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[pargonta]

this thing is so awesome.. i just don't get the hate.

as someone who loves physical media and dislikes convergence devices, this is some hot shit, if not well executed.

i believe the future of the market to be digital and all that jazz but i just love this idea of just a daggum video game system.

glad to see it branch out.

 

[VOOK]

The only good thing about this is that it doesn't look like a Wii or Wii U.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Guys... it's for people who have waited 7 years to get a Wii...

My educated guess is these people are probably not looking for state of the art tech. Neither a die hard online mp machine or a gamecube simulator.

They probably want a piss cheap way to play some good games they've wanted to play for the last seven years, but did not quite find it to invest in yet. And maybe people who thinks the small red box is "neat". If Nintendo makes any kind of money out of it, everybody should be happy.

So stop being angry (some of you), they're not targeting NeoGAFers. You're not supposed to like it.

If you want a dirt cheap Wii you buy a second hand Wii. Also not RGB Scart?

Ludicrous.

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I hope I can find a used Wii Mini sometime in the future.
I think the design looks really sleek and cool, although its functionality (no online at all, mainly) leaves soemthing to be desired.

Just want it for collecting purposes I guess.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

If you want a dirt cheap Wii you buy a second hand Wii.

Also not RGB Scart?

Sure, that's an option. But a lot of people think buying new stuff is safer, with warranties and what not. And it's understandable that Nintendo wants a piece of the pie from this consumer group as well, as they make 0 GBP on second hand Wiis.

About RGB scart: again, do main the main target group care?

 

[Vexxan]

Man that thing looks really cheap inside. I imagine they actually made a decent amount of money from it since they're bringing it to all these other places as well.

 

[Jackano]

Actually 99€ will be... expensive for that. I mean, just checking quickly... yeah ok it's still 149€ but there is a deal at amazon with the Inazuma Eleven pack at 119€.

So at 99€ you need to add a game... that's still 129€ if you pick up a Nintendo Select one, and that's the regular price of some packs a few months ago/regular price when you wait for a deal on an online retailer. 79€ will be more accurate.

 

[Takao]

Now Wii U will have a new shelf mate in the UK:

Completely anecdotal, but there always seems to be a stack of Wii minis around here...

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Bargain. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7GME9Q/

 

[dacuk]

Too little, too late?

Also, time to rename WiiU to WiiUltra

 

[wrowa]

Wait... they are releasing this in continental EU, and they aren't providing SCART support?

Do they eat shit?

It does support SCART, just not RGB. You had to buy a dedicated RGB cable anyway if you wanted to use it, so they pretty much cut everything that wouldn't be of interest in a children's room.

I don't quite see the point of the console if they don't decide to charge only 99€ for it, but whatever.

 

[Robin64]

£103?

 

[M-PG71C]

It's pretty cool for what it is and it is targeting a completely different market.

I may buy one just to take with me when I am traveling. Hook it up to my hotel TV and play a quick round of Wii Sports or NSMB at night when my wife and I are traveling. Its light, small, and likely durable. Good enough. Hope it comes to the U.S.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Sure, that's an option. But a lot of people think buying new stuff is safer, with warranties and what not. And it's understandable that Nintendo wants a piece of the pie from this consumer group as well, as they make 0 GBP on second hand Wiis.

About RGB scart: again, do main the main target group care?

I'm pretty sure RGB SCART is a standard here in Europe. DVD players and all consoles had them. Now HDMI is probably more common for HD TV's and so but everything used that years ago.

Will they care? Maybe not, but I can see most people confused about it since is really common...

 

[PreyingShark]

No they won't. The people who will buy this are the sort of people who plug their VDR into their HDTV via composite cable and think they are watching 'HD'.

Don't forget all the people who honestly can't seem to tell a difference between 4:3 and that same 4:3 content stretched to 16:9.

That said, many, many, many people just use their Wii's as Wii Sports and Just Dance boxes. For those people this really isn't a bad deal. Not something core gamers should get if they aren't collectors, though.

And this should have been released a while ago, really. Its timing is really weird.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

If it does launch for £100 and that isn't just a placeholder price, then there's absolutely no point in it. Pitch it as a budget system in the £50-75 range and you snap up the people who might be interested for one or two games, or who want a dirt-cheap games console and you get yourself a slice of the audience who would otherwise turn to the second-hand market. At £100 - the same price you can pick up a new standard Wii system with a pack-in game - you're going to get nothing.

 

[Batman]

No component support made this ridiculous.

 

[Goldenroad]

A 99 dollar console (a real 99 dollar one, I'm looking at you MS) in this day and age must be a steal for a lot of people. I think this was a really smart move from Nintendo.

You seriously think Microsoft should price the 360 the same as the Wii? What would that say about their product? I think if the Wii drops to $49, MS can feel comfortable dropping to $99, but only if Sony matches then.

 

[Pociask]

A lot of these arguments were made in the old Wii Mini threads, so it's kind of funny to see them rehashed (and the same lame arguments trotted out about how this is good for the consumer to get a more expensive version of a console that is lacking critical features).

What I want to know is this - in Canada, it was looking like Nintendo was making the Wii Mini the only way to buy a Wii. Has this been the case? Are they still clearing out stock of the pre-existing Wii bundles and standalone Wii's?

Also, wtf at Nintendo failing miserably with the Wii U in Europe, and so they bring over the Wii Mini to cause even more confusion. For all the Fisher Price insults, at least the Wii Mini looks like a brand new system. I see a lot of uninformed consumers thinking, "Hm, what should I get - the Wii U that has this new pad (is the pad called a U?), or the Wii Mini which is smaller and newer?"

 

[Robin64]

For reference, £100 is $150 USD or ($155 CAD)

And way too much for this heap of junk.

 

[xandaca]

This was staggeringly stupid when it was only released in Canada, but to now send it to Europe, where there's already a huge amount of brand confusion over the next gen console? I mean, seriously Nintendo, what the hell are you thinking? The standard Wii is an attractive price already and won't either further confuse people or put them off entirely like this amputated monstrosity.

 

[Goldenroad]

What I want to know is this - in Canada, it was looking like Nintendo was making the Wii Mini the only way to buy a Wii. Has this been the case? Are they still clearing out stock of the pre-existing Wii bundles and standalone Wii's?

No. Lately I've probably seen more Wii Mini's at retailers then the older version, but they are both definitely still available and most of the regular Wii bundles come with a pack in like Mario Kart or NSMB Wii for about $139.99, which is intrinsically a better vale. I can tell you that these things are not flying off the shelves here, but obviously they are selling enough to justify expanding this product line.

 

[Snaku]

Will the Wii tablet controller work with this?

hehe

 

[BriBri]

OMG! It's more in pounds than in dollars! The death of Play and HMV online has led to Amazon (UK) taking the piss more and more on prices:/

 

[phosphor112]

Bargain. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7GME9Q/

Lmao.

 

[CambriaRising]

No component support made this ridiculous.

Everything about this box is rediculous.

 

[Domstercool]

Knew it!!! Well... 4 pound away from the real price.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Ha ha ha ha oh my, £100 when a fully featured secondhand Wii is £50. You'd have to be a grossly uninformed consumer to even consider.

 

[edgefusion]

If it were £50 I'd grab one as I never owned a Wii this gen and wouldn't mind going back and playing some of the games I missed out on. At £100, lol no. I'd rather pay £85 and get the good Wii.

 

[Leonsito]

Great job, now people will think that the Wii Mini is more new than the Wii U.

 

[Shiggy]

Is the European "Nintendo won't suggest a price" thing purely a response to the price-fixing issue, or is it more of a currency issue?

Neither. It's a communication choice NoE has decided on, which is unrelated to the price-fixing issue(they could still announce a RRP as done before).

Yay, Nintendo Selects Super Paper Mario is coming too! 4 New Nintendo Selects will launch along with Wii Mini.

Still don't understand why some countries didn't get that. It was reissued as part of Nintendo Selects months ago in Germany.

 

[Gonzo The Great]

Why even bother? No, seriously, the Wii U is failing and they think releasing a new Wii model will help, when branding is one of its primary problems? Good grief.

 

[MarkusRJR]

A lot of these arguments were made in the old Wii Mini threads, so it's kind of funny to see them rehashed (and the same lame arguments trotted out about how this is good for the consumer to get a more expensive version of a console that is lacking critical features).

What I want to know is this - in Canada, it was looking like Nintendo was making the Wii Mini the only way to buy a Wii. Has this been the case? Are they still clearing out stock of the pre-existing Wii bundles and standalone Wii's?

Also, wtf at Nintendo failing miserably with the Wii U in Europe, and so they bring over the Wii Mini to cause even more confusion. For all the Fisher Price insults, at least the Wii Mini looks like a brand new system. I see a lot of uninformed consumers thinking, "Hm, what should I get - the Wii U that has this new pad (is the pad called a U?), or the Wii Mini which is smaller and newer?"

Yeah it's really hard to find the normal Wii. The option was to import one from the states because there were none anywhere in my city. That's one of the reasons I got a Wii mini instead.

 

[twinturbo2]

... because the original Wii was huge, right!?

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

 

[Aquamarine]

This product receives almost as much universally apathetic sentiment as the Game Boy Micro.

My GOD did Nintendo mess this one up. Look forward to brand confusion and pitiful sales.

 

[Little Old Man]

If it were £50 I'd grab one as I never owned a Wii this gen and wouldn't mind going back and playing some of the games I missed out on. At £100, lol no. I'd rather pay £85 and get the good Wii.

The Gamecube support alone is worth the extra effort sourcing an original Wii model.

I can buy the idea of some confusion between Wii and Wii U (and possibly Wii Mini), but no-one in the UK - or anywhere else - is confused by Wii Fit or Motion Plus (or Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Party etc.)

Then why so many anecdotes and general confusion over what the WiiU is from many consumers, believing it to be a Wii add-on? Not so much confused as what those mentioned add ons are, but rather if the WiiU is one I'll grant you.

 

[Hystzen]

People have no clue what a Wii U is should we release ads to explain it....nah release the wii mini that will clear everything up

 

[SmokyDave]

I will piss myself if they unleash a monster marketing campaign for this thing. Doubly so if they use the word 'new' anywhere.

They should release a DS3i: LiteXL too. Bring the ol' DS back with a new twist.

 

[shakin_haitian]

Who is making this decision? This doesn't make any sense at all.

Actually I buy a lot of Fisher Price shit and tbh they make some sturdy stuff. Some of their toys have gone through 3 kids in my household so far, still going strong.

This wii-mini on the other hand wouldn't last 10 minutes with my one year old son

Well, if the Wii-Mini is anything like their other hardware, it should be nigh-indestructible. My Gamecube and N64 went through hell and back and they're still working like a charm.

 

[Bending_Unit_22]

did this sell enough to deserve a release outside canada?

No idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if the only Wii Nintendo is still, very slowly, producing is the Wii Mini. At some point stocks of existing Wiis will run down even at a low rate of sales. Given it is still selling, again slowly, they have to be restocked and if all Nintendo has now are Wii Minis then there's not much of a choice.

If they were giving it away free in boxes of cereal then it's perfect. If they're expecting people to go into shops and actually buy it then less so.

Who is this aimed at? Aren't second hand Wiis dirt cheap in game stores at the moment?

Doesn't Europe already have a Wii that has no GCN or Wi-Fi (might be mistaking the PSP for the second)? The Wii Mini is simply a cheaper console for Nintendo to produce. Either way if you're in the market for a new Wii these days lack of Wi-Fi or GCN shouldn't be that big a deal. Also, it isn't like the market for new Wiis is large enough to even be called small IMO.

I will piss myself if they unleash a monster marketing campaign for this thing. Doubly so if they use the word 'new' anywhere.

They should release a DS3i: LiteXL too. Bring the ol' DS back with a new twist.

That would surprise me. This just seems to me to be Nintendo wringing the last drops of Wii sales with a cheaper to produce Wii. Who knows, maybe also get some extra sales from gotta collect them all collectors and Nintendo fans.

Who is making this decision? This doesn't make any sense at all.



Well, if the Wii-Mini is anything like their other hardware, it should be nigh-indestructible. My Gamecube and N64 went through hell and back and they're still working like a charm.

Makes sense to me, depending on how much the Wii Mini cost for design and new production startup. Yeah it would shock me if it isn't rock solid, especially since it has an open top disc drive.

 

[Red Chocobo]

A few weeks ago I noticed that the regular Wii seems to have been discontinued in the UK (No stock anywhere). Which I thought was a bit premature.

I guess they were clearing them out ready for this.

 

[Little Old Man]

Doesn't Europe already have a Wii that has no GCN or Wi-Fi (might be mistaking the PSP for the second)? The Wii Mini is simply a cheaper console for Nintendo to produce. Either way if you're in the market for a new Wii these days lack of Wi-Fi or GCN shouldn't be that big a deal. Either way it isn't like the market for new Wiis is large enough to even be called small IMO.

There is yes, a Wii slim or whatever you want to name it. Came out around Winter 2011 IIRC, and as you say lacks GCN support. Think it has Wifi though.

Makes the decision to release the Wii mini even stranger....

 

[Mariah Carey]

People's intense reactions to this thing on here continues to bewilder me. It's not made for you, and THAT'S OK.

Also, using 'Fischer Price' as an insult... I mean, do you just not like kids or something, damn.

 

[Bending_Unit_22]

There is yes, a Wii slim or whatever you want to name it. Came out around Winter 2011 IIRC, and as you say lacks GCN support. Think it has Wifi though.

Makes the decision to release the Wii mini even stranger....

It's even cheaper to make than the Slim. It's just about money, and that the remaining market for new Wiis probably doesn't care. At this point the part for whom it is make or break can't be large enough to be worth it (and I would guess as above that collectors/fans would mostly replace it anyways).

 

[Hystzen]

People's intense reactions to this thing on here continues to bewilder me. It's not made for you, and THAT'S OK.

Also, using 'Fischer Price' as an insult... I mean, do you just not like kids or something, damn.

It's nothing to do we what we expect everybody commenting is thinking from the view of the average consumer. EU is already dead in sales for Wii U because they do no advertising or even bother to explain what it is. Now they release a Wii mini for £100 is just going to confuse the public more then Nintendo will carry on being confused why sales are still rubbish for its latest console

 

[nubbe]

Wii
Wii Mini
Wii U

That's not confusing

 

[krae_man]

For reference, £100 is $150 USD or ($155 CAD)

And way too much for this heap of junk.

I think you mean $125.

 

[TehOh]

If this were cheaper, I'd consider buying one for playing my European Wii games.

I modded my old Wii, but I took it down when the Wii U came out because there isn't a ton of space in my entertainment center. Might be nice to have a long-term solution for playing European Wii games.

At $100, I probably would (especially since the wiimote plus and nunchuck alone would be $60-70). At $130 after conversion.. eh...

 

[wrowa]

Apparently it's 109€ in Germany... I don't need to understand why they didn't go for the important sub-100 barrier, do I?

 

[Katzii]

I think you mean $125.

$150.