Nintendo Reveals Wii U Pricing Details and More

Nintendo used a press conference to confirm launch details for the Wii U. The console launches in North America on November 18, in Europe on November 30, and in Japan on December 8, arriving in two configurations: a “Basic” bundle at $299 in North America (£199 in Europe) and a “Deluxe” bundle at $349, with premium European pricing unconfirmed at the time.

The Wii U Basic Set includes a white console with 8GB of internal storage, one white GamePad controller, AC adapters for both console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI cable. The Wii U Deluxe Set includes a black console with 32GB of internal storage, one black GamePad controller, AC adapters, a sensor bar, an HDMI cable, the game Nintendo Land, a console stand, a GamePad charging cradle, a stand for displaying the GamePad vertically, and enrollment in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which awards points redeemable for future eShop downloads based on digital purchases.

Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime said, “The wait is almost over — in just 66 days, Wii U will arrive with the strongest lineup of launch software in Nintendo history. With the integrated second screen of the included GamePad and features that instantly enhance the way people play games, watch video and interact with each other, consumers will see how Wii U delivers a completely unique experience and a remarkable value right out of the box. The new system also creates extraordinary new possibilities for game developers, bound only by the limits of their imaginations.”

Among the announcements: Bayonetta 2 will be a Wii U exclusive, and Lego City Undercover will be a launch-window title. Other games shown included Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, The Wonderful 101 (formerly Project P-100), Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, 007 Legends, Skylanders Giants and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Nintendo also unveiled Nintendo TVii, a GamePad-driven application letting users browse programming from cable and satellite subscriptions alongside Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and recorded TiVo shows from a single interface.

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg added, “The integrated second screen of the GamePad creates new possibilities for how games can be played, and further reflects the innovation Nintendo has poured into the Wii U. We’re excited for our fans to experience the biggest franchises, like Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Skylanders Giants and Transformers Prime, in new ways made possible on Wii U.”

The Wii U is fully backward compatible with the Wii, and previously purchased Virtual Console titles are expected to transfer over. Launch and launch-window titles (through March) announced across publishers include 007 Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Transformers Prime, Skylanders Giants and Wipeout 3 from Activision; NBA 2K13 from 2K Sports; Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate from Capcom; Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney; Mass Effect 3, Madden NFL 13 and EA Sports FIFA 13 from EA; Trine 2: Director’s Cut from Frozenbyte; Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition and Tank! Tank! Tank! from Namco Bandai; Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros U, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, Sing Party, Lego City: Undercover, Wii Fit U, Game & Wario, Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101 from Nintendo; Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and Nano Assault Neo from Sega; Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper from Tecmo Koei; Darksiders II, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy from THQ; Toki Tori 2 from Two Tribes; Assassin’s Creed III, Just Dance 4, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, ZombiU and Rayman Legends from Ubisoft; and Scribblenauts Unlimited and Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition from Warner Bros. Retailers including GameStop were reported to begin accepting Wii U pre-orders the following day, September 14.