Poll: Should Nintendo Follow Microsoft's Lead With A Wii U Price Cut?

Wait, the Wii U is $300? I think a price cut would probably benefit them since more people would be able to buy a console. Although, considering that the other consoles are high priced, I think the Wii U can stay the same.

I think a price cut is a very good idea.

As much as I want them to sell consoles this holiday, I honestly don't think they will. I just don't think people will get past the naming convention, and I honestly think all their poor sales to date have stemmed from that.

No, a price cut to $250 would be extremely foolish. If the console is still being sold at a loss Nintendo can't really afford to lose anymore $$$$ on the Wii U. It's best if they ride it out. Smash, MK8, and bundles should suffice.

They already lowered the price once, I do not think that is the problem. Can people from the UK/Americas divulge whether there are ads for it on TV now? We never have video game ads in Denmark, but I do know that in most every store the Wii U /3DS section is hidden away in a corner

Considering they were selling those Nintendo Land refurbs for $200 before and people were happily buying them up, I think they can and should sell the bundles for $250, and they really desperately need to sell systems this holiday or they're going to get left in the dust.

Microsoft is in panic mode. THey are bleeding money right now when looking at their entire company. They were being yelled at by analysts last year to sell off the Xbox division. If things don't pick up, those talks will return.

This generation has become too expensive for game developers to make "AAA" game profitable on a consistent basis. That is going to cause problems for awhile.

They're still the lowest price - $100 and $50 less than both competitors, plus you can get a bundle with two games. I don't think they need to drop it further right now.

The Wii U already had a price cut, what's going to have people buying the system is AAA games

I already own a wii u, but I'm in favor of a ever so slightly cost cut. 289.99 sound good. Just enough to advertise a cut.

No price cut, and make price perception work for you:)

Microsoft in panic mode lol XCWarrior they just bought Minecraft.

It can be a Great Idea, but if Nintendo can get with that movement favorable profits much better, because if that instead of positive profit were lost, not much would serve that movement.
For we, the players/"gamers" this idea would very good, but, never forget that the company need profits that lost, if we want more and better videogames.

If left at the current price its STILL cheaper than the alternatives. I think its fine where its at.

Not sure. A price drop would make it look better next to the XBoner, but I highly doubt it'll increase sales at all.

Money is better spent in advertisement. Yes, ADVERTISEMENT

A 50$ price cut, or better a 50$ eShop credit instead.

Or a crazy MK8 SSBU and SM3DW bundle.

Nintendo should market the system better. I mean TV adds, commercials. Outside online stores I see no sign of Wii U to even exist. That's poor marketing to me already

I think the price drop would be too soon..next year i cann see it go down another 50...Right now the most important selling strategy would be more bundles with compelling software like smash..maybe even including 1 ammibo..it sure would put skylanders under their thumb

Dunno. Wasnt ninty already at loss with the current price?

But it will sell well. Because of smash.

Everyone I know here who hadnt a wii u before will get it for the sole reason of smash for wii u.

Obviously us, as customers, we want a Wii U price-drop, but probably Nintendo can't just keep dropping the price like that when the console was already selling at a loss even when it was released originally with that $350 tag price. So dropping the price even more at this point could be suicidal... Nintendo should focus on offering attractive bundles instead for $300 and it should work well. A Super Smash Bros Wii U bundle with the 32 gb console, the game, the GCN controller and the adapter for example... that'll be just awesome.

Let's stay optimistic, Smash Bros is a huge system seller so Wii U is definitely going to have a big userbase increse this upcoming months. Probably more than the last two holidays combined... it could be more it could be less but it will definitely sell wonders. After the latest Smash Direct, I think it's possible.

At the moment when I walk in to a supermarket, all I can see is Xbox One and Playstation 4 with their games of choice. No Wii U or it's games. Here's what needs to change

When the Wii U was priced at $349.99 they were selling it at a loss. Now that it's $299.99 they're selling it at a bigger loss, so dropping the price will make Nintendo lose A LOT more money.

EDIT: Okay, they said in May it's now profitable, but Nintendo has been losing money for 3 years, so they should keep it there.

Yes. Price cut will help.

I think it would be wiser to put more in the box, so to speak, than lower the price on the box. The problem isn't cost, it's value. Software and hardware bundles will be key. Not just games, but bundling with extra controllers or amiibo will surely increase value in the eyes of parents and gamers.

The XB1, on the other hand, really needed a price drop to be competitive with the PS4 because it's essentially the same product as the PS4 competing for the same audience. There's not really any value that Microsoft can add to it, because whatever else they put in the box, Sony can just do the same thing. Dropping the price is the only way they're going to remain competitive through the holiday.

The Wii U is currently being sold at a profit, by the way. Hardware gets cheaper over time, not just for the consumer, but also for the manufacturer. Nintendo reported back in May that they were no longer taking losses on hardware.

I think they should actually advertise it and maybe it will sell. I think MK8 needs some more adverts to go with whatever they're planning for Smash. A price cut wouldn't improve sales if they don't tell anybody.

Early 2015 could be important but I have no faith I Nintendo to release more than 1 major game before e3

Yes. My launch Wii U died and I need a cheap Smash Bundle cause no way am I going to pay 200+ for a refurbished replacement.
The Wii U should be 100 less expensive than PS4/X1.

With so many amazing games out now, and with Black Friday just around the corner, I don't think Nintendo needs to cut it. Stores will probably do that though.

Its important that Nintendo makes money off of whatever they make. If cutting prices makes more sales, more video game companies may want to join in on nintendo. I would love to see better 3rd party games and stuff. Whatever decision they make, I hope it turns out well.

Just because they were selling it a loss at $349.99 2 years ago does not mean they are still. The price of "old" technology decreases pretty rapidly.

I don't believe Nintendo having a price cut will have a huge impact on sales. The release of titles such as Super Smash Bros is what will get people buying the systems. If anything, I personally see a price cut could get people questioning Nintendo's confidence in it's own software (this Christmas being Super Smash Bros and perhaps Mario Kart 8).

I think Microsoft's slashing of the Xbox One prices I feel has done just that; got people questioning how confident they are at making big sales despite having Sunset Overdrive and Masterchief Collection being this year's big holiday exclusives.

That is just my opinion.

There could be a price cut. OR there could be a highly advertised sale during the Christmas season.
Because anybody who's going to buy one anytime soon would buy it then, and then there can be a price cut mid/later next year, when the reason for the price cut would be the regular reduction of price as the console gets older, instead of "because Microsoft did it".
EDIT: Reading closer instead of skimming, I see that this is what Microsoft is doing, actually. I thought we were talking permanent price reductions. Oops.

I won't be surprised if it actually will outsell PS4 and X1 this holiday season. For WiiU you have smash, bayonetta, all the goods. PS4 and X1 have no big releases if I remember correctly. So it is possible if Nintendo will do it right and adverdise the hell out of U

Who in the world is drinking the Kool Aid and voting that the U will outsell the Ps4/One?? Facepalm!

I say that Nintendo should drop the price of the Wii U system and here's why:

The Xbox one is only 50 dollars more than the Wii U and with that it mean you can get every game that might come to the Wii U and you will get all the DLC.

The reason why I bought the Wii U (at launch is because) I already had over 50 Wii games and a bunch of controllers that would work on the new system so I already had a start in the system, no having to buy new controllers new games and have 2 systems in my room (Xbox one/ PS4 and a Wii). The Wii U felt like the better option for me plus I knew what I was getting into, I knew that I would have a fun and unique experience with my system.

@ZenTurtle Thanks for the reply mate, hopefully people will be won over sooner rather than later

Looking at the USA, I've seen cool ads for Alien Isolation for PS4 and Xbox one....and PC. Point is, I was very tempted to buy a PS4 this summer, but saw that many of the games were coming on PC. And the same goes for Xbox One. Right now, if a gamer owns a PC and Wii U, they are covered. There's enough games to last you a lifetime. I feel bad for folks upgrading their PS3 and Xbox 360 to their respective counterparts. You have a smaller library, and have to pay for online. Uh, no.

@Warbeard
You know... I don't actually have a Wii U yet...

i'm staying with my 3ds and vita. handheld is the way to go, japan has the right idea. but if/when i do get a home console, it will be a ps4. i might get a wiiu a long time from now, once it has alot more games that i am into. ps4 has very few games, but i like more of them than on wiiu or xbone. but i'll probably just save my money and wait for the steamboy, which looks like its gonna be awesome!!!

Been seeing Mario kart 7,3ds, ads on nick

I think they should cut the base price, but also keep offering the bundle deals. That's what moves consoles. Smash Brothers bundle would be massive.

I think at this point, with the sort of line-up that is on the horizon in 2015, it's more about marketing, positioning and attractive bundles (not to sound like a cable company). A price cut stands a decent chance of further damaging the system's image/perception. Letting the competition further define themselves and box themselves in with price cuts, then being agile enough to adjust the system's positioning in the market accordingly might be a better course. Coupled with aggressive marketing, live hand-on events, and bundling the system with popular titles and a pro controller (multi-player out of the box for those who passed on the wii), a strong holiday season could create a better, more meaningful opportunity for a price cut.

Say, at E3. Coming off of a successful holiday season, a price cut would seem less of an act of desperation, and more the act of a company that is finally seeing enough system sales that they can afford to cut the price modestly. And just in time for a year of 'AAA' releases, new IPs and fresh starts (do-overs).

Glad to know there will be a price drop for the Xbox 1. I may get that Sunset Overdrive bundle. Price cuts are always good, for the customer at least.

@ZenTurtle Waaaail!

Even if you drop the price another $50, those that have yet to pick up the console for excuses like "It's not cheap enough or there isn't enough games" will still not buy the console. They will just find another excuse, even if it is something as silly as, "I ran out of peanut butter." Most likely, they will gripe that it has the gamepad.

I would rather see Nintendo focus instead on what they have been focusing on, games. Keep that number of exclusive titles rising, and allow your teams to go crazy on the development side. We need more of games like Splatoon, NES Remix 1+2, Capt. Toad, and New Super Luigi U.

We also need to see the big guns coming such as Zelda U, Star Fox U (the guys that were at Factor 5 could do a great Star Fox), Metroid U, F-Zero U. Even if they are not huge sellers, cover the genres because no one else will do it for them.

I will be buying the Sunset Overdrive bundle because of the price drop. I assume the WiiU would gain some sales for the exact same reason. Resting the holiday season on Smash alone is not enough to make a big impact. Go for it!

Clearly people with a Wii U won't want there to be a price cut (didn't read the article, so excuse my ignorance if this was mentioned)

It's crazy how different the situation is over here in Europe. I don't think any of the three consoles have been sold for the RRP since the first few weeks of their availability. You can get a Wii U and a good game for £180 most of the time, while PS4 and Xbone at their cheapest with a good game have been about £280, and most of the time £300, so Wii U still has quite a big price advantage.

Still, a price cut will always help, but maybe not as much as they want. The Wii U is trying to be a gamer's second console right now, but the vast majority of gamers haven't even bought their main console for generation 8, let alone thinking about their second. Save the price cut for next Christmas and Zelda.

Oh, and I still don't see what's so great about bundles. I keep saying a Wii U + Smash bundle would sell crazy numbers, but why? People can go buy a Wii U and they can go and buy Smash. Judging by the Mario Kart bundle, it's not like you're saving any money by getting an official bundle compared to just getting a standalone machine and the game. Sure, people that were going to buy anyway would probably get that option, but I doubt there's many people that have no interest in picking up a Wii U and Smash separately, that would suddenly change their mind if they came in the same box.

I wish I could vote that Wii U will sell well, but sadly I just think it'll carry on exactly as it's been going... Then again, Smash Bros might change that.

I'm not sure the Wii U will ever get the momentum it needs. And I'm not sure any Nintendo console down the line will, either.

Honestly I have no idea why PS4s and Xbox One's are selling, either. all the people I know are PC Master Race folk. Its safe to say I'm not in touch with the commoners. (Not saying I'm wealthy, just that I have my own little square.)

@BensonUii The eShop credit isn't a bad idea at all!

Why would it need a price cut? It's the cheapest of them all and well worth that investment unlike X1. People would soon realize how much more superior Wii U's library is compared to its competitors. If not than its the more underrated machine this generation or even all generations, with way too much baised criticism when people don't know what they are talking about

I think their pricing is fine right where it is at. With the release of Bayonetta 2 and Smash Brothers Wii U, I know for a fact that there are gamers on other systems who are considering purchasing a Wii U as a secondary system for those games. These gamers (PS4 or XBone owners) have already proven they are willing to pay a premium to play those games that "call to them".

In addition, the forthcoming exclusives will continue to lure them.

Lastly, I would prefer to see them push the 3DS, because this will keep the brand alive and profitable, while turning the next generation of game players into "Nintendolifers".

@Peach64 You are saving money getting bundles. The Super Mario 3D World + Nintendo Land Bundle is $299.99

If you got a Wii U alone ($299.99), 3D World alone ($59.99) and Nintendo Land alone ($59.99) You would be spending $419.97, which is $119.98 you could have saved.

NOTE: I'm not sure if Nintendo Land costs $59.99, I looked at the eShop, and they don't have a price for some reason.

they will drop the price and so will sony

it would most likely benefit them in the long run, getting more consoles out there right now is still the priority and everybody loves a price cut. but hopefully the amiibo line of toys will be the thing which drives the family demographic to finally cash in. but that will either work or not, still, a price cut could make it more enticing for parents this holiday season.

It depends. It could go either way. Either they can cut the price and get some more consoles sold, or ride off of the type of people who were going to buy it anyway and try to get as many games sold from those people.

It might not even matter what Nintendo does if PS4 is still going to be the same price. Microsoft is dropping closer into Wii U territory with these price shinanigans, so it could also benefit them if the price stays the same. Like some people said, it could make the Wii U look too cheap if they react to what Microsoft is doing, and Sony can't afford to drop the price on PS4 at all, so there's always that.

If PS4 follows up with a price cut, Nintendo really should.

To me it's like this: SSB is going to get a lot of Nintendo abandoners looking its way. If the price looks low enough they'll buy the bundle and obviously SSB to boot. (And like some have said, Bayonetta 2 enters the equation for some as well)

It's a sweet spot time where Nintendo has a chance to get core gamer's attention that looks like it won't happen again until later in 2015 with Zelda?

I like the ideas of eShop credit and free Amiibo figures, too.

What it comes down to is that there are now a ton of upsell opportunities for Nintendo now. You've got Gamecube controllers and the adapter, Amiibo, regular controllers (Pro, etc.), "other" games that core gamers either don't admit they want or don't know about yet because they haven't been paying attention to the Nintendo world yet — Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Wonderful 101, DK, Super Mario, all those eShop exclusives!

In other words, the profit margins lost on the console price reduction could be more easily made up now. Nintendo still needs a bigger installed base.

@Bass260 @Gridatttack @AdanVC @Dipper723

Nintendo said in May that the Wii U is no longer being sold at a loss.

@jayblue two completely unrelated things. The Xbox division is in a lot of trouble. Microsoft as a whole is a giant and can afford to buy up an independent IP without batting an eye. Xbox might die off because it's becoming unprofitable and a burden on shareholders, not because Microsoft is in any threat of going under.

@aaronsullivan - I don't think Sony will drop the price. They're making the least money out of all these companies, even with the most consoles sold, so they are probably more likely to aim towards having more money than trying to get a price cut. It doesn't really matter what Sony does in this situation, IMO, because Microsoft has already made the first cut. I don't think Sony can follow suit, financially, they need the money from PS4 sales, and it would just be a reaction to a console that is selling less than it anyway. I don't think a $50 price cut to Xbox One is going to change anyone's mind, because otherwise that would have worked for Wii U.

Most parents aren't going to spend $300 so their child can play Mario Kart 8, and most gamers aren't going to spend $300 so they can play Smash Bros. A price cut will help, but it won't fix the problem.

I think they should do a price drop as well as heavily market the Wii U with tv and campaign ads in the run up to Christmas. They need to get across to consumers the unique and different features it has to that of the PS4 and Xbox One, and to show of it's quality line up of games exclusive to the Wii U.

At this point I don't know if a price cut to $250 will really help. They might end up losing more money than they gain by doing this.

@brewsky Okay then. But still, now that they're making money off of it, they should keep it like that, since they've been losing money for the past 3 years.

@SkywardLink98 And, still, most gamers will spend $400 for playing more Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty games. Huh, strange world, isn't it?

@aaronsullivan @ouroborous @SanderEvers - amiibo could certainly help sell Wii U, but when Im in stores or online or reading ads all I see are Skylanders and Disney Infinity. Kids are not asking their parents to get them a Wik U for amiibo b/c no kid knows what an amiubo is.

Forego the price cut fof a huge ad campaigm, amiubo, SSB U and Captain Toad in US - all Wik U exclysives. But they are so exvlusivd right now they barely exist. Poo r poor Captain Toad, everybody should want yhat game but who even talks about it?

People forget something every time this topic appear:

Price drops just give a small push. People paid full price for a wii just to get wii sports. The fact that people is not spending 300, 400 or even less for the, just shows that the software is not worthy enough to buy a new hardware.

And why they should? I love MK8 but most of the past customers that had MKWii find it good enough and don't see the reason to spend more only for cute HD graphics. The same goes to XBONE and PS4. Most of the games there are already in much less expensive consoles and the HD upgrades are not enough reason to overspend.

It may only help them a bit for the season but that's it.

@SCAR392 Those are fair points and you are probably right.
IF Sony does, though, Wii U is going to be looking a bit out of place, imo.

I wonder if Nintendo could pull off a non-bundled Wii U for $200 or something? That would turn heads.

@Dipper723 Wii U has only been out for 2 years this November.

@rjejr In my argument I positioned Amiibo as an upsell. As in, people may buy it soon after they invest in a Wii U. You are right that is not acting as a draw to the platform yet.

Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8 and Mario are going to be the biggest draws to the platform for a long time to come. The other stuff is for those that are pushed over the edge by them... and maybe a price drop.

Too little, too late.
Nintendo will sell to Nintendo fans (of which I am one).
Wii U. Great console, great innovative games etc.
Short lifespan. End of.

@Olmectron Those gamers aren't a huge number. PS4 is selling the most at the moment but only because is cannibalizing XB360 and even some Wii gamers. Wii U tried to aim to them but those "hardkur" gamers don't give a damn about Nintendo and they ignored the huge userbase they amassed with the Wii and flocked to other places.

@minotaurgamer
Hmm... but the Xbox One and PS4 are selling well beyond expectations... with no strong software by your measure.

Heck no. Might as well give them away for free at a lower price. It'll sell pretty well this Holiday Season.

Yes they should put a price cut only for the holidays. They need to get people interested in the Wii U.

@rjejr: Will Amiibo, work with the Wii Mini? That's what I really want to know.

@aaronsullivan Nintendo lost money on the 3DS in 2011, because of the $80 price cut.

There was a deal online the other day of Bayonetta 1, bayonetta 2, Nintendo Land, Wii Party U and a pro controller for £180, can they really go lower than that?

@Nintendo_Ninja — Lol wow dude...

@aaronsullivan - Sorry, I misinterpreted "upsell" as help sell. You're right.

One of my many issues with SSBU lack of a release date was all the other merchandise that was riding on that 1 game coming out and selling well. Maybe Nintendo should drop the Wii U price to $279 to help sell those controllers, adaptors, amiibo, and all the other games that aren't good enough to help sell the Wii U like Captain Toad, Yoshi and Kirby. I know those last 2 arent due until 2015 but how many people will pick up a Wii U in Feb or March for those? Holiday is the buying - and selling - season for consoles so Nintendo can sell their games - and amiibo - the first half of 2015.

@aaronsullivan it's the same pattern as the last generation.

I see wii u marketing all the time. I have no idea what you guys are talking about

@Ryno - I think Im going to ask an employee at Target that question just to hear them try and answer. MKWii is bundled in, maybe theyll work with that? Of course 9 out of 10 Target employees right now probably dont know what amiibo are so my questioning will have to wait. Maybe on Black Friday

like anyone on here is going to disagree with a price cut.
they have a problem with the price of virtual console games.
give me a break

I'm not sure if a price cut is necessary, but I am wondering why I'm seeing no Smash bundles. Mario Land is great and all but I think a Smash Bundle with a Gamecube controller would up the ante in a huge way

Absolutely not. A price cut won't benefit them, especially in the long term.
If Nintendo really wants a sales boost, they could make a promotion in combination with Smash Unite, but even that isn't really necessary.
If Smash won't move more consoles, all hope lies within Xenoblade X. And if that doesn't do it, we have SPLATOOOOOOOOOOOON as a last joker.

Still, bargaining won't lure many people in - they might get one or two games and be done with it. But if the games are great and attention-grabbing, people will start looking for other good stuff on the platform.

A price move isn't needed. More included in the box would be a better move. Or starting to bundle with a 1TB HDD for the same price or even look to increase premiums to 250-500gb with no price increase. Hit the bundles, not the price cut. TELL people they are only console still to offer online gaming without having to fork out an additional £40 for Xmas morning, plus every subsequent year there after.
You get way more for your money straight out of the box of a wii u than people realise. They need to hold the price point but now up the SSD in the wii u as 250/500gb is substantially cheaper now than it was 2 years ago.
£279.99 for a premium wii u with 500Gb SSD, mariokart, bayonetta 2 (or £80 eshop credit to spend how you want Xmas morning)? Sold, and I already have a wii u.

@kingston589 Where do you see the Wii U marketing? The only time I saw Wii U marketing was in November-December 2013, and May-June 2014.

I think the idea of the $50 eShop credit would be great. No real loss to Nintendo and a bargain for consumers.

@Spoony_Tech I got $10 says Wii U outsells X1 in Japan this holiday. And Ill wager another $5 that it outsells PS4 in Japan in Nov and Dec as well.

The Wii U is still the cheapest so Nintendo doesn't need to do a price drop, but it would be great. I'm a PlayStation guy but Sony has been doing f*** all this entire first year, the only thing that will wake that company the heck up is a big-time butt whipping this holiday from MS and Nintendo. I hope it happens but the hype train for PS4 has so far been able to steamroll the other two and give the PS4 undeserved sales. I bought into it as well, which will never happen again, I waited nearly a year on the PS3 and probably should've done the same or gone longer waiting for PS4.

@BinaryFragger @Dipper723 That's what I meant with how things are different here in the UK in terms of retailer choosing a price at which things sell, rather than being told by the publisher. You can buy a 3DS for £150 in the UK, because nobody sells at RRP after launch. However, they come out with a new bundle like the Smash one and it's £200 for the first month.

I have tons of friends who are not going to buy a Wii u until Zelda U comes out, pretty much without question. They might consider buying one early if they were cheaper. Most of My friends are disappointed in their purchase of their Xbones and PS4 s so they feel buying another console right now might be a waste of money.

The Wii U doesn't need a price cut now. Smash Bros for Wii U will offset the price cut for another year.

@rjejr I wouldn't take that bet lol. It's been right there neck and neck with PS4 since launch. One doesn't even matter over there. Why does Microsoft even bother?!

Make great bundles!
One with MK8 and Smash and the other one with Bayonetta 2 and Smash and keep the price at 300$

I think it could be a good idea to cut the prices, but I don't think it's critical. What they ought to do is offer a Wii U without the gamepad for a reduced price (after, of course, making the needed software updates to allow that) and sell the gamepad separately. Either way, though, I think the Wii U will do fine this holiday season. I highly doubt it will outsell the PS4, but with Smash coming out next month, I think it will be on par with the Xbox One (though the temporary Xbox One price drop might change that).

I don't think the price of the Wii U is the problem, it's still cheaper than the XBone and PS4 and also has a larger game library. But it's hard to say either way. I don't think they'll do horribly this year, considering Smash Bros is coming out, but I'm not expecting the Wii U to blow the competition out of the water.

This hardware, by itself, is not worth more than and should not be more than $199 new. It's time for Nintendo to do something really bold if they want to compete: $199 for the 32g system, just the console and Gamepad, no game. Have your bundles, price them accordingly, but stop pretending like the Wii U has any business being in the same price league as an Xbone. It is delusional.

A price cut will help a lot! Like I said before.... console wise the other consoles are much stronger than the WII U and the price difference isn't that big. People want's to get some value for their money so a lot will go for a much stronger system. WII U shouldn't be even more than 200 euro or USD. But then again that's my opinion

Microsoft has the means to allow this with all the money they have up the wazoo. Nintendo does not have nearly as much to make such a change at a moment's notice.

@ElkinFencer10 The problem with Nintendo changing the Wii U to work without the Gamepad is that the Kinect for XB1 was something very few games used. The Gamepad is used by all games, so they would not only have to make a change to the system, but also to each and every game, many of which hey do not have the power to do because they're made by 3rd-parties. By making a change to not make the Gamepad required (and selling systems with a different controller) while 3rd-parties not doing a thing with existing games, it will practically break the system, putting Nintendo in deeper water.

@Technosphile well said!

@Technosphile Nintendo said in May that the Wii U will now be profitable at the $299.99 price. So $299.99 is the right price. The GamePad isn't cheap you know.

You're suggesting a 32gb WiiU with a couple of retail games included, to be priced at around 50$ more than a 3DS XL? Absolutely not.

A price cut + smash = godlike mode

@KillScottKill The Xbox has sold a load more than the Wii U how is it in trouble ?.

@Technosphile The issue is that the XBox One cannot sell at the price it should be selling at due to the horrible press it got both out of the gates and in performance once people got their hands on it. Microsoft positioned itself as the ultimate gaming machine and is fighting a performance based campaign that it cannot win. In order to attempt to compete, they have started a fire sale.

Nintendo stopped competing with Microsoft and Sony last generation for that title. They are never going to have the most technologically advanced console again. What they will have is a console that challenges the status quo in unique and innovative ways. While they are in the same market, they are not competing the same way and haven't in years.

Now if all you care about is graphics and ultimately meaningless numbers like fps and 1080p, then Microsoft's new price may be tempting (along with Sony's superior console). There you will find plenty of games that push out those numbers in droves in a never ending cycle of one-upmanship at the cost of quality (but don't worry there will be patch for that along with some day one DLC you can purchase).

Nintendo chooses to focus on the games themselves, picking quality over the ultimately meaningless numbers. Rarely do you see a day one patch and so far they seem to be handling DLC responsibly by still providing a complete game and then offering optional expansions to those games (like the old expansion pack discs that used to ship for PC). At the same time, they make their inferior console generally outshine the superior ones the competition offer by having better design and quality control.

@Bass260 my thoughts exactly

@Technosphile

Along with what @Dipper723 said, it just isn't possible to drop that low right now. They are barely making any money off of it to begin with, so to cut $100 just isn't feasible. Before you say it, software would not dig them out anytime soon either to make up the difference, as there are too many hidden costs involved. Not to mention you're flat out gambling that customers will buy enough games to make up the difference, which could take years to recover. $100 is just too much of a cut right now.

I personally don't think they should change, but I think they could swing $25, but no more than that.

Yes they should. i got the New Super Mario (and Luigi) Bros deluxe bundle for $259.99 during the Best Buy 2 day sale called, Black Friday in July. It got me to run out and buy a system.

@Shirma_Akayaku I completely agree. People think the WiiU should get a price cut but it's already pretty cheap and comes with great games and the other consoles are really expensive by comparison and that's before the fee for online play. They just want Nintendo to give away their console for free it seems even though it has some amazing games on it and it's the only innovative console again this gen.

If they advertise their holiday line up of games and amiibo well enough, I think they can afford a price cut.

@minotaurgamer Same pattern as last generation? I need to see some numbers on that. If you mean consoles launching without system selling software, I guess. Though the Wii sold like crazy because of Wii Sports so... I don't see anything like that this generation. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. Either way, I agree with you basically that software sells hardware but it hasn't always panned out that way, and I was pretty surprised how the PS4 and XB1 sold with almost nothing in terms of software. Even the extra internet/streaming stuff was way worse at launch than 360/PS3 already are. People bought the promise of those systems where they didn't buy into Nintendo's promise.

@Dipper723 Oh, Nintendo in general has been losing money. Yes, that's true. Considering your argument, though, be sure to include that Nintendo doesn't just make money on consoles/handhelds but on all the stuff that goes along with it — controllers, games, Amiibo figurines, DLC, eShop, VC, etc. That's the part I think makes it possibly worth lowering the Wii U price to zero profit margin, now. There's much more stuff to gather profits from than there was a year or two ago.

I think Nintendo should announce a seasonal limited edition Super Smash Bros. Bundle for $250 with a promotional code to get 1 free game... Like they did with Mario Kart 8. After the holidays the bundle can go back to $300 if the Xbox One returns to its normal price of $400 and the PS4 stays at $400.

@aaronsullivan

"make money on...controllers, games, Amiibo figurines, DLC, eShop, VC, etc."

Yes that's true, but Nintendo has had most of those already in place and they're still losing money. The only one they don't have going is amiibo obviously.

To me it just isn't feasible to cut the price of the Wii U when they're already bleeding.

gosh good confidence guys ( sarcasm ) i personaly think Wii U sales will beat ps4's this holiday

$279.99 would be a good compromise even if they break even on the profits of consoles sold this year end

@jayblue patently false. The Wii U has outsold the Xbox One in both lifetime and since the Xbox One's launch, globally. No Microsoft console has ever beaten a Nintendo console in lifetime sales.

Both consoles are hemorrhaging money because they cost more to produce and sell than they're bought for. But the Xbox is so expendable because Microsoft shareholders are more concerned about other things and only allow Microsoft to be in the gaming arena as long as it doesn't lose money. If things keep up, there won't be a 9th gen for Microsoft. Nintendo will still be around because it's all they know.

Where's the "Whatever Smash bros touches, begins printing money" option?

Microsoft raised the bar, now it's time for BOTH Nintendo and Sony to follow suite. Wii U should be $275 with two games (Mario 3d world and nintendo land), the 3DS XL should be lowered to $150 with a game included, Microsoft is awesome and should keep doing what there doing, and Sony REALLY needs to lower the PS4 the most ($450 to $350 with a game).

I think Nintendo will do well this holiday season cause they have a lot of must own games exclusive to their system. The Wii U should have a very modest price cut, but the 3DS XL is the one system I think Nintendo REALLY needs to lower the price on. As for Sony vs. Microsoft, Microsoft has just made a move that makes Sony look stupid, and with all the awesome exclusives coming to Xbox One and barely anything coming to PS4 by Xmas time, Sony needs to quickly drop the price of the ps4 just to keep peoples interest.

@Luigi789 I think both Nintendo and Microsoft will, they are both bringing great games and both consoles are now really decent prices, as for Sony though, they REALLY need to drop the price $100 on the PS4.

Then again, I know nothing about selling a global product lol

A cut price Wii U with a pro controller and no gamepad would be cool. Especially if they bundled it with Bayonetta 2.

People never mention the fact that the Wii U has a free online service. That saves me a lot of money over the years. Xbox One and PS4 charge you to go online and it's not cheap if you're on a very tight budget.

@Wesker A WiiU without the gamepad? That arguement is old, and invalid. I assume you don't own a WiiU. If you do, my apologies, but your comment is ignorant to me.

Microsoft have placed their machine in a two horse race with the PS4. It plays a lot of the same multi platform games, it's exclusives are like for like with the PS4, it has similar online policies and charges, it's target audience is the same demographic. It's just 90% as powerful as the PS4. Microsoft needs to sell machines so it can hook people up to pay for their online charge, and sell games you can get on the PS4 which are slightly better. Microsoft had no choice to drop the price with a lack of any exclusive system sellers coming any time soon. The customer has a choice with the cheaper XB1 or the more graphically swish PS4.

The Wii U is unique. Nothing else has the variety of control systems. It has quality family friendly games. It has the best exclusive titles of all the consoles. It has Smash. It has Mario. It has MK8. It has Bayonetta 2. It has a strong 2015 line up, and loads more already available. You can't get what Nintendo is selling anywhere else. But people STILL need to be educated about this.

Because Nintendo sell their games at cheaper prices, don't charge for online, and only have a few extra 3rd party games to bring cashflow in, they can't afford to make too much of loss on their console. better to have a committed fanbase to sell a lot to than a large disinterested group of people who only buy one or two games.

I wish more people knew how f'in amazing Hyrule Warriors is. Its my favorite Wii U title so far and my GOTY, its such a shame its not selling systems like it should.
Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta and Smash are an action gamers wet dream I sure hope people take notice. I will be even more disappointed with gamers than I already am. I love my PS4 but the Wii U is still the best next-gen system out there, hands down.

A price cut at this point would be foolish. The Xbox One is already selling at a loss, and this price drop is a desperate attempt by Microsoft to break even. I barely play the damn thing aside from Dead Rising 3, but with its obscene lack of features and even ability to stack up to the Wii U and PS4 library, it's basically done for at this point. Nintendo doesn't have to change a damn thing.

@shigulicious Why is it invalid? What do you need the gamepad for if you're not interested in using it as a handheld tethered to a home console? Why is it ignorant to expect a cut in price, if that thing is replaced with a pro controller? Obviously the pro controller is cheaper to make.

Just stick with some fancy bundles and it'll be good enough. Their problem is making the Wii U look like it has value. A price cut will do little to drive sales, but getting a Wii U plus one or two high-profile games would be more convincing, especially if its a holiday gift...

Of course the Wii U needs a price cut. It has not even had a true price cut since launch. The system launched at $300 and they gave it a price cut to $300.

"Should Nintendo Follow Microsoft's Lead With A Wii U Price Cut?"
No, because Nintendo leads!

Release a 299.99 Wii u bundled with smash bros and a digital download (mario kart super mario 3d world)

Nintendo really should consider a price drop to $250. Most retailers have been having sale prices around that price or including $50-$70 gift cards just to move units. Being in third place in North America/Europe when its already losing most third party and retail support isn't a happy place to be in. The upcoming PS4/One lineup is full of titles that tend to sell in the millions so those two won't be losing much steam. The Wii U, which had a very disappointing holiday season last year, needs to prove it can still hang with the new bloods. With a bonafide system seller in Smash Bros coming out, now is the perfect time for Nintendo to go all in and leave nothing to chance. Drop the price a bit, and just market the hell out of the system and Smash Bros. More bundles too!

Keep in mind that they still have to pay for subscription service to play online. I would rather avoid $349 for an uncomfortable controller and a hulking VCR lookalike. Kinda needs to have plenty of good exclusives. All I want from it is Halo: MCC. Sunset Overdrive looks far slower and less over-the-top than the trailers. Nothing else that is ACTUALLY exclusive is of any interest, to me.

THEY HAVE TO, 50 is too close in price range for a less powerful system.

I have a WiiU and lots of games, but Nintendo needs to react asap before Christmas!...the good reviews of Bayonetta 2 are been silenced by low demand and great reviews of Sunset Overdrive. This tell the consumer that good games for both systems are coming, but also everyone knows that a more high-tech system has more life in it that a low-tech one.

Christmas + price drop + smash wiiu can be good if the price are right.

Wii sold like hot cakes when it was debuted at $249.

But I don't think a price cut would be that significant.

I think the Wii U already offers great value at it's current price (not to mention plenty of bundle options out there as well.) I know I'm waiting for a serious price cut before I buy a PS4. Plus right now the PS4 doesn't have a single game that I want, but that'll change as the cycle moves along.

I'm perfectly content to split my time between my Wii U and my PS3.

People just don't understand the value of anything, apparently. PS4 is outselling the Xbox One, even though they have essentially the same library.

Wii U was factually worth $350 at launch. They only dropped the price to $300 once software was profitable enough to do that. Microsoft probably just dropped it based on how rich their company is and wanting to get more consoles sold. I seriously doubt Sony could drop the price, even if they WANTED to.

All these consoles have one thing or another to worry about, including PS4, because it ain't selling jack for software, for how many consoles are out there.

Lose a bit on the system, make it back with the games. Drop that price like it's hot. Can't afford to lose that much money per system? You'll lose a whole lot more overall when no one buys it.

I do think that $300 is a good price when bundled with those games, but $250 is magic. Just seeing that 2 (and not when it's one cent away from not being a 2 anymore) will really get people moving. Even some of the most casually-interested gamers will pick it up with one or two games for $250.

@Wesker Well it could work, but it defeats Nintendo's whole purpose.Too show the gamepad is actually worth it,and i know to some people it's not but that's what they been trying to do this whole year.But either way you will still need the gamepad for some games coming up next year maybe.Now if they release a bundle with Bayonetta 2, a pro controller and the gamepad.Then everyone wins you get to play the game with a controller not with the giant pad, and if you want to use the gamepad you can no one's forcing you.Bam their you go problem solved,but hey that's just me friendo.

@AyeHaley Your launch Wiiu died? How the hell did it die? Biggest question Wiiu console's can just die randomly?Wow that's just weird.

Yes, Nintendo should follow Microsoft's lead.

Wii U is still ahead of Xbox One in total sales but on a global basis both the other two consoles are destroying it in monthly sales. At this rate it won't be long till Nintendo is in third place overall and if the support and sales situation is already this bad then just imagine what it's going to be like when the system is in a clear cut third place...

Nintendo really needs to push this system HARD and a price cut is one of the few good moves it could make. Just counting on Smash Bros and Amiibo to turn things around it making its job much harder than it needs to be imo.

I just want a limited edition Smash Bros Wii U console. I would happily pay 400$ for that, the game, Gamecube controller and GC adaptor. Nintendo, please take my money!

@midnafanboy That could work. But the problem is the cost. I think you're right that Nintendo won't sell the Wii U without the gamepad, but who would have thought they'd sell a Wii without any online connectivity? So you never know...

Nintendo should wait until a $199.99 price point is viable. Hopefully for late 2015.

There is such a thing as price integrity, and dropping the price too low too quickly can be a dangerous move, especially in this day and age where every gamer is watching.

What happens is people say "See, I knew I shouldn't have bought one because they just ended up cutting the price. Next time I'm just going to wait".

Right now what's important is that they are lower than the competition. So anyone and everyone shopping for a new console is going to see the appeal of paying less with Wii U, getting 1-2 games bundled in and have access to the greatest current gen library available to date.

Now, I think a price cut would make sense if they were to not include a game. Just a straight $250 no game included. That I could definitely see as plausible. But anything less than that right now is not only going to damage their finances, it's going to cheapen their image and shake the faith of those who have already purchased a Wii U.

Obviously a price cut would be a good idea, but I don't think $249 sets any sort of magic floating through the air, the real magic is at $199, and nintendo is no where near ready for that kind of pricing. We know it won't win, but we still want it to be successful!

@Wesker

That was at the end of the generation though, and it was a console that didn't have many online games to begin with, and a pretty piss poor online infrastructure at that. Nintendo was able to sell an online-free Wii because the servers were getting cut off in six months anyways, but that would never fly with their current console which has finally raised the bar for the habitual gamer.

Besides, cutting the gamepad just isn't a viable option. The entire system is built around it. They passed that point of no return along time ago, for better or worse that's just the way it is for the rest of the generation.

I am split in the middle. I don't want a price cut as it will affect Nintendo finances though a price cut (though not a $50 one) would make it a good incentive for people to pick one up in addition to their Xbox one and/or PS4.

It most definitely doesnt need a price cut. Try next holiday

Thing is, the Xbox One sales cut is due to Microsoft becoming desperate to sell the Xbox One. I'm getting the impression Microsoft in not only concerned with the PS4, but the Wii U this holiday season.

The PS4 is riding on the hype engine that has carried this year, while Nintendo is going to go in riding on Smash and the exclusives you can't find anywhere else. Honestly, what does Microsoft really have? A Halo collection filled with games most people already played? Forza Horzion 2? Sunset Overdrive? They need the price drop to stay alive, they don't have real compelling software this holiday season.

The same could be said of the PS4 of course, but Sony is a master at marketing and hyping their system this generation.

Nintendo does not need a price drop. Going to 249.99 is not going to magically solve anything. What they need is to show the exclusives the others aren't getting and to hype the hell out of Smash.

That's where Nintendo will do well this holiday season, they have the single best exclusives this holiday season. Between the 3DS and the Wii U, they need to just stay the course.

Microsoft is bleeding money in their game division, they need to do something desperate to jumpstart the Xbox One. They don't have the content to push systems, so they are going for a price drop.

I'm not saying Nintendo does not need to get things started either, but they can endure it better the Microsoft can. Smash Bros for Wii U has tons of hype, Mario Kart 8 will still sell systems, exclusives like Bayonetta 2 and Hyrule Warriors will attract people to the system, and the Wii U has been dong better over the last few months, while it seems like the Xbox One is losing sales with each month.

@MoonKnight7 Actually, Nintendo didn't have the variety of games, anywhere near the options on eShop, it had a paltry amount of games on Virtual Console, it didn't have GameCube controllers for SSB players or the adapter, little to no DLC. More stuff means more revenue opportunity. Nintendo is less reliant on the profit from the console alone now than it was at launch or even a year ago. And, yes, Amiibo now, too. That's all I'm saying.

Nintendo has a much better idea of the numbers, of course, but the tough parts are the intangibles: reputation, consumer's sense of value, nostalgia, appeal.

Alot of people are forgetting that the price cut is supposed to be temporary. Nintendo is better off just throwing a Wii remote or bundling something. If they drop the price, Microsoft could and is supposed to be bringing the price back to what it was($400). I don't think Nintendo permanently cutting the price to react to a holiday sale is anywhere near being sensible.

They could do a Wii U Smash bundle with the Pro controller or something. That would make way more sense. It's not like Xbox One is coming with a game AND a remote. They can add value somewhere else.

@Warbeard I live in the UK and Ive not seen a Wii U advert for months. Actually, the last time I see one was just after Mario Kart 8 was released and it was a few times and that was it. Sony and MS advertisements are on TV here in the UK on a daily basis but nothing for the Wii U. Either Nintendo have lost faith in the system and don't want to spend the huge amounts of money on advertising the console, or they just don't understand marketing. Its a strange one as they should really be pushing it into peoples faces about now (with the launch of SSB coming up)

@hydeks The PS4 doesn't need a price cut at all. Last month, Microsoft had a promotion where you got a free game with purchase of the console. That included bundles. You could get a Forza or Madden bundle for $400 and get Destiny as a free game. That's $50 less than the PS4 Destiny bundle AND came with an extra free game. Still got beaten by PS4 in sales. It couldn't even beat PS4 in US or UK, its most dominant markets.

With the XB1 price cut, $350 for a machine that you don't want is still a worse deal than $400 for a machine that you do want, and for the vast majority of the market, the XB1 is a machine that they don't want. Outside of US and UK, it's a complete slaughter. The PS4 is outselling it 5 to 1 in some regions. 10 to 1 in Japan.

@gari14 Maybe because Mario Kart 8 was the last 1st party retail game. Surely there were some Bayo 2 adverts that you missed though, because the game broke the top 10 in UK all-format charts.

Nintendo's current pricing is good enough for the holiday season (a lot of people will probably already be enticed by Smash to go pick one up, so no need for a price cut when Smash is already going to give the system momentum).

No, I see Nintendo cutting the price early next year, maybe in March-May. That way Smash gives the Wii U an extra boost in the holiday season, and then the price cut can keep that momentum going, and maybe even make it an enticing buy for people who were on the fence during the holidays.

@Yorumi

Well, what I mean is when you got to Options, it displays on 2 screens. When you go to Miiverse, it's designed for a handwritten notes on the gamepad. Even apps like Netflix display the movie info on the pad while the show is playing on the TV. It's all the little things like that that are built around the second screen.

I know the popular opinion is that Nintendo has shown reluctance to use the gamepad, but I don't necessarily agree with that sentiment. I think the only game they released the didn't use it for anything was DKC, and their reasoning was good enough- they'd rather not use it at all than force something that doesn't seem natural. But other than that, every game I've played has benefited from the gamepad- some more than others of course but that leads me to my next point...

I think people don't really know what they want when it comes to the second screen. You know when you're in a car with a few friends and you ask what do you guys want to eat? And everybody says "Anywhere, I don't care". But the minute you start suggesting places they say no I don't want that. No I don't want that either. And no that doesn't sound good at all. I think it's the same way with the gamepad. Every game has a use for it and people are like "no, that wasn't what I was looking for" and the next game "no that's not a good use either". And I think really, it's just a screen. It's not going to magically transform our games into something they're not. It merely serves as a way to streamline certain functions, free up TV space, save you from pausing the game to see a map, simple things really. And I think the problem is people were expecting some revolutionary impact, that doesn't really exist.

Like, I'm really digging what they're doing in Smash by displaying the damage on the pad while you play- same concept as on the 3DS version of course. And using it for the level editor feature and pictures and stuff. I gotta be honest, that's a lot more than I was expecting for a fighting game. I think some games just really aren't well-suited for any particular use of the second screen. Fighting games being one of them. I honestly wasn't expecting anything more than off TV play.

So that's kind of where I stand on the whole issue. I think that not every game is going to have a good use for it, but some certainly will. And I think the games that do work well with the second display are the ones where it seems natural, like a natural extension of the TV. Simple is best in my book. Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, MH3U, Mario Kart 8, Wii Sports Club, Smash, Splatoon, Mario Party 10, even Captain Toad are all great examples of games that seem to be streamlined and in some cases improved upon by a second screen. Games like NSMBU and 3D World, well, I just think that those particular games did what they could with the second screen, but there's really nothing it could offer for that type of game. Nothing I can think of any ways.

Although I will say that Mario Kart 8, despite the streamlined play the second screen did provide, was a huge missed opportunity inasmuch that it did not provide asymmetrical multiplayer. And it definitely should have.

I look at Xenoblade X and FE x SMT, and I think back to how great Fire Emblem Awakening was on the 3DS with the bottom screen for inventory, and my hope is that those games will incorporate a similar feature. Games of that nature have very complex and deep menu systems and inventories, and I would be happy seeing all of that worked into the second screen for on-the-fly access. And of course, assuming FE x SMT is grid based, perhaps a touch-based feature for movement would be appropriate as well. I'm confident that they'll work something out good for Xenoblade though considering it's predecessor is being ported to 3DS.

Cutting the price of the Wii U isn't what Nintendo should do. Retailers will do that themselves for Black Friday and the rest of the holiday season.

What Nintendo needs to do is make consumers see value in the system. The MK8 + Nintendo Land and SM3DW + NL bundles are a good start, but they'll need more than that. Make a Smash Wii U bundle or a Bayonetta Wii U bundle that includes both Bayonetta games and either a Pro Controller or Bloody Fate.

One major thing Nintendo should do is another free game promotion for buying Smash (or even Bayonetta 2) like they did for Kart over the summer. That incentive was a major driving (pun not intended) factor for Wii U sales for Kart's release.

The second thing Nintendo needs to do besides providing value is ADVERTISING. Advertise Captain Toad and Bayonetta 2 like crazy. Smash will sell itself, so there's no need to go overboard advertising that game (though still advertise it a lot). Just keep the hype up for Smash through a TV commercial or two and that Duck Hunt reveal trailer.

There also needs to be a general commercial/advertisement of the Wii U that focuses on multiple exclusive games, showing off the overall library. Have Smash, Kart, Bayo 2+1, and Hyrule Warriors be in the same commercial, with "ONLY ON WII U" being loud and clear.

By the way, TV commercials are only effective if they are played often, on multiple channels, and during primetime. The Bayo 2 commercial airs on Adult Swim, but I've seen it only once and that was at 1 in the morning. Problem for Nintendo is that they are competing with themselves for ad space on that channel due to Fantasy Life and Smash 3DS. Frequency is just as important as simply having a commercial.

As for the 3DS, they really need to give it a price drop. Drop the 2DS to $99 and the 3DS XL to $150 and make sure that Pokemon ORAS bundle is flaunted. If they don't drop the price on the 3DS XL and 2DS this holiday season, then it's sales will suffer greatly because people will choose to wait for the New 3DS (XL) next year.

I think that even something as marginally small as a $20 price cut could help. $280 just looks cheaper on the store shelf than $300.

Price wars are dangerous for industries in general, which is why this one that Microsoft has instigated is only temporary.

We have been well acquainted with how Nintendo struggles with this. The first time they acquiesced with a Wii U price cut, it did not lead to the jump in sales that was expected. This is because Nintendo still has to address the perception that their console is not worth getting at all, since it's missing out on 3rd party games.

Nintendo has been slowly growing a list of exclusives, and Bayo 2 seems to have led many holdouts to get the console. It they stole more desirable IPs like that from multiplatform to exclusive, they could replicate that effect. If they dropped the price? No guarantees.

They probably should cut the price, but who knows if they can really do that. People avoid Wii U like the plague, Nintendo needs to fix the console's bad image, then we can talk more about price.

@Dipper723 in stores like gamestop with the wiius setup and the tvs having the people talk about some of the games. Youtubers are doing alot of videos with wii u games and there have been commericials on tv for nsmbu, mk8, bayonetta 2, and sm3d world.

@Yorumi Yeah I guess that's a question each person will have to answer for themselves. For me, the answer is a resounding yes, but not for the reasons I thought when I bought it. When I bought the system I really thought off TV play was going to be a big thing for me, but as it turns out I don't really use it much, though I do occasionally. Whereas I thought the second screen implementation wouldn't really enhance anything, yet now I find myself whining every time I play the PS4 lol... "Why do I have to pause every time I want to look at the map!" I guess it's the little things you take for granted, don't know what you got until it's gone kind of thing.

My brother though, when I bought him his Wii U for his birthday last year, he was really excited about the second screen features. But as it turns out, he prefers the analog in Wonderful 101, Pro Controller in Monster Hunter, Wiimote in Pikmin 3, etc etc etc. he doesn't really get much out of the second screen as far as individual games go. BUT, he's addicted to playing on the gamepad now. Which is the one gamepad feature he thought he wouldn't care about. Every day now it seems he comes to hang out with his gamepad in hand, yesterday it was Bayonetta.

Funny how things work out like that I guess.

@SpookyMeths Yeah, it was, but Nintendo still need to advertise the system. For instance, Sony and MS have adverts here that show off the console and whats available for it, but Nintendo don't do that in the UK. The only time they have adverts on TV is when a new game comes out and even then, its either rare or nonexistent. As for Bayonetta 2 adverts, there might be, but Ive yet to see one myself.

Price cut, increase userbase, attract third party support back.

Bayonetta 2 and Devils Third will appeal to a certain kind of gamer, so more of these types of exclusives will help.

It's like the cool factor of Goldeneye 007 on N64 -or Halo on xbox - that sells consoles.

@aaronsullivan

I totally get what you're saying, but I'd like to touch base in one of your previous comments:

" That's the part I think makes it possibly worth lowering the Wii U price to zero profit margin, now. There's much more stuff to gather profits from than there was a year or two ago."

The Wii U is already at a zero profit margin at $300, Nintendo said so back in May I believe. If they cut the price that has to be made up somehow, and depending on how much you cut it, it can take years to recover the lost money.

It's flat out gambling to take a loss on each console sold. You are depending too much on consumers purchasing enough to make a profit again. How much money do you think they're going to make on the GameCube adapter? It's not going to be much. Yes, you have a point that collectively there's more options to make money, but just because there's more options doesn't automatically mean each avenue is going to be profitable. That's why it's gambling, and business experts hate that word. The dollar only stretches so far. Not everyone is like us and spends every waking moment buying and playing anything we can get our hands on. You have to hold the bottom line and keep the Wii U where it is, and make those small profits as you stated above, but a price cut would hurt too badly at the moment.

The Wii U is pretty low-priced comparably. I think it'll hold up well in the Holiday season. People WILL buy it just for Smash, especially after comparing the prices with the other two systems.

The best thing Nintendo instead of a price cut is to show why the system is worth $299.99 by providing software AND services to attract consumers. Reggie mentioned once on an IGN article that they are not just competing with the likes of Apple and Sony for games but also the likes of TV and books as they are an entertainment company.

They are doing a good job with the software from a first and second party basis and to be honest with you I have little faith in third parties across the board at the moment seeing as they are more focused on pleasing consumers by talking about resolutions and frame rates for their games rather then take about the actual games they are making.

I think Nintendo could one up the competition by still being the only one to offer a system with free online Multiplayer but also be a competent Multimedia device. The gamepad is a perfect tool for reading books and comics and how about more streaming features such as HBO and some other streaming services from the States and getting the Iplayer, 4onDemand and Demand 5 for the UK (and also any other catch up channels that other European and Australian countries).

$269.99 during the Holidays, and eventually release a $229.99 version without the gaming pad. sell the games pad separately for $100

They should throw in a free amiibo with every system to help spread the word of amiibo

I could be greedy and say "Yes, I want a price cut" since I'm getting a Wii U around this Christmas but I don't think it's needed at all, especially when Nintendo is selling the Wii U at a loss already (at least that is what I know).
As for how will the Wii U sell, I can't say for certain. The Wii U hasn't exactly been popular ever since it launched, but the great games that are being released for Wii U combined with it's existing library makes the Wii U the absolute best when it comes to games. And Yes, I don't care how many ignorant people say "Wii U has no games". It's a lie and they know it. So yes the Wii U has an advantage but the popularity of the PS4 and Xbox One still has some gain over the Wii U so I personally say it could be an unpredictable outcome.

They could do a special bundle for Smash Bros. Wii U:

They could keep the price, but including:

• Wii U Deluxe 32GB
• Smash Bros Wii U
• 1 Wii U Pro Controller or 1 GC Controller with adapter
• 1 Amiibo figurine

I think that would be attractive for gamers and new gamers that are just starting with Nintendo.

A price-cut wouldn't hurt, but it won't change much. As it stands now, Wii u may do with modest sales. The time to turn the system into a epic-seller has long gone. Not a single game has reversed the trend so far. It does better then it did before, but its still no succes. Ah well, better luck next time. I'll go back to Bayonetta 2!

no. the wii u is already good as it is and it will outsell the xbox craps and theyre stupid PSwhatevers

@JaxonH @Yorumi - You both left out a major use for the Gamepad for SSBU - amiibo. I know they arent necassary to the game, but the Gamepad is the ONLY way to get them into the system. Can't sell amiibo for ANY Wii U gsme without the Gamepad.

Funny thing - I still think SSBU is the perfect game to bundle w/ Wii U without a Gamepad for serious SB players who wont use amiibo anyway but will want to use those Gamecube controllers and adapters, so Wii U, SSBU, Pro, adaptor and 1 Gamecube controller for $350. Call it "Tournament ed". And all those people will buy another adaptor and 7 more Gamecube conttollers for lag free tournaments in their frat houses, Club houses, locker rooms and dormitories. Every sports bar in America will buy 1 for tourneys on their big screen tvs.

And dont worry about not having the Gamepad in the box, Wii U has been out for 2 years, its about time Nintendo started selling them separetly for $79. Thats always everybody problem w/ the Gamepad yes or no arguement, just sell it separtely for those who want it. You know it doesnt do much for MK8 either, frat boys will pick that game up as well.

It will happen someday. Maybe not until after the next home console releases in 3 years, but a $99 Wii U w/ Pro will be sold. Wii U Mini - Gamepad sold separaetly. Its inevitable.

@rjejr Well for my sake, I hope it doesn't happen until the end of the generation. Because as soon as they strip away the gamepad the integration will be gone, and the only thing that will be included is off TV play. Unsatisfactory.

I don't think the gamepad is going anywhere though. I think in three years people are still going to be saying the same thing and it's still not going to be a reality. It would be like changing the Wiimote from the Wii. Nintendo does a lot of things, but they never reduce their stock issued controller to mere optional accessory. Sorry bud but I think you're dreaming on that one

@MoonKnight7
Right, well that's where Nintendo knows better than we do. We don't know what kind of profit Nintendo is making on the Wii U right now. It could be more than breaking even. Components vary in price greatly over time getting cheaper by the month sometimes.

The question is profit on fewer consoles sold? Or break even now and create a bigger installed base. The long game requires a bigger installed base.

You're not wrong. The other big players have been selling consoles as loss-leaders (selling below cost) to great marketshare and the actual profit from them has come a decade later in the case of Xbox — starting with the original Xbox which never made money for Microsoft apparently. Pretty sure I read that Xbox 360 just broke into the black for the first time a couple years ago.

The unfortunate situation is that unlike Sony and Microsoft over the years, Nintendo has no other divisions in the company to count on for profits. Video games is pretty much it for Nintendo. This is why it holds onto cash and is so hesitant to lose money on the hardware... BUT it does have to compete with those selling below cost.

It's no wonder that Iwata is talking about a separate platform (Quality of Life) and is pushing merchandise again, and is experimenting with Amiibo. It's all good stuff to help with that core issue that it is trying to sell a console at a profit when the competition doesn't... so sooner or later...

To this day, I still have people ask me why they need to buy a Wii U to play new games. And what the difference is between it and the Wii. I hate to say it, but Nintendo's non traditional naming gimmick needs to go, this shouldn't be a question I've been asked multiple times.

What they need is a platinum bundle bayonetta and w101 3 games one great price

@Warbeard Elgiganten and Fona don't hide the Wii U.

3 million systems to hit their year end mark.
Aka, they fall VERY short.
Like going for a homerun and having to settle for a single
Nintendo has (to continue the metaphor) stranded alot of runners on base and this holiday will be no different.
Aside from Smash (which will hit the 500k mark but fall 200-300k units shy of a million) there's nothing to move systems and none of the Wii U's games has any sort of considerable, long term push.
MK8's DLC isn't Nintendo catching up. It's a sign they're falling further behind. The game's legs are about done, which is a terrible sign for Wii U's chances. It's on pace to be yet another Gamecube, just without the specs to compete.
A ways back, I remember reading an article regarding Sony's many financial struggles and Microsoft's anxiety towards succeeding the 360.
While Microsoft hasn't been doing great either, at least they still have enough games to warrant a purchase.
2 years in and the Wii U still isn't worth it.
Some great games, yes, but it's like buying your first big screen TV. Eventually, it's just there.
It's not the revolution you were hoping it would be and for the money, it's just a TV.
No media support, handcuffed online experience, abysmal app support, barebones browser and streaming options, pathetic HDD size, idiotic handling of VC, gimped CPU, GPU and RAM and a hackneyed peripheral for a controller.
Nintendo was content to follow the atypical console trend with their head in the sand and if they don't pull their heads up now, they might as well suffocate.
Japan has spoken. It's only a matter of time before everyone else does too.
$269 (basic) and $299 (deluxe) is what they should have debuted at. Both with games, one at 32GB, one at 64GB. One with stands and a dock and DDP and the other without.
2 years in and that price should be 249$. With 2 games.
3D Mario & Nintendoland, Bayonetta 1 & 2 w/ the Wonderful 101 and a MH3 / Rayman Legends bundle. Each with a traditional release and each with a game to show off the Gamepad.
A revision with more power to the USB ports is essential as is a new update to speed up the system (like they've only talked about for 14 months now).
Where are the N64 VC games? Cross-buy to encourage people buy VC titles (instead of emulating them, like 80% of gamers seem to do).
Nintendo popularizes motion control gaming.
Then they mastered the art of dropping the ball.

I don't want to seem entirely pessimistic, but aside from a (still, much smaller than the other two) nice selection of indie games, Nintendo has been relying on glorified remakes this generation.
Pikmin 3 (Pikmin), Mario 3D (3D Land), Rayman Legends (Origins), MH3U (Tri), NSMBU (NSMB Wii), MK8 (64. Double Dash), Smash (Melee), Wind Waker HD.
And late or substandard ports.
Deus Ex, ME3, Darksiders 2, Arkham City, Tekken, NG3: Razor's Edge, Lego Batman 2, Bayonetta.NFS: MWU, FIFA 13, Madden 13.
Replete with underwhelming Gamepad titles.
Nintendoland, ZombiU, Game & Wario, Scribblenauts.
And little to no 3rd party support.
Despite the reviews, there's no Destiny, Evil Within, Tomb Raider, Aliens, EA Sports, CoD, Battlefield, Minecraft, 2K, Bethesda, Dragon Age and others.
And the rare new game .
Bayonetta 2, Wonderful 101, Lego City Undercover.
It's not much different.. yet.
Give it 2 months and both of the other two current gen systems' libraries will dwarf the Wii U's.
It's about quality, not quantity and I'm aware of that.
It's not like every Wii U game is a quality title though.
There's also only so much of Mario, Zelda and DK the average gamer can take. I'm pretty done with Mario for the next two to three years myself.

I'll conclude my argument saying this:
while every single system is in a push for great, original content, Nintendo's landscape will look VERY different with another (predictably) lacking holiday season.
Iwata likely won't be with the company this time next year.
Nintendo will drop the Wii U sometime before it's fifth anniversary and that will stand as their last stationary games console. Portable is Nintendo's only bright future.

@SahashraLA "Japan has spoken" Yeah they have. Home consoles are dead there, not just the Wii U. Handhelds and mobile are the future there.

Also, the Xbox One does NOT have enough games to warrant a purchase. Neither does the PS4. I'm saying this as a PS4 owner. It's hilarious how the PS4 is beating both the Xbox One and the Wii U by a considerable margin, yet has the weakest library by FAR. Just shows how hype and benefiting from MS and Nintendo's royal screw ups sold the thing.

Quit with the doom and gloom on Nintendo. I've looked on many other gaming sites and there are quite a few gamers who have purchased a Wii U or are planning on it.

People are disappointed in this gen from Xbox and PS. Delays after delays, overhyped garbage games (Watch Dogs, Destiny), Ubisoft pissing people off for multiple reasons (seriously, the only group they haven't actively pissed off this year is the Xbox One owners). 3rd party multiplats haven't been that great (Mordor and Evil Within being the exceptions).

The Wii U's overall library, which is primarily made up of exclusives, is it's main selling point and is what will make it attractive. Not just one "system seller" game.

Nintendo has the advantage with the most hyped and anticipated game of the holiday season, and the highest rated game of the year that will likely win many GOTY awards with Smash and Bayonetta. This holiday season isn't worrisome for the Wii U. 2015 on the other hand, might be a different story.

The 3DS is more worrying, as after Pokemon ORAS is out I see it's momentum dropping fast until those new models release. If they don't breathe new life into the platform, then the 3DS will fade away at about 60 million lifetime. Respectable, but also Nintendo's lowest selling handheld platform.

No price drop,just more advertising.I see a lot of 3DS commercials on TV but Wii U ones are rare.

They won't cut the price with Smash Bros out before Christmas. They will hope that game will increase sales at the current price.

Nintendo is just behind the times. They released the obviously least powerful system of all 3 consoles. They admittedly underestimated the time it takes to make HD titles. The system lacks dvd/Blu-ray type support. PSN/Live offer free games and a far more robust online system whereas eshop purchases are tied to the system which is a big issue. The others have far more 3rd party support and relationships thus a much larger library of games. They keep up with the whole "family friendly" marketing routine and fail to recognize that most kids these days would rather blow people's heads off than jump on goombas. Then of course there is the problem of similarly named consoles for a company that releases 34235252 versions of every system they bring out these days. A lot of need for internal restructuring.

@SigourneyBeaver
You're probably right. They basically can't lower the price, because of Super Smash Bros.

Still waiting for 200$/€ Pro Controller Bundle and a separate Gamepad. I'd personally buy the console for Bayo and Smash and don't need the screenpad for this.

@Yorumi Because a jrpg and an upscaled game from the 80's are all people want?

Just a thought here... mostly unrelated to the topic at hand of a price cut but allot of people are saying "Nintendo needs to make the games people want!!!" Like what? New Super Mario bros was the best selling game after Wii Sports? Followed by Wii Fit? Followed by Smash Bros, Donkey Kong, Zelda, etc. The heavy hitters for the Wii are no longer heavy hitters on the Wii U. Nintendo TRIED to make the games you like but unfortunately those no longer tickle your pickle. Now they are looking for something new.
Personally I am STOKED for Starfox Wii U, project Guard and Kirby: Rainbow Curse. Those are games I like.

" the system is tracking well below its rivals in most territories; the exception is Japan".

Not strictly true. Against the PS4 it is true that only in Japan does the Wii U have more favourable sales. But against the XBone the Wii U is leading in Japan, France and Germany. It's only in the US & UK where the XBone is leading. Numbers from vgchartz.

Regarding the price point, I think this deal on the Nintendo website is pretty good, considering that it includes the First Print Edition of B2, which will be a collectors item in the future.

http://store.nintendo.co.uk/wii-u-hardware/wii-u-bayonetta-1-2-first-print-edition-action-pack-t-shirt-medium/11033880.html

This Christmas must be all about WiiU. It had a very good year regarding games and the big HIT is Smash Bros!!! If this year does not reach 9 million (till end of Dec 2014), I will be disappointed. I still believe WiiU can pull it out there! Maybe 10 million is a given!

Sadly, I'm sure it will struggle.

A price drop wouldn't be very wise. Ninty should keep it the same price but bundle it with big system-sellers like Smash. A bundle with Smash plus GC controller adapter plus GC controller for, say, 30$ more will sell the Wii U. More money needs to be spent on advertising, less lost on price cuts. I really hope Ninty make the right decision.

I'm not convinced a price cut would be the right move as it could serve to devalue the system in the eyes of potential buyers. That said, it worked somewhat for the 3DS. Perhaps another "Ambassador" style promotion but this time, for the WiiU?

The amount of grim and doom in this thread its amazing

It seems that Nintendo its pretty much dead and theres no other way around

And there are some prople coming up with some of the most absurds arguments ive read and some numbers that just dont simply add (smash not hitting a Million ? HAHAHAHA and Mario Kart 8 legs dying ? HAHAHAHAHAHA)

Some people obviously think Microsoft and Sony only do gaming systems arent they ? I mean Sony its in such an amazing situation that hey had to sell their VAIO brand, they almost had to go out of the smartphone tech, their TVs arent selling any better

Microsoft with the whole Windows8/WindowsPhone fiasco (which they are finally working out with the impressive Windows10) have loss more money than ever, they bought Nokia and they let them to die... Wut ?

Dont come here and make us think that Nintendo is the only one in finnancial problems, because that one its CLEARLY Sony, especially because for them PS brand its mostly about recognition, because its practically a non-factor when it comes to money foe them

And yeah, my piss poor PS4 is gathering so much dust, that i dont know when was the last time i turned it on, my almost 3 years pc can do everything the ps4/xb1 can, only with better graphics, frames AND much more cheaper games, i have even bought games that look/plays worse on the PS4 JUST to justify it !, bloodborne please i need you NOW !!

I'm more bothered about the price of Nintendo eShop games. My heart wants a Wii U for Christmas but my head is telling me to put down extra for PS4 because my PS+ account means I'll pay much less to play a load of games (I'm a pretty casual gamer these days). Mario Kart 7 on 3DS is currently AU $70 (GB £38) as a digital download on 3DS. The game was released in 2011. I'll never pay that because I feel like they're taking the piss. At least on 3DS I can get my fix on cheaper 3D Classics and indie titles but my perception is that the Wii U will stiff me on the price of eShop titles and AAA stuff. Shame.

@Mario_Fart if thats the case, get a PC, one steam deal and you recovered the entire investment that would be getting PS+ for its games (which on the ps4 its been remarkably bad, especially the sales)

But yeah, its a shame that Nintendo games dont fall in price, like at all

I do will say that there have been some decent sales on the WiiU (for Sony it seems like the ps4 never released, as their sales have been MUCH better on the ps3), but still nothing compares to a steam sale

@andycarolan
They won't do any ambassador style program. The system has been out for two years now. The only reason the did it for the 3DS was because of the drastic drop that occurred just 6 months after release. At this point price drops are natural as every console starts dropping following the first year.

Also a price drop doesn't devalue anything. Everything drops in price at some point, its a normal marketing procedure to reach a more broad audience. Currently the Wii U has terrible market visibility. Few people want it when they can pay $50-$100 more for what is considered to be a true next generation console (PS4/One). Having a much wider difference will help push people to consider dipping into Nintendo waters and maybe holding off on a 4/One until they drop further.
Smash Bros will help give a boost to console sales, but that is the last bonafide system seller until late next year when Zelda comes out of the woodwork. That span with lack of top tier games won't be pretty sales wise, but if they are aggressive now when they have a game like Smash to market then it could give them a giant boost through an important holiday season.

When it doesn't struggle, I'll laugh at all of you.

@darthllama

Very true about the Ambassador style program. It was very early in the life cycle of the 3DS.

I do think that the Wii U appeals to diehard Nintendo fans most, especially with the first party content available on the console. Personally, the only current console that interested me was the Wii U, but again, that was purely because of the first party games. MK8 was a strong deciding factor for me, as is Bayonetta 2 and SSB. Splatoon and Yoshi's Woolly World also interest me greatly.

Perhaps a price drop will help to move units. As you said, the market visibility is terrible currently.

@Yorumi They are innovating, just not in super flashy ways. As @JaxonH stated, the gamepad is innovative, but no one is quite sure what is the best way to use it yet. I would also argue they are being very subversive with their own back library to create very new gameplay experiences. And finally we still don't know what their Quality of Life product will be.

Of course Microsoft is cutting it's price. They aren't offering anything better than Sony and now more than ever the machines are almost the same except Sony's is more powerful. Even though people still mock the Wii U and it's controller, it's still quite a deal for a decently powerful machine and a OLED gamepad. Nintendo should keep the price where it's at for the sake of the quality they deliver. Maybe I'm wrong but OLED technology hasn't dropped in value, has it? As long as it sells well in Japan, why should it matter? They're a Japanese company after all and those sells should be first priority. If Americans don't want to jump on the bandwagon then so what.

@Faruko Thanks - that's useful to know about PS+ on PS4. I'm really just looking for a games machine but I'd be open to a PC for Steam. I'm guessing Steam machines aren't good enough value yet? Or am I wrong? And what's the base level of PC I should look at for gaming?

It's a shame on Ninty's part because sometimes I just want to play some great Ninty games and they could probably lure me to pay more overall if they had more sales.

Smash will sell WiiUs. No price drop needed for holiday. Maybe in spring.

@Mario_Fart Steam machines look good on paper, but i would go for a normal PC imo, even if they are somewhat more expensive

As a base of PC it depends on resolution, what do you expect from games, etc... I have a 280x + 8gb Ram + i5 2550k and ive yet to find a game that i can run at mostly maxes, 60fps and 1080p i would even say a 270x if you can reduce some quality (which would still look better than a ps4 game, after all a downgraded 270x its the comparable Ps4 GPU which is around 30% less powerful), for example (but i would go for an Nvidia card if i can, they cost a littlw more, but some games have been using nvidia property tech to make games run better, but its nothing to write home about anyway id you want an AMD one)

Not to mention the ps4/xb1 have cpus used for the tablet market, albeit with more cores

If you ever need some help on PC specs, give me a DM

Look at this, i know its a chinesse machine but its a way to compare specs (to be fair, i own a chinesse car and after 3 years, 0 problems )http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/34474/20140825/pc-vs-console.htm

I think they need to do a price cut to stay competitive with the Xbone despite the fact that the Xbone does/does not have a huge library of great games.

Nintendo makes it's money on the sales of it's games, not the systems. The more people who own their systems, the more people who are going to buy their games.

Also, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the holiday shopper who is looking for a system, and has no loyalty to any company. All they're going to hear about is that the other two systems are more powerful, they can do more then just play games, and there are going to be more games released for it in the future then the Wii U. Nintendo needs to come out and say....."but our system is cheaper!"

Just bring out de heavy marketing for the holidays N. Espically since you got Smash bros and yours truly gunning for the christmas season.

Main thing Nintendo needs to do: "We have Smash Bros.... with Mewtwo!" and flaunt those Bayonetta 2 review scores ('cept Polygon. Send them those Playboy photoshoot pictures).

Also: Free game promotion. That was a smart thing back during summer. Do it again. Cause it provides incentive, and not totally because I want a free game

@Bass260
But they will make up for it in software sales. Sony and Microsoft have been selling at a loss for years. What they lose per console they make up tenfold in software.

I definitely feel that they should drop the price by $30 or so but with that being said I also feel that the current price is just fine especially if your getting one of the bundles. Also with great games like smash, bayonetta, mario kart, hyrule warriors...the list goes on, there is definitely plenty for the wiiu for everyone and the wiiu should definitely be able to do well this holiday season. Also cant forget the inclusion of amiibo and those will definitely sell like crazy.

I just bought one. While a price cut would help, I think they need to focus on advertising it more, and bringing out a better range of bundles.
The standard console with Bayonetta is a great start but I think they should include it with the premium.
I actually bought the premium console with Mario and Luigi U a week ago, and I'm very happy with those games but if they could offer more bundles as well, perhaps focus on promoting other games with the console like Donkey Kong and Sonic and even Rayman then that could help.

It all comes down to the games, and while Nintendo are in a far better position than they were two years ago, they should really let people know what's out there.

here $350 with taxes is $378 then you have to buy their live for $60 to use close to 80 features including basics such as the web browser. that is $438 and you might get a game. the wii u at $324 with taxes includes a game and no online subscription. if cost was the issue you will save with wii u.

No price cut. Sell a Smash Bros. Wii U Bundle and advertise the HECK out of Smash Bros. and the Wii U the RIGHT way. They should make sure that the advertising for "gamers" is much stronger than the one for "families". Or they should advertise the Wii U as a system for "normal" gaming AND family gaming.

Personally, I think Nintendo needs to just stick it out this gen on home consoles, keep making great games and building up positive perception and use their handhelds for the real profit making.

Nintendo console lifespans tend to ahve weak back-ends, so they can fix that by never stopping the parade of great titles. They'll have to think about that before they pull any support like they did with the Wii's last two or three years.

@evosteevo The gamepad screen is low resolution LCD. I'm not sure how anyone could confuse it for an OLED display. And Japan is too small a market to support a console on its own.

I think that Nintendo should stick with it's current price, it's already lower. With Wii U, people either will buy it for the Nintendo IP games, or not, really.

Xbox One is lowing their price to compete with PS4, as that's the competition for them. Most gamers I know own a Wii U, and a PS4 OR Xbox One (or a PS3 or 360, waiting for what ever drives them to pick with of the new consoles is must have to them).

What's funny to me is that the Wii U is currently the only MUST HAVE console out of the new three.

This is all purely my opinion of course.

@Yorumi It has always has been the case that the handheld console has smaller (or older) versions of the console games. The Gameboy library largely started out as bite-size versions of NES games that you could play on the go. Every Nintendo handheld since then has followed that pattern. But each offers things the other cannot do.

As I see it, the Handheld focuses on providing personal (gameplay) and semi-social (streetpass) experiences and the Console generally focuses on providing shared group experiences (couch co-op, asymmetric gameplay, backseat driving during gameplay, online play). To use 3D Land and 3D World, one is designed to allow you to play a 2D/3D Mario game on the go by yourself and the other is designed to allow you to play a 2D/3D Mario game with your family on the couch co-op/competitively as a shared event/experience.

For Nintendo to hit a more mass market they should lower the price point. Personally I think the system has always been too expensive, just because it's cheaper than the PS4 and XBO doesn't mean it's a good deal. For some strange reason the price of games consoles has raised over all this generation and I can't understand why consumers have allowed this to happen. I'm talking from a UK consumer perspective as I'm not sure about EUR or US. But I think Nintendo's biggest problem is public perception, they need to tell us about new games every 3 months, exclusives from 1st and 2nd party developers. They need to generate positive press around the system on a monthly basis because there is ZERO 3rd party support. Make directs for Indies, build new partnerships and sing about free online gaming.

A price cut for the Wii U just sounds like a terrible move. Dropping it another $50 makes it to close to the price of it's handheld. It's already the cheapest home console compared to Xbone/PS4.
With PS4 you have to spend $400, $60 game, and if you want to play online that's another $50. That's more then $500 you'll need to spend.
Xbone is currently $400, $60 game, and $60 to play online. Making it around $520 right now, and only dropping to about $470 in 2015.
Wii U $300, $60 game, and free online services. Making it less then $400, there are some bundles that just give you a free game. MK8 bundle was only $30 more and gave you the game a special Mario Wii remote plus steering wheel.
Smash is coming plus the amiibos, there's no need for a price cut. Then you've got games coming in 2015 like LoZ, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Yoshi's Wolly World, Kirby Rainbow Curse, and Star Fox.

@Yorumi - How did Nintendo gimp the Wii U version of Smash?

Oh! - I have another theory...

I think the XB1 price cut is a bad idea since it's "temporary"...it will sell a bunch more XB1s over the holiday, but then what happens when the price goes back up?

People are going to hold off on buying one while they wait for another "sale".

I think it would be even worse for Nintendo.

I think a free download like they did with MK8 with the purchase of Smash Bros. would be a good move. Or maybe a bundle with Smash & Mario Amiibo.

As mentioned, Nintendo needs to market more and advertise- and also communicate the value of the system. I don't think people realize how nice it is to play off line or even to watch Netflix on the gamepad while somebody else is watching something on the big screen- or just to use as a couch companion for surfing.

@aaronsullivan

Yes I think we have somewhat come to an agreement. However I will point out that Sony is having extreme difficulty with it's business because it's other departments are not posting profits. Not even close. They're going to be posting another $2.1 billion loss next year (I'm not sure where I read that, but I'm sure you can find it if you're interested). It's the risk you take when the company becomes too large to handle.

I digress, sorry about that. Anyway, I did some homework and I have found an old article from NL that talks about the financial plan for Nintendo this year.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/satoru_iwata_talks_down_wii_u_price_cut_prospects_3ds_to_drive_profits_in_2014

You don't have to read the whole thing, but I would like to point out that there is an interesting line from Iwata:

"Regarding Wii U, it is not easy to make a significant profit with the current units sold. The price reduction of the hardware in the overseas markets represents a large amount of our total expenditure for this fiscal year, but based on the premise that we will not make such a reduction in the next fiscal year, I think our business can operate without such a negative effect on our profitability."

It's cloudy, typical business talk, but from what I gather, the Wii U is very close to the break even point already with the current price cut in place. In fact, it may be business talk that the Wii U is already, flat out, breaking even. The article further elaborates that the 3DS is going to be the moneymaker this year. It solidifies this notion that Nintendo cannot afford a price cut right now for the Wii U, regardless of what they need to do to compete with Microsoft and Sony (let's just leave their reserves out of this for now and leave it at year on year business).

Of course though, you are right about one thing, Nintendo really doesn't have many avenues to branch out like Sony or Microsoft, and i agree that the QOL will be a logical business step. Obviously video games just don't cut it anymore.

Software sells consoles at the end of the day, though i am in favour of a small decrease in price to 279 dollars as previously mentioned. SSB will sell so many consoles alone so I will be holding my breath for a surge in profits for nintendo this holiday!

No! price was already lowered once, even BEFORE it was lowered it was sold at a loss, and its STILL the cheapest and most affordable home console on the market right now (excluding last gen consoles). I dont care what anyone else thinks or says, a price cut is NOT needed at the point. I personally didn't think it should have been cut from its original price but its already done and over with.

@Yorumi Can you get your Nintendo fix on 3DS? Absolutely. Is the experience going to be exactly the same on the handheld as the home console? Not always, as there will be trade-offs for portability in the console power and storage capacity departments, and it is hard to gather a bunch of friends around the 3DS screen to share the experience.

I think the problem you are getting at is one Nintendo hasn't quite figured out, but is trying to. Most of us no longer gather around a television and play games with friends or family. Instead, most of us gather together online to play with friends and family scattered across the country or world. I don't think we never really get the full experience those Wii U games are designed for.

I see glimmers of it in Project: Guard. Where you can have a bunch of people watching over your shoulder shouting at you to do X or Y. I see it in Wii Sports Club and Super Mario 3D World when you sit down and play with the family. it's in NSMBU when my son is tapping platforms either to help or usually to accidentally hinder. It's having five people play Nintendoland where four are chasing the fifth around a maze while taunting each other. It's the eventually 8 player free-for-all tournaments that will happen on gigantic screens for people to watch and cheer.

None of that can you get on a handheld device with a small screen.

For the sake of competition this holiday, I think it'd be smart for them to give it a temporary price cut during the BlackFriday/Christmas season. It would just look really enticing with Smash Bros. for WiiU, I think even current console exclusive owners would see the WiiU as a nice addition for the price.

Sales wise, I'm not sure anything in gaming can keep up with PS4 right now, but I think Nintendo will do good by their standards.

@Yorumi They are 2 excellent games, praised in high regards by most gamers lucky enough to have played them. The most common cry from wii u owners is more quality software. This holiday is a great opportunity for them to capitalise on the market share. I predict that Nintendo will not follow their competitors in a price reduction as it's just not their style.

I want Nintendo to be at a point where it isn't a disregarded 3rd wheel in the console wars. I want people to start taking the console seriously. I want more faith from 3rd party developers (would have loved to have seen shadow of mordor for wii u for instance). Whatever the weather this holiday brings; Nintendo will do very well I'm sure of it

A price drop at this point sounds dangerous. They dropped the price last year when they were selling the console at a lost from the beginning. I'm no expert but I feel like lowering the price any more would be risky. How do you know the software sales from new owners will make up for the loss in hardware sales if that loss is too great?

@MoonKnight7
About PS4 and Sony. Yeah, Sony is facing a tough time where the Playstation is the rare moneymaker at the company. Probably the Xbox team is banking on Sony resisting a price drop.

Iwata: "but based on the premise that we will not make such a reduction in the next fiscal year, I think our business can operate without such a negative effect on our profitability" That does show he probably wasn't planning on a price reduction. (Though if he was he could still say that statement without lying. ) Things can change over time, of course.

Honestly, I hope Nintendo is in such good shape that it doesn't have to enter a price war with the other guys. Hopefully, MK8 SSBU and friends are enough convince people to buy in. I'd much rather the platform be a healthy one. Not really seeing any evidence so far, though. :/

@ToastyYogurt
It isn't really dangerous. Consoles always sell at a lose in their initial years. Selling at a lose though is far better than not selling the consoles at all. Bad sells are what really damns a company, and right now Nintendo has been massively missing on all its projections. Staying status quo won't get the company anywhere, especially with a large gap in retail releases. If it wasn't for the sales of the GB/DS line over the years, Nintendo would of gone the way of Sega with how poorly they handle console releases. Currently PS4/One sell more systems per week than the U does, and the U is barely outpacing the 360 in some regions. As the prices of competing consoles fall, and they start bringing out their A+ sellers the U will be pushed further back. It needs something to give it a much needed push and its the perfect time to do it. Also the last price drop was what the system should of started at. It was a bad call on Nintendo to sell a lesser unit at $300 with the Deluxe at $349. Don't want to split the market up that early.

@aaronsullivan

"Things can change over time, of course."

Certainly yes, it just doesn't look likely this year. I'm sure the construction and shipping of Wii U's haven't dropped the prices low enough yet to warrant a retail price drop. At least based on that comment, and based on that it's such a gradual process. Let's hope he's not lying, that's bad business.

The Wii U still has a chance to be healthy, it just doesn't look likely that it is going to expand the company in any significant way, that's fairly obvious. PS4 and X1 numbers aside, I think the Wii U's only goal now is to just pay it's own bills and to stop bothering the 3DS.

They need to push for marketing instead of price cut. A lot of people still don't know what a Wii U is.

Today i spotted a pack with the basic 8GB console, Wii Party U, Nintendo Life and a WiiMote for only 199 euro. So no further price drop is needed.

@darthllama Hardware sales aren't the only thing though, what I'm saying is selling consoles means nothing to their bottom line if they can't make a profit off of software sales. Nintendo was originally selling their consoles at a loss, then when they cut $50 off the price they sold it at even more of a loss. In order to comfortably sell the console at a loss they have to be sure the average consumer buys enough games to cover that loss for a reasonable time. What happens if Nintendo cuts the cost, systems fly off the shelves, but not enough games are bought to cover the cost? I understand how selling at a loss can benefit console sales, I remember how the 3DS sold much better after the price was slashed by $80 and sold at a loss. But selling at a loss can be bad if you overestimate your customers.

@toastyyogurt
Yes, software sales definitely helps reduce the losses and risks involved in lowering console rates. The problem is that currently Nintendo is selling neither. Despite being out two years, the U is being outperformed by its competitors and software sales in all regions have been appalling. A lot of inventory is stuck collecting dust on store shelves. That means Nintendo is receiving a dramatic loss from all angles. If Nintendo reduces the cost of the U, and increases its sales share then it will minimize losses by default. Selling a system for less is better than not selling any at all. Software sales might not be boosted a whole lot, but if someone buys the system then they'll at least buy a few games too. No matter what Nintendo does, its unlikely to see a huge turnaround in their fortunes, but if they can at least reduce losses while giving the system more momentum to grow it'll be the best outcome. Right now Nintendo is putting their hopes into Smash to save them. Smash will likely give sales a boost, but that will only be temporary. The U needs more sustained momentum. So take the hit for now, and work on pushing the brand as hard as they can. Its kind of sad that you can't turn on the tv without seeing 102042 ads for PS4/One systems/games but never see anything from Nintendo.

@darthllama But there are other less risky ways to hopefully boost sales. Better advertising, for one thing. I think conveying that Wii U is an entirely new console (rather than the confusing "total upgrade" phrase they've been using) and showing off the Wii U's awesome library would do better than a price drop. You have no idea how much of a loss they are taking currently for each Wii U sale, They could be expecting the average owner to buy 4 games within a year and you don't know it. You don't think they'd be a little hesitant to push it to 5 or 6? And do you think they want to risk getting the kind of people that bought a Wii and only ever owned Wii Sports and maybe Wii Fit? Granted, 4 is a made up number, and those kinda people aren't likely to buy a Wii U anyway, but still, you don't think Nintendo wouldn't be risking anything by shaving the price on a console they are ALREADY taking a loss on?

Yeah, most people buy a couple of games with a console, but what if Nintendo has to expect them to buy more games initially for the console than what they're willing to buy? You can't just have faith that the consumers are going to buy exactly as many games as Nintendo needs them to buy to make a profit, eventually there will be a point where there's a gap between how much money needs to cover the cost of the console and how much money the average consumer is willing to spend on games. I think Nintendo is approaching that point.

If they reduce it too much, they'll make it look 'cheap', and perpetuate the value of a toy. However, they could have temporary price drops... like what Microsft is doing, here...

@ToastyYogurt
Yeah Wii U dropped in price once before. It debuted at $299 for the 8GB model and $350 for the 32GB deluxe. They took away the 8GB model and just replaced it with the deluxe model at the same price point. That is something they should of done at the start as having two separate models paired with a non-original naming scheme cost them more money than any drop.

Yes, Nintendo will lose more money by dropping the cost of the console, but how much do you think they are making by not selling most of the units they are manufacturing? The low sales are what is costing them lots of money, and why so many third party developers are jumping ship. Nintendo also can't just lean on the whole "new console" excuse because its now going to be entering its third year. Dropping the price of the console is NOT about getting them into the green now. Its a gamble with the intent of minimizing losses and generating interest. If something doesn't sell, then you are guaranteed the worst kind of loss. I can't stress that enough. It also doesn't need to be a permanent drop, but one that carries through the holiday season which is the peak time for sales. Also $250 is still a lot of money so nobody is going to consider it a cheap toy as some posters are laughably suggesting. That is still a lot of money, and its something that every console does. The Wii had some drops which helped boost a lot of sales. 360/PS3 did drops around the holidays and saw some of their best sales periods because of it. A lot of gamers also have price points in mind as to what they'd pay for any game or console, and its very apparent that the $300 tag with what is available isn't tempting to most. Staying status quo when you have a losing product never helps encourage success. Again, yes they'll deal with production cost loss, but when they are already deep in a pile of rabbit poop they have to be aggressive and take risks. At present all they are doing is losing, and little hope of minimizing losses by standing pat. Nintendo has continued to make a lot of giant mistakes since day one. Their marketing of the system has been total trash and is a factor they continue to ignore. As competing consoles with superior tech inch closer to the U's price point it makes the reality of U finding success less and less likely.

@JaxonH

I agree with a lot of what U are saying......I find for games that are map heavy it really is a nice thing. I loved playing ME3 on WiiU as it was the only way to play the game with a real time map. Batman AC was great and I really like Pikman after the patch for touch play.

Totally agree on MK8 and async.....what gives as COD and Sonic Kart use it.

The real question is can Nintendo establish dual screen console gaming as viable this generation? RPG ans SRPG should be no brainers for WiiU...also how about TCG and trader simms.....so many missed oppertunities. My best two contributions are a diablo type crawler for 4 player where a dungeon master uses the gamepad to act as the antaganonist. Second.....an American Football sim that uses gamepad for player and play management while plays play out in Hd on the big screen....

@QuickSilver88 Yeah it happens to me every single time I play a game on another console. Just got Sunset Overdrive and Lords of the Fallen today, both of which would have benefited greatly from a real time map. Speaking of which, that's the sole reason I waited to buy Watch Dogs.

I think Nintendo has some really great stuff coming and people just aren't aware how in ways it is much more superior then the other systems.

Absolutely no need to drop the price. What they need to do is increase the value proposition. Start by eliminating the basic 8gb SKU. This was a joke to begin with. Then turn the deluxe 32 gb model (also a joke) into the new basic model or beginner model so to speak. Follow this up by introducing a pro model with a min 500gb hard drive. Throw a pro controller into that pro sku and now we have a kick ass deal. Keep the pricing the same as the current prices but with the new sku the wiiu will become much more appealing.

@darthllama I give up, I keep trying to convey my thought but you keep insisting that there's absolutely no downside to dropping the price and giving no compelling reason why other than the system will sell more. I can't keep arguing with you. Good night.

@Peach64 My mistake. The contrast ratio is just fairly impressive and I suppose that just made me think OLED. That and the battery life I suppose. What can I say, LED technology has advanced over the years. As for Japan's market being too small for Nintendo, I'm sure no market is too small for Nintendo. They know how to turn a profit and that's all that counts. These video game companies make more than video games. Clothes, toys, heck I just recently bought an umbrella from Capcom.

If Nintendo were to have ANOTHER price cut, then they would be LOSING money. No one is on the edge of their seats waiting for a price cut on the Wii U after two years saving $50. $50 is cheaper than most PS4 and XBone retail games.

i find it odd how everyone here can agree to at least one thing and that is the need for better advertisement of the console yet how is it they dont think of that? :/ it seems to late anyway now we all kinda got screwed over by not having those 3rd party game on it

as for the topic no i dont think it need a price cut but ps4 does cuz that would make me want to get it for those 3rd party games like the assassins creed game >.<

Every retailer I go to the Nintendo stuff is hidden away in a corner while the playstation, xbox and PC stuff is more prominently on display even though you often see the same games across those three sections while the Nintendo section always offers something different.

I'm glad that NIntendo is returning to profit but my feeling is that Nintendo's situation atm has some parallels to that of Apple in the nineties before Steve Jobs returned to the helm. What changed Apple's fortunes was giving up on ruling the desktop market that Microsoft had under lock and key and instead branch out into the more profitable mobile devices market. If the new 3DS is anything to go by then more frequent updates of portable consoles is practically a given.

But something that might boost the wiiU's marketability is if the new 3DS or even just the 3DS could function as a gamepad for the wiiU. It can already function as an extra controller for the upcoming wiiU smash bros. It may just need a special cartridge to function as a gamepad. Then a cheaper gamepad-less wiiU could be offered. This could be a way to cut the price with out losing face, and without losing the functionality and differentiating factor that the gamepad brings. There are around 40 million 3DS owners out there, I'm willing to bet that some of them are kids who can't convince their parents to buy a second console if it's more than $100-150. If they can get their parents to buy them a $150 wiiU for a birthday or barmitzvah present then sales of wiiU could improve. And then there are all the chumps out there who bought a PS4 riding that incredible wave of hype and are a little buttsore that Bayonetta 2 wont be gracing their would be wonder-machine. They are the ones that (woefully) complain that the wiiU is too expensive for one game, so a cheaper gamepad-less wiiU could get them over the line particularly if they already have a 3DS that they can use as a controller.

To all those saying that Nintendo shouldn't drop the price due to that placing it back into selling at a loss, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Nintendo doesn't need the cash yet. What's destroying them currently is a lack of presence in the market, and strong holiday sales will help to rectify that. What's most important for Nintendo currently is grabbing market share and showing that they're still a major player in the console lineup. Profit will come automatically after that's established.