Well Nintendo has finally ousted the release date for its new console in different variations across the globe, with the UK receiving our release date (November 30th) but no pricing information, while in Japan they have received their release date (8th December) and pricing at ¥31,500 and ¥26,250 for the 32GB Premium and 8GB Basic versions. Finally, in the US they received their pricing information ($350 or $300) with the earliest release date of the lot at November 18th.
However, an omission from the US release information was the price of a second Wii U GamePad controller, and when asked why there is no separate pricing, Nintendo America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime said that the reason is that Nintendo isn’t planning on selling GamePads as accessories in North America!
“We have deliberately not announced the availability of the GamePad as a separate, standalone accessory here in the United States,” Fils-Aime told IGN Nintendo
“The reason for that is simple – there are no games in the launch window that take advantage of a second GamePad. And [because of that], I want all of that hardware production to be focused on driving sales at retail.
“What I mean by that is that Wii U is a console and a GamePad together. If I were to take additional GamePads and make them available as an accessory, then I would have less Wii U console hardware to sell into retail. You know, probably one of your questions is whether I’m going to meet demand. The only way we’re going to achieve that here in the Americas is to not have that GamePad accessory, so I can maximize my overall volume.”
This is pretty interesting as Japan themselves have a separate pricing list for the GamePad Controller as they are pricing it at ¥13,440, which comes in at nearly £110.
Our friends in Japan will also be getting a special ‘Monster Hunter 3 Tri HD’ bundle pack with the in the Wii U Premium bundle sold in Japan on release.
The bundle will include the Premium setup; so a black Wii U 32 GB, a Black Wii U Pro Controller, and a copy of the game, which will retail for 38,850¥ as of the release date on December 8th.
We are still awaiting official pricing information for the UK and Europe but we can also hope for a few decent bundle deals, which Nintendo has been keen on in the past.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.