We like a good rumour here at Nintendo Life, but the latest delicious morsel to grace the internet is crazy enough that it might be true. This one's definitely a case of "only Nintendo", we give you... Wii Mini.
While "mini" devices are quite the craze right now courtesy of a certain fruit-named tablet device, the concept of a Wii Mini seems a little off-the-wall. The existing Wii model, especially if you consider the newer version that doesn't include GameCube backwards compatibility, isn't exactly a hulking beast of a machine. It's been the smallest home console of its generation by a long way.
Still, according to Nintendo World Report, and a retailer release schedule source that apparently can't be disclosed, a Wii Mini Console is coming — presumably to North America in this case — on 7th December. There appears to be little logic to producing a new version of Wii now that it's already claimed so many sales and is on the way out, especially as it's also extremely affordable and rather diminutive. Still, with Nintendo we wouldn't rule it out — Game Boy Micro, anyone? — with the listing stating that the mini version will only include a sensor bar, Nunchuk and Wii Remote Plus.
Would you want a Wii Mini at an even lower budget price, or would its existence merely make you exclaim... "oh, Nintendo!" Let us know in the comments section.
[source nintendoworldreport.com]
Comments 60
Well, that de-escalated quickly...
I've wondered about this weird tradition that keeps cropping up in consoles
Seems kinda weird to release a new wii console after the spanking new Wii U will be available worldwide which can play all wii games.
@Suportedcofe Japan, 8th December for Wii U... NOT AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!
If this is true, then Nintendo have lost the plot. Anyone who wants to play Wii games without spending out for a Wii U, will buy a regular Wii (around £70-£90 if you look.) Anyone that wants to upgrade to a Wii U can play all their old games anyway on that machine. Plus, the Wii was tiny to begin with, so what good will making it smaller do?
This is lunacy of the highest order. UNLESS Nintendo can manufacture it for less money than the standard Wii costs to make. Then I can see the point, kind of - although it still sends a mixed message to the layman about Wii U.
Plus, if it costs anything more than £59.99, it won't sell. Retailers are already desperately trying to get rid of their old second-hand Wii stock. They won't exactly want to be pushing the Wii Mini when they've got a stockroom of second-hand Wii consoles that they paid £60-£80 per unit for.
Probably going to be the size of a cd case..
The sales numbers they released today showed that the DS sold more than the 3DS last week, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Wii gets a makeover to attract more sales. That said, I think this is just a rumor.
If this is true I could see having one of these in the late future to be very rare and valuable
They really want to reach 100 million sold, huh? Can't say i blame them.
What Nintendo COULD do is release a mini console that only plays digital downloads, thus pumping the eShop service.
@GameLord08 If we could like posts, I'd make seven accounts to all like that post.
Nintendo may be phasing out production of the current Wii systems in favour of cheaper to produce, cheaper to sell units for a budget entertainment solution, that they can sell a few of down the line.
After all the Playstation 2 continues to sell even now, in Japan, in lesser developed countries.
The Wii does have a great software library at its helm and making this accessible will do a lot for people that can't afford much more.
I don't see why everyone thinks this is such a crazy rumour. They released a smaller NES after the SNES launched and then did the same with the SNES after the N64 launched, not to mention the Game Boy Micro coming well after the DS.
I don't think that they'll stop producing the Wii after the Wii U launches, the same as they still produce DS consoles post-3DS. A mini version would probably reduce their production costs so they could focus more on Wii U.
There's already a crap ton of Wii's on store shelves, including that new blue Skylander model. Wouldn't Nintendo prefer to sell off as much of that stock now since the Wii U is now the focus of the company?
The wee Wii.
Possibly a rumor, but it makes sense from a marketing perspective. Though everyone probably has a Wii by now. Just have to wait and see on this one... and grab lots of salt.
Christmas gifts..... it would make a pretty good Christmas gift for the people that don't have one, I know a lot of people already have a wii console, but think of the people that have families overseas, they travel, and if it's cheap enough you'll see a lot of people buying them as gifts.
@WesCash
That's only the third time I've heard that joke and I'm already sick of it.
Honestly I think if they would release a Wii Mini it would just add to the Wii/Wii U confusion that many non gamers suffer from. Imagine a kid with non gamer parents asking for a Wii U only to open a Wii Mini on Christmas morning? Yeaaah would suck to be that kid.
Of course I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to bring one out after all the Wii was the best selling console for them in a long time so why stop a good thing?
You know what's funny? If this thing came with Gamecube ports again, I'd buy it. Of course, it won't, but it would be fun if it was like a little squat cube with gamecube ports and came in purple, too.
My current Wii is in a weird cycle (even after sending it to get fixed) where I have to physically turn off the machine (to the red light) in order for it to start up again without freezing. If I unplug it, it will freeze up, if I leave it on orange, it will freeze up. If it DOES freeze. I have to restart it (from red) probably 30 or more times before it stops locking up. I do have an old Gamecube (2 I think) but they have various problems as well.
wouldnt be surprised if they do but wouldnt care other than to see how small they can manage to make a system that isnt very big to begin with.
I keep seeing this confusion thing come up. It won't be confusing. $130 vs. $300 is not confusing. Does that screen controller come with this $130 one that is tiny? Um, no.
If it's anything like past releases it won't be called Wii mini either. It will just be called Wii, right? Not a problem.
Huh?
It's already pretty small, not much point to it if it is true to be honest...
@Aaronsullivan: THe reason its not confusing to you is cause you are a gamer, but take the non parent gamers who just see Wii on the box and remember that their kid asked for a Wii U and there you have it. I can't tell you how many bad games I ended up with or games from a system I dont have cause of non gamer family members trying to get me the games I asked for or thinking I would like a particular game.
This does bring an interesting point:
How do rumours originate? Who ever gets pleasure inventing false stories about these kind of things?
@LuigiMan200
I'm sorry. I hope we can still be friends.
@Applejacklove i'll need the atlantic ocean
I have plenty of friends who are just about ready to jump on the last generation band wagon, so this doesn't surprise. I couldn't understand it at first, but in terms of money spent it makes a whole lot of sense. They dig through bargain barrels and based on this economy, who can blame them?
What's the point even?
Ah whatever. That's Nintendo for ya
There was actually a good reason for the Game Boy Micro, as it had a better screen than any DS that was available at the time.
The Wee Wii.
Good thing I have a 5-year old Wii on my hands already.
They should have called the current Wii the "mini" so people knew it wasn't BC w/ the GameCube. Well they should have named it something different b/c dropping the GC controller ports - which are used a LOT in my house with Brawl and Kart which are Wii games - was an underhanded move.
Don't see the point in a name change now if they didn't do one then.
If they did make this, I'm sure it would be the size of one DVD case to be able to actually hook it up to the TV and power outlet with cords. Unless they keep the GCN ports, this will be a failure, because that feature was a big part in having a Wii, especially with many games like VC, Dance Dance, and obviously, GCN support. Maybe there will finally be wireless HDMI in it using a HDMI reciever to the TV, or even more surprising, a wireless source of power from the outlet. No one has done these things, so those are the only things that I could see as making the console better for what it is. With those features, I could see people buying it just to have a CD player sized Wii they can move around the room, granted there's a disc stabalizer in the console too, like many CD players out there. But if they make it any smaller, there would have to be a GCN usb converter to plug them in. Just some ideas...
Wii Mini. Are you serious?
It's possible, but of course it makes no sense!! We will see!
Do want
maybe its portable, hahahaha lol
I won't believe it until I see it come out from Nintendo.
probably just some other dumb guy who wants some fame and said that. but on the other hand, it is something thats been done before...
...
i would totally buy this, i dont need another wii since i already have 4 but it would be cool just to have one
@aaronsullivan #21
As soon as I read "Wii Mini" I thought of a small purple rectangle.
I'm calling it first.
WiiNi
This is its new name.
Anyone going to second it?
@Red_Kinetic: bwahaha, i'll second that :3
If they would do this, I hope they bring back gamecube backwards compatibility.
I dont know why did they taked that out in newer wii's, like if its hard at all to include the MIOS
Game Boy Micro was gorgeous, and while it couldn't play GB or GBC games (just like how the newer Wii models can't play Gamecube games), it still had a massive library of GBA games to play. Wii, on the other, had plenty of good games, but not on the scale of GBA.
I'm basically telling myself that there's no reason to get a new mini version of Wii since I have Wii U now...unless it's made out of metal and is EXTREMELY beautiful. Then I might get it several years later as a collector's piece, but only if it's as beautiful as the Game Boy Micro. And made out of metal.
Why? I thought Nintendo publicly announced that they no longer are making stuff for the Wii. While that doesn't rule out a new hardware revision, I took that announcement they made as the official word that the Wii is out in their eyes...
I'm gonna stick with my wii that plays GameCube games and my 3ds/Wii u of course
An eShop fueled Wii Mini? That sounds reasonable to me.
I'd be fine with that. I use my sister's Wii to play GameCube games and Wii games, but I want a GameCube down the line for myself.
I'd buy this smaller Wii to have it as a sort of collectable console. :3
I will buy one if it will allow my previously purchased virtual console games will work on it and be tranfered and left on my wii u which they are on now.
way back the nes remodel came out after nintendo was done making software for the system
Maybe... Kinda doubt it though overall. Even though Apple remade the iPad 2 pretty much and called it iPad Mini, besides adding the better cameras and 4g, which both should have been included in the first place.
@tweet75
Best version of the NES, too. I got one for $25, with 5 games, a TV, and the dogbone controller. I was very happy since I had been looking it up recently, and my dad went to a garage sale. I asked him some questions about what it looked like(I wasn't there), he couldn't explain, and I told him not to buy it, but he did anyways. Haha.
I talked this over with a friend and if they can make it less than 50$, it would simply make it silly not to have a Wii. Although, that currency could as get you closer to a Wii U, so unless you're really desperate to play some gamecube games...
Well well, look what's popped up on Best Buy's Canadian website:
For around $60-$70 it'd be a steal even just for the controllers and sensor bar, I'd even consider getting one for that same reason.
That pic @NFreak007 posted looks pretty nice, a gloss base and edges with what looks like a matte pop top.
what's the big deal about mini consoles
@Omenapoika Yeah, at that price range it would have been a no-brainer purchase. At $99 it's still way more affordable than eny other console out there.
Cutting online is just dumbfounding, though.
If this does come to the US I'm so getting it.
I want my WiiNi. ;-p
AND its Red!
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