Well it sounded too good to be true.
Amazon listed the Nintendo Wii U as costing £199 with a UK release pencilled in for 14 July. But now the retailer has scrapped the listing, and is refunding anyone who laid down their cash,MCV reports.
The release seemed wildly optimistic. Nintendo showed off the next generation console at games show E3, with an autumn release expected. I'm thinking sometime between October and December sounds realistic.
And the price? Nintendo does traditionally offer its consoles cheaper than others, though that touchscreen controller could well bump up the price. The company had to drop the price of its 3DS handheld to kickstart sales, so hopefully it'll be able to stay under the £200 mark for the Wii U. But my guess is somewhere nearer £250-280.
ShopTo has also opened pre-orders for the console, with an estimated price of £279.99 for both the white and black versions. But the price is subject to change, as the disclaimer makes clear. And there's no release date given. So it sounds like it's reading the tea leaves on this one.
Nikkei estimated the Wii U would sell for £250 in Japan. Nintendo stayed mum at E3 concerning the price.
Reception was mixed concerning the Wii U at E3. Luke Westaway for one is skeptical about how things will pan out for Nintendo's console, predicting troublesome games development and a shrinking of the casual gaming market that made the Wii such a success. Certainly Microsoft's Kinect has outdone it technologically, and mobiles seem to be catering quite nicely for those in search of a quick gaming fix. But this is Nintendo, and it always pulls out a stellar launch line-up. The mere mention of a new Mario game is enough to have fanboys salivating.
Are you excited about the Wii U? How much would you pay for one? Let me know in the comments.
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