. And nobody is going to buy it w/o first party game support. Anybody can think of any besides Pikmin 3? Kart and Marioland just came out on 3DS so probably not them, it sounds like Smash Brothers hasn't started, Zelda and Kirby just came out. Metroid Other M left a bad taste in peoples mouths. Nobody is buying a new HD system to play 3rd party stuff they can already play on their PS3 and Xbox360.

There's almost no reason to buy this system at any price when it releases. Sure, many of us here will, but in the real world? Hope they have something up their sleeve.

I wouldn't pay more that $350. I didn't buy a PS3 when it dropped to $400, so I should hold Nintendo to the same standard.

Late to the discussion (as usual)... I agree with the many who think pricing should be in the $300-350 range. I think Nintendo loses a LOT of potential customers when it passes the $350 range. The cost at that point becomes prohibitive. If Nintendo has a great opening games line-up for Wii U, they'll make enough off of software sales. I really think that's where they need to focus their energy,

I think the price will be at least 300, maybe 350. I dont agree with the people who say 250, because that was what the launch price for the wii was, and there is inflation.

I hope it's under 300 dollars...or I won't buy it.

In the UK, the 3DS launched at £230 without a game, gamers made Nintendo sweat, so Nintendo was forced to reduce the price to £150, I got a new one from Amazon for £115. The Wii U will be expensive at launch, I can see it launching at £300+ without a game. It's all about the games, there should be 2 packs at launch, 1 with and 1 without the controller which is the only reason why the Wii U will be expensive at launch. I couldn't care less about the controller, but as with the Wii, it had quite a poor range of games, Nintendo actually admitted that new game releases had dried up, the remote got more praise than anything, look at the Wii now. On top of that, 2012 ane 2013 will see the biggest battle ever in the history of gaming. PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 720 in 2013 and maybe the PlayStation 4 in 2013, Nintendo isn't going to walk it.

I would like the price to be 300 to 400

$250, no more.
Because today HD graphics are very accessible to produce and the other consoles cost a little more, with this price, they have a competitive price for an almost "same HD graphics" if are better, and you don't have already a HD console, Wii U will be the choice because cheapest and best.

Where I live you can now preorder the Wii U for $598, 4 games you can also preorder for $108. I'll wait...