Wii launch

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The Wii, Nintendo's next generation console, launches in North America

The Wii launch was the release of Nintendo's seventh generation video game console. This successor to the Nintendo GameCube was released in most territories in November and December 2006. It was the third (after the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) seventh generation console to be released in Japan and America, but in Europe it was released before the PlayStation 3.

Contents

[edit] Announcement

At a June 7 2006 policy briefing, Nintendo revealed plans to release 6 million console units and 17 million software units during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007.[1] This included the 4 million or more console units they expected to ship by the end of the 2006 calendar year.[2] On September 14, 2006, it was announced that the majority of the 2006 shipments would be allotted to the Americas.[3]

The Spanish launch of the Wii console was moved to December 9 2006, because December 8 2006 is the celebration of the Immaculate Conception and thus all shops were closed.[4] For the same reason, Italian and Swiss releases were moved to December 7, 2006.[5]

Nintendo of Canada vice president and general manager Ron Bertram stated that the company expected to have one million consoles available in North America at launch, as reported by IGN on September 25, 2006.[6] The next day, Nintendo branded the information as a "misstatement about the number of Wii consoles that will be available in the Americas during the launch rollout," and reiterated earlier statements of expected shipments of 4 million consoles worldwide by the end of 2006 with the largest allotment available in the Americas. The company affirmed that they "are working to ensure a plentiful supply and a consistent flow."[2]

On December 26, 2006, Nintendo announced that they would release their console in South Korea by the end of 2007. However, on October 28, 2007, plans for South Korea were changed as Satoru Iwata announced that the Wii will instead be launched in South Korea next year in early 2008, along with first detalis to release the Wii in China also in 2008, due to high demand for the Wii console.[7] At this time, no plans for releasing the Wii in India have been announced.

[edit] Release dates and pricing

Release date and suggested retail price by region*
Region Expected pricing at release Release
date 		Accessories
Release Price Approx. USD Equivalent Wii Remote Nunchuk Classic Controller
Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States US$249.99[8] $249.99 November 19 2006 $39.99 $19.99 $19.99
Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada CAD$279.95[9] $264 C$44.99 C$24.99 C$24.99
Image:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico MXN$4,499 $410 ($355†) MXN$699 MXN$349 MXN$349
Image:Flag of Panama.svg Panama PAB B/.299 $299 PAB B/.49.99 PAB B/.29.99 PAB B/.29.99
Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala QtzQ3,499 $450 ($375†) - - -
Image:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia COP$1,099,000[10] $480 ($410†) - - -
Image:Flag of Peru.svg Peru PENS/.1,499[citation needed] $465 ($390†) - - -
Image:Flag of Chile.svg Chile CLP$219,900[11] $440 ($360†) CLP$34,900 CLP$14,900 CLP$14,900
Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil R$2,399§[12] $1,110 ($274†) R$299.00 R$199.00 -
Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan JP¥25,000[13] $215* ($205†) December 2, 2006 ¥3,800 ¥1,800 ¥1,800
Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia AUD$399.95[14] $315 ($285†) December 7 2006 AU$69.95 AU$29.95 AU$29.95
Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand NZD$499.90[15] $340 ($305†) NZ$99.95 NZ$49.95 NZ$49.95
Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy €259[16] $340 ($285†) €39.99 €19.99 €19.99
Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland SFr 399‡[17] $330 ($310†) SFr. 69.90 SFr. 34.90 SFr. 34.90
Image:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia HRK 2099.99 - December 8 2006 HRK 399.98 HRK 199.99 HRK 199.99
Image:Flag of Europe.svg Europe €249‡[18] $330 ($275†) €39.99 €19.99 €19.99
Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom GB£179‡ $350 ($300†) £29.99 £14.99 £14.99
Image:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary HUF 70,000[19] $360 ($300†) - - -
Image:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland €259 $340 ($285†) €44 €25 €25
Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark DKK 2,199[citation needed] $390 ($310†) 449 kr. 249 kr. 249 kr.
Image:Flag of Russia.svg Russia RUB 9,900‡[20] $380 ($335†) 1999 RUB 1499 RUB 999 RUB
Image:Flag of Norway.svg Norway NOK 2,499[21] $385 ($310†) 399 kr 249 kr 249 kr
Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden SEK 2,699‡[citation needed] $393 ($310†) 479 kr 299 kr 299 kr
Image:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland ISK 29,990[22] $440 ($335†) 5990 kr 2990 kr 2990 kr
Image:Flag of Finland.svg Finland €269.90[23] $355 ($290†) €49.90 €29.90 €29.90
Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey YTL 799.90 $550 ($466†) - - -
Image:Flag of Spain.svg Spain €249‡[24] $330 ($285†) December 9, 2006 €41,95 €19,95 €19,95
Image:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore SGD499.00 $330 April 25, 2007 SGD69.00 SGD39.00 SGD39.00
Image:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea KRW TBA KRW TBA 2008 (estimated)[7] KRW TBA KRW TBA KRW TBA
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt EGP 5,000 $900 2007 (estimated[25]) EGP TBA EGP TBA EGP TBA
Image:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa ZAR 2899 $410 ($360†) September 28, 2007 [26] ZAR 475.00 ZAR 239.00 ZAR 239.00
Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China CNY TBA CNY TBA 2008[27] CNY TBA CNY TBA CNY TBA
Image:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia RYM 1399 $410 ($360†) - RYM 139.00 RYM 69.00 RYM 69.00
Image:Flag of India.svg India INR TBA INR TBA TBA INR TBA INR TBA INR TBA

* Wii Sports comes packaged with the console in all regions except Japan.

† USD equivalent with local VAT, GST or sales tax removed for ease of comparison with territories that do not include taxes in consumer prices

‡ Retail price as estimated by, rather than suggested by, Nintendo[18]

§ Prices might be significantly lower on the informal market

[edit] Titles

On November 14 2006, it was confirmed that 21 titles would be available on launch day in North America and South America, with another 12 games being released in the 2006 launch window. This makes 33 games total.[28] Wii Sports is included with the console bundle in all regions excluding Japan. Despite the price point of US$60 quoted for many seventh generation games,[29] Wii titles cost at most US$50 at major retail stores.

For a full list of all titles available for the console since launch, see List of Wii games.

Key:

Launch Title Region(s) Released[30][31] Launch Title Region(s) Released
Avatar: The Last Airbender Image:Flag of the United States.svg[32] Barnyard Image:Flag of the United States.svg[32]
Call of Duty 3 Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Cars Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg[32]
Crayon Shin-chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33] Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Image:Flag of the United States.svg
Elebits Image:Flag of Japan.svg[34] Ennichi no Tatsujin Image:Flag of Japan.svg[35]
Excite Truck Image:Flag of the United States.svg The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Image:Flag of the United States.svg
Gottlieb Pinball Classics Image:Flag of Europe.svg GT Pro Series Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Happy Feet Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg[36][37] Kororinpa: Marble Mania Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33]
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Japan.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Machi Kuru Domino Image:Flag of Japan.svg
Madden NFL 07 Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Image:Flag of the United States.svg
Monster 4x4 World Circuit Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Necro-Nesia Image:Flag of Japan.svg
Need for Speed: Carbon Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Open Season Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Rampage: Total Destruction Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Rayman Raving Rabbids Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Red Steel Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Japan.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg SD Gundam G Breaker Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab 'Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg[32] Super Fruit Fall Image:Flag of Europe.svg
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Japan.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Super Swing Golf Image:Flag of Japan.svg
Tamagotchi: Party On!/Tamagotchi's Sparkling President Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33] Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Trauma Center: Second Opinion Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Japan.svg WarioWare: Smooth Moves Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33]
Wii Play Image:Flag of Japan.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg Wii Sports[1] Image:Flag of the United States.svg Image:Flag of Japan.svg Image:Flag of Europe.svg Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Wing Island Image:Flag of Japan.svg[33]

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was pushed as a launch title, but was eventually delayed to a release date of August 27 2007 in North America.[38] Satoru Iwata also initially wished for Super Smash Bros. Brawl to be released at launch.

[1] Wii Sports came bundled with the Wii in all territories except Japan.

[edit] Sales

On November 28 2006, Nintendo reported that it had sold over 600,000 consoles in the first eight days of launch in the Americas. Including the sales of accessories and games, Nintendo's Wii-related revenue has hit $190 million since its debut.[39]

The Wii launched in Japan on December 2, 2006. Japan initially received 400,000 Wii consoles,[40] with around an estimate of 370,000 sold in two days, with Wii Sports and Wii Play being the top two selling games.[41] While many PlayStation 3 consoles were resold on online auctions for a much higher price, the average Wii price on Yahoo! Auctions were only 30,000 ¥ (USD: $260).[42] This is perhaps because more people wanted to use the consoles, rather than resell it, as the Wii software tie ratio was 1.69.[42]

On December 12 2006, sales data analysis firm Chart-Track and Nintendo confirmed with several press outlets in the United Kingdom that the Wii had become the fastest selling video game console in the region's recorded history, selling 105,000 consoles in its opening weekend, trumping the previous record holder, Xbox 360, which posted sales numbers of 70,000 units.[43] Nintendo announced on the following day that the Wii had sold 325,000 units across Europe in its first two days of sale, making it the fastest selling console across the entire European continent.[44]

In the United Kingdom, gamers lined up at the midnight launch of the console at GAME and HMV. Queues from both retail stores stretched into back alleyways and side streets. GAME even provided them with slices of pizza and Wii branded umbrellas. HMV in the meanwhile, handed out goodie bags containing Wii-branded T-shirts and Legend of Zelda posters. Celebrities such as Pat Cash and Ian Wright turned up to promote the Wii. For a sample of the reaction from gamers, celebrities and others, see video here. As reported in March 2007, the Wii is not generally available in stores throughout the UK as many preorders have not been filled.[45]

On December 14 2006, it was announced that the Wii console had become the fastest selling console in Australian history with 32,901 units sold in just four days, beating the Xbox 360's opening weekend record of 30,241 units.[46]

In Singapore, local distributor Maxsoft said that 2,000 consoles were sold in the first 2 days of retail, much greater than for the launches of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and that many preorders remained unfulfilled due to a low stock inventory.[47]

While the Wii launch was considerably smoother than that of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it was not without its problems. Due to the scarcity of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, widespread price gouging began to form.[citation needed] Initial consumer reaction to the Wii appears to have been positive, with commentators judging the launch to have been successful,[48] and some recent reports claiming that the Wii is currently outselling the PlayStation 3 (which launched in the same period although at a higher price and lower supply) by a factor of approximately 2-1 in the United States,[49] as much as 4-1 in Japan, as much as 3-1 worldwide.[50]

By April 2007, the Wall Street Journal declared Nintendo had "become the company to beat in the games business" with the Wii outselling its home system rivals and overshadowing the better selling Nintendo DS portable, also by Nintendo.[51] Nintendo's profits were up 77% on the fiscal year due to Nintendo DS and Wii sales.[52]

On June 4 2007, it was announced that the Wii was outselling the PlayStation 3 by a five-to-one margin in Japan.[53] As of July 3 2007, this has increased to a margin of six to one.[54]

On August 15 Chart-Track and Eurogamer reported that the Wii had nearly surpassed one million sales in the United Kingdom. The Wii was also selling at a rate of four to one against the Xbox 360 and six to one against the PlayStation 3. The nine-month old Wii was on course in the UK to pass the sales of its predecessor, the Nintendo GameCube, which racked up just over one million sales during its five-year lifetime.[55]

According to the Financial Times, the Wii is currently (September 2007) the market leader in worldwide console sales.[56]

On September 3 the BBC reported that 1 million Wii consoles had been sold in the UK. The Wii had became the fastest selling console in the UK ever, reaching sales of 1 million consoles in 38 weeks.[57] Both the Nintendo DS and Wii are proving the most popular consoles by far in the UK. Nintendo products regularly occupy most of the all-format charts in the UK.

On the 7 December 2007, Nintendo UK pulled its Wii ads because it is "battling to meet demand". They continued saying it was a "responsible" move to stop advertising a product which was difficult to find due to the level of demand.[58] According to online analyis Hitwise, the Wii was the most popular search item online in the United Kingdom and had 13 times as many hits as the iPod. The Nintendo DS was second in the list behind the Wii for Internet product searches.[59][60]

On December 14 2007, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced that they would be working with GameStop stores to issue rain checks to consumers, allowing them to pick up a Wii system in January 2008. The certificates would only be available on December 20th and 21st, and consumers must pay the entire $250, plus tax, up front.[61][62]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nintendo Co., Ltd. Corporate Management Policy Briefing. Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
  2. ^ a b Bozon, Mark. "Nintendo Sets the Record Straight", IGN, 2006-09-26. 
  3. ^ Nintendo to Sell Wii Console in November. Gadget Guru. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
  4. ^ Nintendo Wii Release Dates. Video-Game-Consoles. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
  5. ^ Wii arriva in anticipo solo in Italia, con una "sorpresa" (Italian). GameStar. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
  6. ^ One Million Launch Wiis for North America. IGN (2006-09-25). Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  7. ^ a b Wii in Korea - 2008. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  8. ^ Nintendo (September 14, 2006) Nintendo's Incomparable Wii Console Launches Nov. 19; MSRP $250.00, nintendo.com
  9. ^ CNW Group (September 17, 2006) Nintendo's Incomparable Wii Console Launches Nov. 19; MSRP $279.95, newswire.ca
  10. ^ Wii pre-orders in Colombia. Viva Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  11. ^ ZMART Wii
  12. ^ NintendoLife.com December 2, 2006[1], nintendolife.com
  13. ^ Sanders, Kathleen (September 13, 2006) Japanese Wii Price, Release Date Revealed, ign.com
  14. ^ Nintendo (September 15, 2006) Wii Australian details, NintendoWorldReport.com
  15. ^ Nintendo Australia (September 18, 2006). Nintendo Wii release information announced!. Gameplanet Store NZ. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  16. ^ Nintendo (4 November, 2006) [2], wii.com
  17. ^ Weltbild.ch. Weltbild - Wii Konsole inkl. Wii - Sports. Weltbild.ch. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
  18. ^ a b NintendoWorldReport.com(September 15, 2006) Europe Gets Wii Last, NintendoWorldReport.com
  19. ^ Nintendo Wii - a nevető harmadik?. Index.hu (November 20, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
  20. ^ Hardware.no - Prisguide [3], hardware.no
  21. ^ Hardware.no - Prisguide [4], hardware.no
  22. ^ BT (December 8, 2006). BT.is - Leikir. BT. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
  23. ^ Nintendo Finland (October 26, 2006). Nintendo Suomi - Wii:n suositushinnaksi 269,90 euroa!. Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  24. ^ Nintendo.com (November 4, 2006) Wii, wii.com
  25. ^ Wii in Egypt.At Virgin
  26. ^ Wii’s SA launch - all the details.
  27. ^ Wii in China.
  28. ^ Rodriguez, Steven (November 14 2006). The Twenty Wii Launch Games revealed (English). Nintendo World Report.
  29. ^ Morris, Chris. "Nintendo president vows cheap games", CNNMoney. 
  30. ^ Euro Wii Launch Games Finalised. IGN (November 1 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  31. ^ nintendo.co.nz - News From Nintendo (November 2 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-02.
    nintendo.com.au - News From Nintendo (November 2 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-02.
  32. ^ a b c d THQ confirms four launch titles for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. THQ (October 16 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-16.
  33. ^ a b c d e f Japanese Launch Guide. IGN (December 1 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  34. ^ Elebits Update. IGN (November 8 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-08.
  35. ^ Ennichi no Tatsujin Update. IGN (October 20 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
  36. ^ Happy Feet drops to Wii, PS2, DS, GCN, GBA. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
  37. ^ Happy Feet: Wii. GamePro. IDG. Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
  38. ^ Nintendo's America Summer Line-up. IGN. Retrieved on May 22 2007.
  39. ^ Hilary Goldstein (2006-11-27). Wii Sells Through 600k. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
  40. ^ Japanese Wii Sales Figures. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2007-25-06.
  41. ^ Early Wii figures from Japan. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
  42. ^ a b Japanese Wii enjoys painless birth; stores across Japan sell out. JoyStiq. Retrieved on 2007-25-06.
  43. ^ Wii sells 105,000 in record-breaking launch. MCV-UK. Retrieved on 2006-12-11.
  44. ^ European consumers snap up 325,000 Wii consoles in two days. GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  45. ^ UK Wiis "Like Gold Dust" (March 6, 2007) IGN. Retrieved on March 19 2007.
  46. ^ Nintendo Wii breaks records in Australia. GamesIndustry.Biz. Retrieved on 2006-12-14.
  47. ^ Nintendo Wii, The Fastest Selling Console in Singapore Yet? , GameAxis, May 4, 2007.
  48. ^ Cassamasina, Matt (2006-12-22). Wii year in review. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
  49. ^ Orry, James (2007-01-12). Wii outsells PS3 by almost 2:1 in the US. Pro-G. Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
  50. ^ Devlin, Paul (2007-02-06). Wii outsells PS3 by four to one in Japan. Pro-G. Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
  51. ^ Nick Wingfield and Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wii and DS Turn Also-Ran Nintendo Into Winner in Videogames Business, Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2007
  52. ^ Nintendo Profits Up 77 Pct. on Wii Sales, Associated Press, April 26, 2007.
  53. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a1ksh.fxbQ.I
  54. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6265368.stm
  55. ^ http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=81427
  56. ^ Nintendo’s Wii takes console lead (September 12 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
  57. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6975788.stm
  58. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7132935.stm
  59. ^ http://www.t3.co.uk/news/247/games/gamecube/nintendo_wii_wars
  60. ^ http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8218&Itemid=53
  61. ^ http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3165029
  62. ^ http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/nintendo-announ.html
v • d • e
Wii
HardwareWii Remote · Wii Balance Board · Wii Points · Wii launch · Wii System Software
Wii gamesWi-Fi Connection games · WiiConnect24 games · WiiWare games
Virtual ConsoleNorth America · Europe · Australia · Japan
Online serviceNintendo Wi-Fi Connection · WiiConnect24
Wii MenuMii Channel  · Wii Shop Channel  · Everybody Votes Channel  · Internet Channel  · Check Mii Out Channel
Wii SeriesSports · Play · Fit · Music · Chess
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