"No Plans" For Ambassador Program Following Wii U Price Cut

Figures.

hmm ..Nintendo also said they won't be getting a price cut

It is unreasonable to expect one to be totally fair this stuff happens ALL the time hardware decreases in cost and get better bundles I don't regret getting my Wii U at launch not even one teeny tiny bit. It let me play Lego City, NSMBU, NSLU, Pikmin 3, Zombie U and a whole myriad of VC games for 30 cents a piece and a truck load of Independent titles.

Consoles always get price cuts, it's a fact of life and a non-issue for me. Early adopters pay a premium price and IMHO they know this very well. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy on launch day.

Not surprised at all. Personally, I don't really care either way. A $50 drop isn't enough to make me regret buying my Wii U when I did.

It isn't surprising,considering the 3DS had a massive price cut,and it was only 4-5 months at the time it happened.Whilst the Wii U is soon to be a year old in just over 2 months time,and it's only having a small price drop.

Yeah it be nice if Nintendo gave us something for supporting them (£10 e-shop would be nice) but then that's the way it is.

This is outrageous! They should let you download anyone game of your choice!

I'm just kidding. If you buy first day... you know what you came for. No biggie

Can't say I'm surprised but it would have been a nice gesture for early adopters seeing as this has happened to their last 2 consoles now...

Not that bothered, I only paid 179.99 for my Wii u on launch day

Expected.

The closer to launch you buy a system the more you pay/Less you get for the price, regardless of system this has always been they fact of the matter.
With 3DS the price cut was more severe and only a few months after it launched not nearly a year and in that (untill then) unprecidented situation it was obvious some sort of refund for early adoptors was needed. This WiiU price reduction is not the same situation as the 3DS in anyway and I totaly agree with Nintendo on this even though I paid full price back in January.
What next, when the RRP of a game gets a cut in price from a publisher (e.g: Ac3) then DLC should be given to those who brought the game at launch?
In the end the early adoptors, especially those who get a system at launch should realise that at or around a year after launch a price cut or better value bundle will be offered, the same will happen with Ps4, Xb1 and any future system released beyond that.

Things become cheaper over time. Early adapters were very well aware that the Wii U would eventually drop in price. Happens with everything.

Already bought the Famicom Anniversary Wii U VC games when they were available for 30c each. That's the 'Wii U Ambassador Program' in my eyes.

The only thing that bothers me is that we talked about potential gamecube games coming to this ambassador program and now im wanting a gamecube vc even more! Maybe they have no plans for an ambassador program because gamecube vc is just around the corner...?

...HYYYYPE!

The monthly .30 cent game promotion was kind of the Wii U's ambassador program I guess. No biggie.

I wouldn't even regret buying my WiiU day one if they would drop the price to 1€.
And for me the 30cent-Games were like an Ambassador-programm.

This is horse radish.
Why not Nintendo. This is weak sauce, concentrated weak sauce!!

I have to agree, the 30th anniversary promotion was like an ambassador program for us early adopters.

I regret nothing!

Yeah, the 30 cent thing was quite a gesture from Nintendo. If only I would've known I could use my card to pay for those. Sadly, I missed them all except DK :/

@WiiLovePeace

That's kind of a good point. I guess not everyone took advantage of it, but Super Metroid for 30 cents was a sweet deal. And it's not like early adopters don't get to take advantage of the price decreases in games like DK and WW HD.

I can't say I'd turn down an ambassador program reward...but I don't see much of a reason to complain either.

Okay !! No problemo !!

Like others above me said, those 30c/30p Famicom titles was pretty much the 'Ambassador Program'.

Bull crap!! I was not an Ambassador for the 3DS, so I decided to get a Wii U at launch. No plans for price cut, that's fine. However, if they just leak a price cut out of the blue and not even give any money to us ambassadors, then that's bull crap. That makes me want to rage. I'm e-mailing the crap out of Nintendo. I only have six games for my Wii U, and the only one that I got that was a first-party game was Nintendo Land that came with my Wii U. $50... that's terrible.

@Obito_Tennyson I'm just going to to go ahead and assume that's sarcasm.

No shock about this at all. 3DS was a one-time thing.

@XCWarrior It's not sarcasm, they even said it their selves that there was no price cut happening any time soon. Two weeks later, there's a $50 price cut!! I want something to notify that I have not wasted $50 on my Wii U just to get it early. I could have gotten all the games that I got (except for Nintendo Land) on a PC. At least give me a Certificate. I did not just throw $50 down my toilet.

Well, having just bought a WiiU I missed the 30c offer everyone is talking about, but pointless to complain about my "perfect timing" as customer >.>;
(Still I payed way less then the price cut, my purchase isn't an "epic fail" at least XP)

Anyway Nintendo simply did a little price cut after many months from the launch, it's common affair in hardware sales, not a shocking offensive decision.

But of course.

I feel like I would not have purchased the deluxe Wii U if they had not insisted there would be no price cut. I would have much rather had WWHD and save 50 bucks then get ZombiU. haha. Not that I am unhappy, but I missed out of the 30 cent promotions and I paid full price.

Also in foresight, I should have known they were full of poop, and just waited.

Premium owners already have the Premium promotion (https://p.nintendo.net/) and early adopters had the chance to download the Famicom 30th Anniversary campaign Virtual Console games at almost no cost. With such a miniscule price cut, there's really no need for an "Ambassador Program". Nintendo just needs to get the Wii U to more players out there. Having increased adoption of the system increases the value for early adopters, thanks to increased game support.

:/

I don't mind. I spent my birthday in January playing with my then recently bought Wii U. Don't regret it a single day.

So the lesson here is, always wait 2 years after a Nintendo console comes out to buy it. Message received.

The price cut was much more modest on the Wii U, and much later than when it happened with the 3DS. It was a natural price drop. Dropping the price of the 3DS in 80 dollars after 6 months was a drastic measure and was a real reason for people to be upset. Every single console has a price drop after a while, and there was no such thing as an Amassador Program before the 3DS, so don't expect it to be recurrent.

@gsmaciel Except most of those consoles have games in the first year.

The 30 cent promotion basically was the Ambassador Program!

I got the 3DS program since they lowered the price by a good bit after I spent 250 bucks just on the system, and it made the hurt of the extra spent less. This time, I just feel sort of ripped off. Nintendo used to not do stuff like this. I feel like they just aren't what they used to be. 3DS had a poor launch, and Wii U's wasn't good either. I feel like they just keep staying a step behind anymore.

This is fine, to be honest I wasn't even bother when the 3DS price dropped like it did.

@WiiLovePeace agreed.

they all ready releases those 30 cent games, i said it at the time, but that would be the substitute for the ambassador program

@Obito_Tennyson Dude, there is ALWAYS a price cut or an upgraded version coming. Thats how consumer electronics works. You either pay to have it now, or spend your entire life waiting for that next version or next price cut. Buying and "Ntoy1", then being shocked because its come down in price, or the "Ntoy2" has been announced is just stupid.

Some points you are all misding -

Yes, if you got the system last holiday you got your moneys worth, why complain, but what about people who got it this summer for Pikmin 3? After Nintendo kept repeating no price cut?

And heres the kick in the gonads you are ALL missing - many large retailers have "price protection" policies for when high priced items droo in price soon after purchase. By announcing the price cut 3 weeks out Nintendo is PURPOSELY SCREWING OVER THEIR CUSTOMERS! If the price cut was effectice immediately a number of purchases would be able to get the $50 back. In fact the only reason for a 3 week notice is to keep that from hsppening, Nintendo has conspired eith retailers to screw over people who bought a Wii U recently.

Defend that.

I'm fine with no Ambassador Program, as I was going to get a Wii U at launch anyways, because it's Nintendo! However, I'll do have to kindly disagree that "the 30¢ VC promotion was basically the Ambassador Program" comments. That was Nintendo's way of celebrating Famicom's 30th anniversary, not repaying early adopters. Nintendo probably wasn't even thinking about price cuts then when they were running this promotion.

Now for those who are wanting an ambassador program, it's well past the Wii U launch window, unlike the case of the 3DS, in which there was a price reduction within that window.

I personally think that a ambassadors program should be put in place for the early Wii U owners. Why? 1) $50.00 is a chunk of money that could have been used for something else (buying another game, buying something for your family, ect,), 2) it is because of the Wii U owners right now that Nintendo even have some sort of sales so why not thank them, and 3) it shows that Nintendo appreciate the loyalty through the good times and the bad times. And I want to emphasize that the Wii U owners could have saved $50.00 so I think it will be great of the Big N to compensate for that.

well, we did get those 30c games but i still wanted an ambassador program

I, as an early WiiU adopter, got such games as Kirby's Adventure, Punch-Out!!, F-Zero and best of all Super Metroid for only 30 cents. Thats about as good as an ambassador program in my opinion.

The 30 cent VC games are the Wii U's "Ambassador" games.

I honestly didn't expect free games when I got my Wii U. As my dad said, all electronics go down in price eventually. In fact, the 3DS Ambassador Program wasn't really a "make-up" for me getting my 3DS early - my parents got me one because I was doing extremely well in school (and I was planning to get one regardless), so it was more of a "gift that keeps on giving" type of deal.

So, I know I paid $350 for my Wii U earlier this year, but hey, if we get some free stuff for early adopting, fine. If not, fine again.

My 3DS XL I got pretty much at RRP.

Could have saved £50 if I had waited a bit.

Not bothered about that though.

What I am bothered about is that I cannot buy those ambassader games for any amount of money. (Even for the £100 cost of the price drop). I suppose I could get another 3DS but I don't think I can transfer them without removing all my current eshop purchases.

I really think Nintendo set an unsustainable and unnecessary precedent with the Ambassador Program. Entitlement. Nobody is forced to buy a brand new game system. An eventual price drop is just a risk you take buying early. Now because Nintendo gave away free games because people paid more early, people expect more free games again. Not saying that the circumstances with the 3DS weren't unusual, but that's life.

My biggest problem with the Ambassador Program is this... WHERE ARE MY GBA VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES FOR THE 3DS???!!! It's been over 2 years and not a single one has been released for normal consumers.

The 3DS is the first Nintendo console I did not pick up at launch because of a lack of funds, and now I feel like I'm being punished for it. The Ambassador games are a first class group of games that I would love to own digitally, for myself to play again, and my kids to enjoy for the first time, but am barred from getting. But why? The games work. The service is there. Is there a reason?

Now I don't feel entitled to these games, but I just think it is bad business for them. The games are there. The Ambassadors must of had their fun with them by now. Why not now release them to the general public to buy?

While I do agree that early adopters should have known what they were buying, things didn't go exactly as planned. LAUNCH WINDOW GAMES HERE WE GO!...oh wait brb DELAYS ONE SEC...brb DELAYS AGAIN...

However, I still don't feel like nintendo owes me anything.

@Cherkov Only reason I didn't get one at the start was because of the 3DS XL not being available.

But I want my free Gamecube games.

Personally im glad there won't be an ambassador program.
The whole thing is a load of "post digested excrement"

@galetyler If they really want to split hairs, they could say they offered us $41 worth of games for $2.10 with the 30 cent Virtual console promo, but I suspect that most early adapters had to pay $2.10 for games they likely already owned and/or only bought because they were 30 cents (Balloon Fight, Yoshi).

Oh well, that's the price I got my nearly-new Wii U for around launch, so I really can't complain.

It's just $50 wasn't the 3ds almost halved? And the price drop isn't even worldwide

The 3ds' price was cut a few months after launch, the Wii U will have its price cut in september which is a far longer time span than with the 3ds. You aren't entitled to any free games after that much time. This is the problem with Nintendo giving free games in the first place, do it once and people will expect it every time there is a price cut.

@Obito_Tennyson The writing was on the wall a month ago the price drop was coming. It's like when a owner or a general manager gives there "approval" of a struggling coach. You know he's about to be fired. Just buy Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate (cant't get that on PC) and spend a couple hundred hours on it. You'll feel better.

@Cherkov I agree with the first half of what you said, not the second half. We early adopters were told those GBA gamers were only for us. At least (for now) they are sticking to it. You are sounding like you are entitled to them, right after telling people they need to stop feeling entitled. Just saying.

I say oh well. Its your fault for getting it at launch not Nintendo's and it was pretty obvious a price cut was going to happen too even after they denied it. Obvious Nintendo XD

@rjejr Quite easily, it's always a gamble when you wait to buy a system down the line. No company is going to declair they will be cutting the price untill they feel they have to as sales would plumit as people would wait untill the price cut before purchasing. Nintendo have already had comments about the price cut announcment and the length of time before it takes effect, and quite rightly, its pointless making the announcment untill a couple of weeks before it due to take place as it stems sales. When ever a price cut is announced there's always going to be some people buying the system a day before the announcment, disaponting- yes, frustrating- yes but its a part of life as a gamer, and its a situation that applies to every system and any electronic device, phone and just about every other product you can purchase regardless of manufacturer.
This price cut is timed about right for Nintendo, The 'Summer Update' is due end of september/Begining October, Windwaker is being released and comes in a limited edition WiiU bundle, it's also nearly a year after the systems launch and at a time when more recognisable Nintendo franchises are close to release.

im not upset seeing as my only gripe was that I was under the impression that only the Zelda bundle could access wwhd on the eshop early, since its available to all im pleased, but I still would love to get that hyrule hystoria digital copy as compensation even tho I have the physical. but I'm selfish.

The only thing that kind of annoys me about it and kactually offends me is when the 3DS ambassador program happened, they were like "Oh, this is for our most Loyal fans" or something along those lines. I pretty much buy most of my consoles at launch or with in a month of launch with the exception of the 3ds because of an issue I had with Student Loans so therefore, I had to wait. Then the 3ds ambassador happened and Nintendo sounded like they didn't consider me one of their most loyal fans because I was not sure if I would have money to spend on my 3DS.

Then here comes the Wii U. The systems that seems to have struggled the most, have the least amount of support, the one that people were saying could even be discontinued. Yet, I stood up for it, I told everyone how it would be very successful even though there was next to no games in sight of it. Then E3 rolled around, stuff was announced, people said that it wouldn't save it. Yet I still defended the console because I had faith that Nintendo would pull through. I was kind of hoping for something like the ambassador because there was a lot of crap that the early adopters had to go through. Plus I am still a little annoyed about how Nintendo told the people about the 3DS ambassador program saying how they were so loyal and I felt like they just told me that I am not a loyal enough Nintendo fan even though I am probably more loyal and 80% of people who the 3DS ambassador. I guess it was maybe just a bad choice a words they chose but I was kind of hoping to see something for the Wii U like this.... to be honest, it was one of the reasons why I bought it... lol

@GiftedGimp - I think you misunderstood what I see as indefensible.

"its pointless making the announcment untill a couple of weeks before it due to take place as it stems sales."

What I don't get it, why not make the price cut "effective immediately". They will lose sales, this was on all the news outlets and in all the newspapers, that the Wii U will drop in price on Sept 20, in 3 weeks time. Why not just do it now so people can price adjust and get their $50 back? What company announces price drops 3 weeks out? Automotive, PC, tv, Apple? I just don't get it.

Check it out as they say this now and change their minds right after the price drop.

the 30 cent virtual console promotion was a joke. we got Yoshi while japan got mother 2 and we had to pay 10$ for it. granted its completely worth 10$ and more for earthbound, but Nintendo needs to stop these lopsided promotions and staggered regional releases, and unfortunately with wwhd being released in September now I won't be picking up wonderful 101 since3 I was going digital for those titles. however, i'll now be able to pick up dkr trop freeze as my gaming slate just opened up.

It's not a problem for me, I got my system on launch day. But, I kinda feel bad for people that pick up a WiiU for Pikmin 3.

@ikki5 Nintendo doesn't know you personally you know. It's not like they have any knowledge of your buying habits or who you've personally told to buy which systems. "Most loyal fans" means, people who bought this thing on release... not because we're invited to a Barbecue at Nintendo's place.

Everyone that bought a WiiU back in November knew they were buying it at a $50 premium just for being an early adopter. Back then everyone was expecting a price cut after Nintendo Year-end of March 2013. But, Nintendo bullishly stuck to the $350 price tag which explain why they only manage to sell less then 500K consoles world wide in the last 5 months. Nintendo should of announce a price cut and a new bundle with Super Mario Bros U back in late March 2013. I don't want an ambassador program. I just wished it wouldn't of taken Nintendo so long to give a price cut that was 5 months overdue.

@Mommar
Yes I know but it is kind of a kick in the face for them to make a huge deal for one party and then be like "Uh... nothing for you" to the next.

I'm not gonna say that every system that gets a price cut should have an ambassador program... only the systems which had a price drop less than a year after launching.
It's funny... Nintendo kept saying that a price cut wasn't an option, and now they knock $50 off the price? That just makes them look weak. Plus, weren't they selling the Wii U at a loss to begin with?
I'm mostly disappointed by this news. I was starting to think maybe we'd get some free GameCube games.

Sigh, I guess it was enough with that 30 cent VC games promotion.

@rjejr
I have to agree with you. Like, I get the price cut. That's fine and to be expected. Announcing it this early is baffling. Although this is the case, it's something I'm also not too surprised with coming from Nintendo as of late in the marketing department. Something seems very flawed with their marketing team. I keep trying to put a finger on it, but I still lack the understanding.

Maybe they're holding back major advertising for this fall/winter for a "second chance" and view it as the initial launch never happened? @Cherkov mentioned earlier how the Ambassador games for 3DS are still not available for the rest of the 3DS owners - I'm one of those that got "rewarded" for the Ambassador program, but in no way do I feel it's right to hold these games back to the rest of the owners. See, and that's logic I don't understand right now with Nintendo. What can possibly be the reason behind it from releasing those games? For the sake of rarity that I can claim I'm one of those only entitled to those games? How ridiculous. Put the games out for all to enjoy! You did it before - do it again! How can this be that hard to do? And guess what Nintendo, you'll probably make money in the process!

After all is said and done with this "circus", I keep coming back to one thing about this company - they're not very communicative of how they handle things. Sure, they've been getting better - but as far as I'm concerned (along with you I'm sure), from this news announcement, now I have more questions that probably won't get answered. They did "answer" the potential Wii U Ambassador program, however, being that they didn't hold to their initial price cut claims, what can you trust from their press releases anymore?

With this recent announcement to lower the price in 3 weeks, if you're not a follower of tech like most of us here, and families buy the system within this time frame and later find out it drops $50, it is going to be a huge backlash in trust with those customers. I know damn well if I bought the system on September 19th and found out I could have saved $50 waiting a day, I'd march right down to the retailer and demand a price adjustment. Hopefully, the system sales from now to September 20th will flat-line and those at Nintendo HQ responsible for the loss of sales will get taught (yet another) lesson in how they screwed up.

@MrSRArter I'm gonna have to disagree with that. Most of the 30¢ VC games that were offered during the Famicom's 30th Anniversary Promotion were games that were already released on the Wii Shop Channel, could be transferred to the Wii U, and will still be available to those who purchase the Wii U after the price drop.
The 3DS Ambassador GBA games were completely free, have not had a release outside of the GBA prior to the 3DS Ambassador Program, and still are not available 2 years after the 3DS launched.

As a footnote, what I believe they should have done with this announcement was talk about how they were going to bundle the Wind Waker with the system but mention anything about the price. Honestly, before this announcement, people were more curious about the bundle specifically - not so much about a system price cut. Then, when September rolls around for the bundle release, bam you throw the price cut on there. If people we're already aware of the bundle and patiently waited for it, they get the good price and have nothing but good things to say about Nintendo.

Unfortunately, now that they've "shown their cards" prematurely, they'll lose potential sales on people who are aware of this. It may not be "a huge population", but the fact that there is any population of it, I consider it to be losses to profit. But, then again, I don't work or am involved with Nintendo in these decision makings and have little knowledge in the matter. But what I do know is that it doesn't seem normal/logical from a business standpoint.

I feel bad for wii u owners no games for almost a year then 50 buck price cut. After the 3ds price cut I learned never to buy a console without a must have launch game.

I'm kind of disappointed, but Nintendo's already selling the Wii U at a loss, right? Could they even afford to give early adopters a free game.

@Spartacus3765 - " if you're not a follower of tech like most of us here"

Thing is, this is news. The most news the Wii U has ever gotten. USA Today, ABC news, the Washington Post. Every major news organization is covering the price drop, and the Sept 20 date. If it was just a Nintendo Direct I would get it, who watches them?, but this is major news.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/08/28/nintendo-wii-u-price-cut/2715755/
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/nintendo-wii-price-dropped-50-29999/story?id=20098977
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nintendo-drops-wii-u-price-releases-new-2ds-handheld/2013/08/28/da9d53be-0ff9-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html

Why wait?

If I were nintendo id instead make all wii u eshop games half off for a weekend before the price drop

@2Sang
That philosophy will probably be much more prevalent come next generation. Being that, myself, ever since I've been able to save up enough for a console on my own (since N64 specifically), I always get the system on launch, save for their handhelds. It's just really hard for some to hold back from. But, now that we're getting older, it's time we get taught the whole "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" thing.

So in other words, Nintendo shouldn't be shocked to see their next newest console sell extremely well at launch.

@rjejr
Ah, right. So the dent in sales will be even more then based on the scale of news outlets. I'm just saying I'm right there with you though in not understanding the early announcement of the price drop. Makes little sense to me.

i'm still glad i had mine on day 1, but my greedy gaming needs would love another Ambassador program. that thing loaded up my 3ds. swoon.

I have now excepted to NEVER buy a Nintendo system at launch

• you have an abysmal launch lineup
• Little or no games out in the first 1-2 years
• ALWAYS expect a price cut because the system is selling bad, i paid £300 for my WiiU ... and now its worth £200-250
• The good games always come out 2 years later ... Pathetic

** Please note this is my personal opinion, please do not get angry or upset over my opinions **

I bought both my 3DS and Wii U on their launch days. With my 3DS I have no regrets, but Nintendo you are letting me down. What reason is there to buy at launch from you?

In a way I figure the 30 cent Virtual Console games on Wii U were almost like an Ambassador Program anyway. Recent adopters won't get those. So there's that...

I will always support Nintendo with my cash - mostly on launch days - and am happy to pay their asking prices.

I do not however like the sensation that my loyalty sees me pay 20% more than the casual consumer market they cherish so highly.

Whoa betide the point when I start holding back and waiting for [imminent] price reductions on future products.

and there were 'no plans' to have a price cut

I think the 3ds gift was awesome and totally exceptional. No expectations of a repeat. It would be cool if nintendo surprised us again, but not necessarily for a reason or restricted to some special group. i d on't regret getting the wii u early because me and my family has enjoyed it for hundreds of hours.

Let's be realistic they're losing cash on the system and this bundle is designed so they don't lose more on the system, just that they don't make money on Zelda. Also getting rid of the gimped white dead weight version will help things too not producing and undesirable turd few would touch. I'm OK with this, not thrilled, but not mad either. I think Ambassador love would have been a bit much, but perhaps just a little pittance like maybe a download voucher for one of those eShop specific titles valued at $15 or less would have been a nice conciliatory prize but it's no biggie. 3DS dropped faster and harder in price with an $80 dunk, $50 is no slouch I know, but the system has had over a dozen good exclusives and many good to excellent ports of now released stuff and past items that could be new if you avoided the other guys. 3DS didn't have anything to play much out of the launch titles. WiiU's problem was price and games, now it's games and third parties are still playing uniquely bizarre games of make a base then games while it has always been trust to build a base with games.

So its always the loyal fans who get overlooked the most

Not that it matters much... I've gotten my money's worth out of the Wii U console long ago, but losing that tiny ray of hope is never a great feeling : (

The difference is the 3DS was originally selling for a profit whereas the Wii U has always been selling at a loss (since day 1). If they haven't reduced their manufacturing costs, it'll be selling at even more of a loss when this price reduction takes effect.

@Goginho True XD

I knew it wasnt gonna happen, but i wish they wouldve done it for us who bought the Wii U basic set

1 Gamecube Title on VC Free, thats all i ask

You've raised my hopes and dashed them quite expertly, sir. Bravo!

@SutibunDatsWass Or ANY for that matter. I don't care if I have to pay for them, just SOMETHING!

@rjejr

If you didn't want to pay $350 for a Wii U then why did you? If the Wii U was only worth $299 to you then you should have either a) waited for a price drop b) purchased the basic model c) purchased one from a retailer such as Target who has been running good promotions on the Wii U via gift cards, or d) waited until black friday when everybody knows all the videogames systems (excluding xbox one and ps4 due to supply issues I am sure) will be on sale. It is obvious to me that the Wii U was worth $350 to you when you purchased it, however you sound bitter and feel entitled to something because you paid the full MSRP for something. I am sure Iwata, Reggie, Moffett and the rest are all up in the Nintendo Tree House right now smoking cigars, doing cartwheels, and laughing like the Duck hunt dog because they we able to pull off the big conspiracy with every major retailer regarding the "price protection policies" screw job.The Nintendo "A-Team" loves it when a plan comes together.

I just love how I got my 3DS on August 13, 2011. Literally one day after the promotion ended. Just my luck.

Also, being that I payed more than $400 for my Wii U day one, I'm not really happy that they all of the sudden decide to release good games and make the system cost less. Yay for me, the joys of being a day 1 loyal customer <_<

I'm fine with it though.

@NorthLightSuplx
He didn't say anything about the Wii U not being worth full price, just that most companies don't announce price drops this far in advanced. Most of the time you get "price protection" meaning if it goes up you don't pay more, if it goes down your eligable for a refund for the difference for a limited time.

@rjejr
Perhaps they announce it in advanced so they don't have to worry about refunding so many purchases at once. Anyone planning on buying one right now might put it off until the price drop, so they won't need price protection. Can't say for anyone who buys it anyway aside from maybe the haven't heard, wether or not Nintendo is hoping for that I certainly can't say.

It would have been nice to have something like they did with the 3DS, but I'm ok with it.

No, I want 10 N64 Games and 10 Game Cube games, come on Nintendo, I bought your console 2 months ago and the only game worth getting is Pikmin 3, and it wasn't all that great, too short, too easy... No shame at all.

I totally get why people are peeved about this. I purchased my wii u with the understanding that Nintendo "learned from their 3ds launch" something people seem to forget that Nintendo stated time and time again leading up to the launch. then they released the system, and pushed the majority of launch window titles by 3 to 6 months. lost exclusivity with legends and essentially had a gaming drought. then they stated a price cut wasn't going to happen and that the release of titles this fall are what they are focusing on. only to then announce a price cut. I for one purchased my wii u thinking they had actually learned from the 3ds launch and ended up having to repeat it. I won't ever buy a Nintendo console in any launch window from now on, but i'm not expecting free anything for being an early adopter... although giving "ambassadors" early access to all major first party titles via eshop by a few days or a week would be AWESOME. this way they aren't wasting money, and can stoke our egos while counting their cash.

@JogurtTheYogurt I'm not disagreeing with you, you've made completely valid points....but why single out Nintendo systems?

What great launch line ups did the Xbox 360, PS3 or even the Vita (save for Uncharted and WipeOut) have? And what great, 'must have' games were released for any of them within the first year?

Unless there's a massive flood of quality titles for the PS4 and Xbox One within the first six months, we're all going to see EXACTLY the same kinds of complaints from their early adopters, once people are finished with the new Killzone and the likes.

i'm fine with this, I just love supporting the big N.

@XCWarrior Not being an Ambassador, I had no idea they were promised only to you. That makes it an even more stupid business decision. To give away some of their best 1st party titles for free and then lock them away from the unwashed masses is just poor planning. Just think of all of the lost sales on these games just to appease early adopters? Money that could be used to fund new development.

Now let me state clearly here, I do NOT feel I entitled to these games. Would I like them? Yes. Would I be willing to pay for them? Yes. Would I shed a tear if they never get released? Nope. Not releasing them just doesn't make sense to me. That's all.

But let's put aside the Ambassador only games for a moment and ask this question again... WHERE ARE MY GBA VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES FOR THE 3DS???!!! It's been over 2 years and not a single one has been released. Some Virtual Boy games remastered for the 3DS would be even more cool though...

Nintendo owes us nothing! Some peoples kids. I was an ambassader with the 3ds and it was very cool of nintendo to do that but if nintendo gave out free games everytime they cut the price on the wii or the ds they would not have any left to sell. We can t expect these hand outs all the time.

Makes me feel better that I've been waiting for a price cut. When I heard there might be an ambassador program for early buyers I almost kicked myself for not getting one on launch day because the 3DS ambassador program was so cool. Now I have zero regrets.

Stupid Nintendo i hope you fail

@Alshain01 You should have received that when the 3ds came out. I learned my lesson.

I have been gaming for over 30 years and I have also been frequenting NL almost everyday for years now but this is my first time posting. With that being said, I would like to state my perspective on this matter.

I waited to purchase a WiiU for a few months because I really wanted to wait for a new HD Metroid or even a Zelda because I had a feeling that they would eventually make a special edition and I have plenty of other games to keep myself busy. Regardless, I had the money and ended up purchasing one anyway.

I don't necessarily regret buying a WiiU and I'm not asking for a handout, but I do feel like we were lied to. The media and such have been talking about a price drop for months now. Nintendo pulls a Sony/MS and essentially lies to us by dropping it a couple weeks later. If they dropped the price when the sales tanked (I think as far back as march even) then it would of been more similar to the 3DS ordeal. They held out just long enough to make it look like a normal price drop instead of rewarding the loyal fans that helped support the WiiU in the beginning so the developers would as well. Now we'll have to wait even longer as developers are waiting for additional WiiU sales before beginning on a new title.

Nintendo had the "Seal of Approval" to reassure consumers that there wouldn't be "shovelware" on the NES and Super NES, they fixed the issue with the Wii remotes by offering free sleeves (which they didn't have to) and they rewarded early adopters/core fans with the ambassador program, let alone Iwata took a huge pay cut when he felt responsible for the abysmal 3DS sales. These types of things are some of what I believe had made me respect Nintendo more than the rest throughout the years.

Unfortunately, with situations like this, stuff like releasing Metroid Prime Corruption and shortly after that the Trilogy, (Had to mention it) I'm absolutely convinced that I'll be one of the many who will forever hold off on buying new hardware and software. I have no problem waiting but I do have a problem with wasting money. I guess it's things like this that explains why the sales were horrible in the after launch.

Well, I am not bothered by this info. Bought the WiiU Day1 since all the Big N's consoles come out on my birthday (ahh yeah), and I would never change that. Love my WiiU hope the price cut gets some new folksm on board.

P.S. sending this from the Olympic Rainforest next to a huge campfire. Hope everybody gets out from time to time to enjoy nature, it can be breathtaking.

@Obito_Tennyson
Well then you should have just waited... lol, and be mad at yourself and not Nintendo.

Honestly, I said it before and i'll say it again. Do you call and complain to Apple or Sony or Samsung or any other electronic company about price drops? That's just the business, technology goes out of date every 6 months or sooner in some cases. Only Nintendo had been so kind to it's customers to sometimes do something gracious about it. But you can't sit here and demand for free stuff because you decided to pay full price for a product at or around launch... come on!

I got to play EarthBound on day 1. I'm happy .

It's not like it was a third of the price like 3DS or anything, so I'm not upset.

@NorthLightSuplx - "If you didn't want to pay $350 for a Wii U then why did you?"

Well since you asked so nice...

I did buy it at Target w/ my 5% off and $50 GC. So I'm good. My negativity is two-fold.

1. It's called buyers remorse. People are always remorseful - the grass is always greener and all that.
2. We were told on several occasions no price drop so I finally bit. The Wii didn't drop in price for about 3 years (in the US) so there was a precedent for no price drop.

I answered your question, so now answer mine - why the 3 week delay for the price drop if it wasn't to skirt price protection policies? You ridiculed my assertion that it was but you never offered any alternative explanation for the delay.

@Zombie_Barioth - Thanks for the help

"Perhaps they announce it in advanced so they don't have to worry about refunding so many purchases at once."

That's what I think, but isn't that wrong? Since this is a Nintendo site I expect people to defend Nintendo, but if Nintendo is trying to make sure that people who already bought a Wii U cant get their $50 back, and that's the only reason for the 3 week delay, well that just seems evil to me, not very customer friendly.

Ruthless...

Nintendo really screwed you guys over, this time.

$50 (14.29%) honestly isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. If it were the $80, 32% price drop of the 3DS, then it would be a bigger deal.

In the end, Nintendo is a company. Companies, no matter how much they are liked (Huge Nintendo fan here), do lame things from time to time for the sake of their pocketbooks. The questions are: A) Did they really need to do it (only an analyst with numbers could really tell), and B) was it really that impactful on us, the loyal consumers? Obviously an answer we all have to make on our own, as many of you have, but it's definitely worth taking a step back and looking at the nitty-gritties.

All that being said, I'm only really bummed that I didn't get the cool Zelda edition Wii U...hopefully I'll be able to find a comparable decal set on Etsy sometime soon...

I'm happy that most people commenting on this story seem to be taking this news like rational adults. Expecting an "Ambassador Program" for a system that has been out for almost a year, and has only dropped in price by $50 is very silly.

Some other people have said that our "Ambassador Program" is the 30 cent Virtual Console games. I would go even further and say that our "Ambassador Program" is that we've been playing the system longer than everyone else. The time I have spent playing Mario, Nintendo Land, ZombiU, Assassin's Creed 3, Pikmin 3, Mutant Mudds Deluxe, Runner2, Nano Assault Neo, Little Inferno, etc. for the past several months is easily worth $50.

Obviously, in the world of consumer retail, things that have been out for awhile become cheaper. I'm happy to see that most people here seem to understand that this is how the world works, as opposed to taking the news like a bunch of sheltered, whiny, entitled 6-year-olds.

I had a feeling this would happen. I really had my hopes up for another Ambassador program. This sucks... Ah, well, they can't do it every time, can they.

What games could they give us for free? Mario Kart (Snes and N64 versions) Super Mario 64 with galaxy style graphics? that would make some people happy. I won't ever buy a new Nintendo console on the day of release again as this happened with the 3DS and now a price drop for Wii-U. I'm not happy about this price cut but I do think it's a cool console!

@rjejr
Oh, I agree, working within the confines of the law to rip people off is shady business. The only thing I can think of, assuming their actually not announcing it early for that very reason, is they're thinking sales are bad enough that not very many people are buying it anyway and think they're announcing it early enough.

Thats just giving them the benefit of the doubt of course though, correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they announce the lack of a price drop as heavily and know most people wouldn't have read about that. If thats the case then avoiding price protection would be definitely intentional.

I'm not upset because I already have my Wii U and I enjoy it greatly. I wasn't expecting a price drop this soon and even if there was one, I wouldn't expect Nintendo to give out free games again. I've got my 3DS Ambassador titles. Great. While getting Wii U Ambassador titles would be cool, I'm fine if we don't get them.

And on the awkward end of that, I have the 8GB Wii U, so it wouldn't be the best if that was implemented.

@AntiGuy My friend, you need to pick up ZombiU, NintendoLand, and Lego City. Then you will see how wrong your statement is.

@rjejr

Gladly. I disagree with your thought process and your grand conspiracy argument does not hold up.The only thing I can guess you are thinking is that Nintendo thinks if the price drop is immediate it will upset retailers and they will not want to promote their product etc. Do you think it would affect nintendo and the retailers relationship one bit if the retailer had to refund $50 to a) the handful of people that purchased a Wii U within three days of a price drop (typical coverage for the policy you are basing your argument on) b) even know that these policies even exist c) follow the business enough to even be aware the price is being dropped. The reason no one has brought up the price protection policies in the comments section as you pointed out is because there are very few people who even realize that such policies exist. Retailers do not usually go out actively promoting these policies.I happen to know about them because my father use to be assistant manager at a Wal-Mart It is a retailers policy so it has absolutely nothing to do with Nintendo. So why would Nintendo care one bit? There is no way for me to know why Nintendo announced the price drop three weeks early. My guess would be to build 3 weeks of social media buzz. They did the same thing with the 3DS. It is their business and they can do whatever they want to do with their business model (as long as it is legal).

@NorthLightSuplx - My conspiracy theory may require a tinfoil hat but at least Im making an effort to explain the 3 week wait. And the 2DS was only 2 weeks. And Best Buy has a 15 day price match policy. What would your dad say to someone at Walmart who tried to follow their legal right of price protection in this situation if the person bought a Wii U a week or 2 before the annoucement? Or are you simply admitting all price protection is a scam and companies are able to use it as a marketing tool but they shouldnt actually have to follow it when a customer tries to put in a claim?