Embattled UK high street retailer HMV has reduced the price of the Wii U Premium bundle to just £199.99.
The store is also throwing in a copy of Ubisoft's ZombiU for that price, which means buyers are making a saving of £140.
This marks a new low for the Wii U's UK price, with retailers in the region calling for a price cut to drive sales forward. Nintendo has stated that it is prepared to open a dialogue with UK retail to discuss ways of boosting the console's flagging profile.
If you've held off picking up a Wii U console so far, will this new deal tempt you into spending your cash? Post a comment to let us know.
[source mcvuk.com]
Comments 71
These retailers should just wait till the games come and focus on selling those PS360s until then. I'm glad for all of those who wanted to buy but couldn't afford (yet), but for those who hesitate to consider the console and still perceptive it as some last-gen BS, it will only reinforce their standpoint.
This isn't entirely unexpected, but I'm SO glad that I paid for the full premium bundle on launch day, complete with the Pro Controller that only works on one of the five games I bought with the machine. Also glad I bought an extra Pro Controller for all those excellent multiplayer experiences. Or not.
With any luck, Nintendo will do the same as they did with the 3DSXL and officially drop the price, before handing out free games to those that supported them from day one. Saying that, the system desparately needs new software - and fast. Nintendo are going to need a big old E3, I reckon.
This price is 235 euros. I would get one in this price. This bundle for some strange reason costs 419 euros where I live ...
Too bad consoles aren't region-free. I'm sure this would sell some units in USA
lol stupid uk retailers. You're the ones losing money, not Nintendo!
...Seriously, couldn't they wait until a few more games come? Or just promote the hell out of Monster Hunter 3.
Wow... If I hadnt already bought one that would certainly tempt into buying one
ZombiU could be a $5 download and I still wouldn't get it. I'm not a big fan of Ubisoft's titles and, unlike the rest of the planet which seems to be stuck in some sort of zombie asfixiation, i couldn't care less.
The only thing anyone buys at launch is the ability to play the 'latest and greatest' before everyone else who chooses to hold off.
It seems to me this situation is playing out a lot like the 3DS. It has a great launch with great games from the outset, but then little else. I think it'll take a killer app, like Mario Kart 7 or Super Mario 3D Land were, (and a deep price cut) to start moving units again. Nintendo proved they could save a platform in a situation like this, let's see if they can do it again here.
If I had the money, I'd be tempted....but I don't have a HD TV yet and feel that might be the next upgrade for me. Still got 3 more Wii games that I haven't yet bought and feel I need to get them first before I relegate the Wii.
Also, isn't HMV, you know, closing? The store near me is. This might be a closing down sale deal....
Damn, that's the sweet spot for me but I can't afford one right now. I didn't think it would go down in price this fast. Could be HMV closing down sale though.
Google says that's $304 US, which is basically what Target is selling it for this week w/ the $50 GC promotion. I'd been planning on getting one, and thought it was the price, but then the price came and I realize it's the lack of games among other things. [Other things include the lack of ethernet, optical and Gamecube ports. I gave my sister my Wii LAN adapter and I bought a 3-way optical switch for my PS3, cable box and Wii U before I realized there is no optical port. And we play a lot of Mario Kart and SSBB w/ our 3 wireless 3rd party Wavebird controllers and we don't own any official "classic controllers" so I need to buy MORE peripherals to continue playing Paper Mario if I move everything over.]
So it is a good price, but when push comes to shove I want my Pikmin 3 and W101. And if Nintendo swaps out Nintendo Land for Pikmin 3 or NSMBU in the meantime, so much the better.
That's quite the bargain really, these should fly off the shelves at this price!
Bought my first console at launch with the Wii U and never again will I do that. Oh well, like Joe Public used to say you got to live and you learn.
For 235€ I'd buy it right now without a doubt.
@YorkshireNed You don't own an HD TV and you are still buying Wii games?? Are you living in a 2006 bizarro world?
I could finally get a Wii U but I'm still not keen on the console because I really don't know much about it's capabilities and the peripherals.
@Marakuto: What more do you need to know?
Oh my god, more price cuts won't do a damn thing, we need more bloody games, does someone have to go up to Iwata and repeatedly dopeslap him across the head until he realizes this?
I wouldnt read too much into this HMV are bust so are selling off any stock they have left.
http://m.computerandvideogames.com/397465/hmv-slashes-uk-wii-u-premium-bundle-to-pound200
If there was a deal like that in the US id jump at it and regret nothing
I know it's not Nintendo's fault they are selling the Wii U at less than trade price but having spent £340 for a Wii U and ZombiU 4 months ago, I feel robbed and sad.
Would be really nice if Nintendo gave a free game to early adopters.
shhiiiii.............. thats cheap! wishing id waited now.
I'm pretty sure the US Wii U is already cheaper (if you compare currencies), and the Zombi U bundle has more stuff in it. Europe could use a price cut if you ask me. Although people sure are babies about buying it near launch.
Oh, HMV is closing? That makes a lot more sense.
@Marakuto Try looking at a review.
@RobbieG HMV are in administration - not bust. Big difference.
@HeatBombastic SOME of HMV's stores are closing. A lot of them remain open. My local one is open and has been refilling the shelves with new stock like normal. This move is to ensure that they don't have relatively high-value stock sitting around not making any money for them as they look to balance the books.
With that in mind, its still an indicator as to the state of the Wii U market in the UK. The console isn't selling, and HMV are far from the only retailer to be chopping the price. My local Tesco Superstore has two games aisles full of PS3 and 360 stuff, and only FIVE Wii U titles. No consoles. No accessories.
A lot of these retailers are dropping the price because they sense an official price drop coming, and therefore a drop in the trade price, They'll end up with consoles that they paid £200 per unit for sitting in their stock room, when the new Nintendo trade price is £150 per unit, for example. They're looking to avoid that, is all.
At the same time, I would not be too sure that HMV themselves aren't in trouble. We had GAME France closing down after some huge discounts so I'm just warning you guys over there in the UK...
keeps playing his Wii U couldn't care less about whether anyone else is or not
@FineLerv
SNAP!!!
All these high street shops closing down just means bargains! I bought 3 Classic Controller Pros for under £20 in blockbuster!
Dumb UK, they get the prices of everything slashed in seconds. I personally bought my Wii U near launch because I had no hope the price would drop at least before Pikmin 3.
@Melkaticox - The retailers are losing money if they've got boat loads of Wii U consoles that they can't shift as their money is tied up in those machines.
By selling them at a low cost at least they re-coup part of their original investment.
HMV is in administration still I believe, this will be a stock clearing exercise on their part to try and recoup some money. What will be interesting to see if they manage to shift their unwanted stock. If they struggle to unload premium Wii U's at a very good price then I think Nintendo going to have to come up with something very big to start shifting units.
I'm not reaching for the panic alarm yet or running for the hills, but it's all looking a bit Gamecuby to me. Hopefully it can do a 3DS a do one hell of 180 degree turn sales and games wise.
I got the wii u on launch day but im thinking of getting another now at that price £199 bargain
You have to ask what happens when they sell out of Wii U's (if they do). I very much doubt they'll want to buy more stock in at the same price and sell more at a loss. And the price won't go back up.
What will happen is if Nintendo wish to keep shops stocked with Wii U's in the UK, they will have to reduce the price. Otherwise no matter of games will help sell a console you can't buy from the shops.
I got that exact combination (premium+Zombiu) two weeks ago used for £220! This is actually insanely low and any UK people considering this DO IT NOW! This price is seriously unlikely to go anywhere but back up, + the WiiU is awesome.
They're losing money for no reason, they are too desperate to get them off the shelves, can't they just wait until the major first party games come out?
@ivanmata No they can't because a lot of the stores are physically closing. They need to sell of some of their stock to get back into a good financial position. Once they have fixed the business then they can switch back to selling at regular prices.
If this price stays until I finish my exams, I'll be more than happy to buy it at this price
To all the people saying wait... how long do you expect them to keep stock? As much as I'm looking forward to Pikmin 3, it's not a system seller. It's going to be fourth quarter when Mario Kart comes before they start selling. I doubt many stores want stock sitting around for that long.
I don't have a Wii U, and this is a good price, but there's still nothing that really grabs me.
Doom and Gloom!
1. WiiU sales are dire ATM and discounts are needed.
2. HMV is in administration and there has been no agreement with any company to find a buyer. Administrators have been able to secure new DVDs etc but hardware is more difficult to acquire due to suppliers requiring guarantees or payment in advance. They obviously have alot of consoles to shift - while they are in Admin then they have to sell enough to keep going each week, even if this means selling at a large loss. Most people know of HMV issues and are unwilling to spend a large purchase as warranties are sometimes problematic. Plus of course the WiiU is dead until promised games arrive. No launch of Scribblenauts or Aliens hardly makes someone decide to buy!
HMV are in trouble anyway, to be fair they made some big price cuts on other products too.
This will/should boost thier sales figures for WiiU, but Slow UK sales of WiiU are only one of the factors for such a big price cut at HMV.
HMV are in trouble, They have cut prices on various products in thier store not just WiiU.
This is a big price cut, but the reasons behind it is not only due to slow WiiU sales in the UK.
Im currently sitting in the emergency dentist surgery, to see if they can fix my teeth back together after nintendo kicked them out earlier!!
Absolutely disgusting for loyal early adopters, bargain for new buyers.
If something like this happened at the US, I wouldn't doubt any second to buy one.
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
ADVERTISE THE DAMN THING, thats the problem
HMV can cut the price all they like its up to nintendo to show it off.
Guys it's ok to let out your true thoughts, I for one think Nintendo have completely lost it, when 3DS sold so weakly in the first few months even a brain-dead monkey could realize that the problem was the lack of first-party titles, if Nintendo learnt anything from that experience they would've delayed the WiiU until their major games were finished - Mario, Zelda etc. Nintendo's strong point has always been first party, so why the hell would you deprive your fans from it?
I'm sorry but it's hightime Nintendo realized that the WiiU is a flop. Dump it like the GameCube and bring out something unique in 2014 E3. I have the Wii and to be honest, the WiiU doesn't interest me at ALL neither does the garbage PS4 (especially that fugly controller DualShock 4)
Nintendo's best - N64
Sony's best - PS2
Thats around $290 (AUD). It's retailing for around $420 (AUD) here in Australia, which for what it currently is...is too much in my book. i.e. only 32GB's, 3 hour battery life for gamepad, no games, slow OS, middling online infrastructure etc...
To the person above and others, wait till the Wii U actually has some 1st party titles before calling it a flop. Mario 3d, Pikmin 3, Zelda: Wind Waker (HD), Wonderful 101 and probably other unannounced titles will be out by the years end. If I were in the UK, i'd buy that in a heartbeat...because 7 months down the track there's going to be those aforementioned games plus others available, and you're unlikely to see that sale price again for a long time.
(presses home button on gamepad to check NL) another doom n gloom article 'check', users calling games killer apps 'check', users saying nintendo systems don't have any games 'check', looks at all the other articles on the site about lots of good games... MEH! (presses home button and continues playin' Monster Hunter Ultimate)
@MadAussieBloke
Same
Yeah I should have waited, buy zoombi u then traded it in. It's the sign of things to come! So will nintendo officially price drop? Maybe but it might cause them trouble... We're see.
Makes me feel sad that I've not had my faith rewarded after getting the console at launch, especially given that I did the same with the 3ds. I really thought Nintendo would have learned from their mistakes on that one, they certainly gave the impression that they had. It's 3 months later now and where are the games? It baffles me how little effort Nintendo are putting into making this console's 'launch window' a success. No marketing and a distinct lack of confirmed release dates for key titles only gives me the impression that they rushed the launch in order to be first to the punch. It seems really short-sighted and just means that anyone who feels stung in the pocket like myself will be much less inclined to buy any future console at launch. At least with the 3ds we got some free games out of it. These latest cuts weren't even instigated by them so the likelihood is we'll get nothing.
I have no doubt that the console will ultimately prove it's worth when e big-hitters arrive. I just feel a bit stupid for getting caught up in the pre-launch hype and paying full whack to play what has amounted to a couple of decent games (not really interested in any of the ports, already have a 360). Take note Nintendo; making your customer-base feel stupid isn't good marketing strategy.
Of course the price of the Wii U is comparable.
Lets see if people think it's expensive at £329 when the XBOX/PS4 prices get announced. And the price their games are. If they are £500 and £69.99 for games the Wii U may get a 2nd look by some people.
one little kid said that on amazon if you look for wii u you get ps3. no you dont you get wii games and consoles. good job troll. not sure how any1 could care how anything sells in europe. it has become a 3rd world continent. their economy is totally garbage. in the us the wii u is selling good and everystore has them. go where people have money it sells. go to a broke country and peopl dont have the money to spend. nintendo should stick with the us and japan. let the european government rob their citizens then in 20 years sell them a wii u
@MadAussieBloke You're doing right.
@WrongChops
"Take note Nintendo; making your customer-base feel stupid isn't good marketing strategy."
As much as I love Nintendo, this is insanely true.
@MrGawain Exactly. That's why it is thoroughly dumb for anyone to be wishing for a fantasy price drop announcement BEFORE the announcement of the pricing of Sony and Microsoft's upcoming consoles. Folks, for real.
good price good game with it,worth getting if u havent got one.zombiu lot better than people said if you like survival horror its the best on the system.
Wow, cheaper than NA even. I think it's too early to panic about selling them all off, when there really haven't been many games released after the launch yet to entice additional buyers. Oh well, good opportunity for buyers to snatch them up I guess.
I'm happy with my Wii U. It's the only next gen console I can own right now. If anything, seeing 3DS pick up should be convincing enough to know it just takes some time. PS Vita was more of a flop sales wise compared to 3DS, so I think it's just the whole business struggling. There will ge good games. I just think people don't have enough faith in things picking up.
It's funny how Nintendo articles attract comments from readers that don't own the console or the games.
I personally have never been tempted to follow Playstation news or comment on articles about Sony, as I don't have a Playstation.
That is the sweet spot, with or without games. GOT ONE!! Now where to get Monster hunter?
It's not the price of the Wii U that is the problem, it's the "must have" games, which Nintendo so far hasn't delivered. Honestly, I have thought of getting a Wii U, but I have a PS3 currently, and the PS3 is getting all the same games as Wii U, plus ALOT more. Lego City Undercover has been the latest game I've been interested in, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is just a ultimate version of the Wii game -_- I'm waiting for e3 and Nintendo to show off there games, than I might make me decision.
I'll get the console when there's more titles I'm interested in. I don't think it'll be massively popular like the Wii, but I can see things picking up when the big hitters get released (Mario Kart etc.)
@DreamDrop You make a good point....except for a few problems. First party titles ARE coming in case you ignored the last few Nintendo Directs. Second, releasing a new console is going to p*ss off your investors.
Just bought one at this unbelieveably cheap price. Worth every penny and more. The funnest, cheapest console Nintendo have ever made.
#noregrets
Once again early supporters of nintendo get bumped.
Just as the 3ds the price drop has come to soon, I will never buy another nintendo console until 5/6 months of it being released.
where can i get one for a cheap price in NA? a discount like that would really help to inspire, i do want to get a wii U but have been waiting for a good deal or a must-have game.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...