Three Wii U SKUs Start Console at $249.99 on Nov. 11

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By Tuan Mai
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Is Nintendo's next generation console finally making its debut on November 11th?

With the big September 13 Nintendo event rapidly approaching, could we finally be hearing the release date and pricing on the tantalizing Wii U?

After two E3 demos to get our mouths watering, Nintendo has kept Wii U information tightly under wraps. But now it looks like anxious fans of the console can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a recent leak stating an alleged release date and pricing information.

According to the rumor surrounding wholesale media distribution company Video Product Distributors, the system will make its North American debut on November 11th, 2012, with prices starting at $249.99 and going up to $299.99 and $349.99.

Apparently VPD, a distributor for popular retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, Overstock and Blockbuster, briefly displayed a product page which contained the release information on the three SKUs.

You needed a trade account login in order to view the information, but one YouTube user was kind enough to record some footage of the leak:

Assuming the packages are similar to the initial Wii release, the base model likely includes the Wii U system with a Wii Sports-like counterpart. The second pricing level may include either another controller or another first party title, with the most expensive package including both. Those are just our assumptions of course, but considering the high production costs of the tablet-like controllers, we'd advise taking these leaked prices with a grain of salt.

While there hasn't been any official word from Nintendo just yet, the upcoming New York City event hosted by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime will likely reveal all. Seeing as how the last time Reggie took the NYC stage resulted in a big Wii reveal, it's probably safe to say we'll be hearing all of the juicy Wii U details next Thursday (September 13).

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Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai is a Los Angeles based writer and marketing manager working within the PC Hardware industry. He has written for Tom's Guide since 2010, with a special interest in the weird and quirky.
20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dimar
    The only reason I'd buy Wii U would be if it have had super graphics card, beyond GTX 690... I know it's impossible, but still...
    Reply
  • samwelaye
    dimarThe only reason I'd buy Wii U would be if it have had super graphics card, beyond GTX 690... I know it's impossible, but still...
    yeah a $250 console is going to have a $1000 gpu inside it. get real.
    Reply
  • belardo
    "THIS VIDEO IS PRIVATE".....
    Reply
  • belardo
    The Wii U has slightly better graphics than the PS3. The Wii has somewhat better graphics over the much older Game Cube.

    So at $250 with a single wireless-tablet remote, its not a bad deal... I assume it doesn't include a HD or DVD playback (which is stupid).
    Reply
  • Jarmo
    I just don't get this. At all.

    The expensive/fragile looking controller suggests the target is on non-children, non-group play. Yet the controller also looks klunky and the machine specs weak, so the target is not on gamer gamers either. So who the heck are they targeting this at? Single, lonely, poor japanese males?

    Maybe they'll demo something amazing on it soon and change my mind, but right now I'm expecting this to be one massive flop.
    Reply
  • guardianangel42
    I'm not optimistic about the Wii U to be honest. It's spec'd to compete with the 360 and PS3 but is being released on the (theoretical) eve of the 360 and PS3's successors' release. They're fighting the tail end of a battle they already lost.

    I don't understand Nintendo at all though so who am I to talk. I don't virtually any of their games (except when I was young enough) and their business strategy doesn't make sense to me.
    Reply
  • womble
    I don't see why people are dishing out the hate so much, the rumoured specs seem reasonably good for a console, certainly a decent bump over the current consoles. If they come in around the price hinted then they have a decent chance. I expect the usual rush followed by a lull whilst people hang around for Sony/Microsoft, the targeted price might give them something to think about.

    I very much doubt that either Sony or Microsoft will be releasing 12 core Ivybridge based systems with twin 680's or 79xx series gpus for $300, I suspect people may be a little disappointed.

    Realistically the expectations will be for a reasonable 720/1080 gaming experience with DX10/11 level graphics. Decent loading times would be a bonus! Oh and for Nintendo to flourish, you need some decent game studio support!
    Reply
  • theconsolegamer
    belardoThe Wii U has slightly better graphics than the PS3. The Wii has somewhat better graphics over the much older Game Cube.So at $250 with a single wireless-tablet remote, its not a bad deal... .... so what do you think it'll happen when the PS4 and Xbox 720 hit shelves? I think this gen will repeat all over again.
    Reply
  • drwho1
    there is nothing "juicy" about Nintendo's Wii U.
    Reply
  • guardianangel42
    wombleI don't see why people are dishing out the hate so much, the rumoured specs seem reasonably good for a console, certainly a decent bump over the current consoles. If they come in around the price hinted then they have a decent chance. I expect the usual rush followed by a lull whilst people hang around for Sony/Microsoft, the targeted price might give them something to think about.I very much doubt that either Sony or Microsoft will be releasing 12 core Ivybridge based systems with twin 680's or 79xx series gpus for $300, I suspect people may be a little disappointed. Realistically the expectations will be for a reasonable 720/1080 gaming experience with DX10/11 level graphics. Decent loading times would be a bonus! Oh and for Nintendo to flourish, you need some decent game studio support!
    The reason people are worried is that the theoretical performance of the Wii U's hardware is only slightly better than the Xbox 360 and PS3, both of which are at the end of their effective lifecycles (as any PC gamer can tell you).

    It is likely that a Xbox 720 or PS4 will have a DX11 capable card if only for tesselation (they've been out for a while; going on 3 years) and will have significantly more memory and cpu muscle.

    Remember, MS and Sony strategy is to milk their systems for all that they can. So they have to aim high if they want that mythical 10 year lifecycle.

    I'm not saying that they're going to be running dual 680's and a 12 core processor; that would be falling into the typical PC gamer trap of comparing console hardware to PC hardware. I'm just saying that MS and Sony are more likely than not to aim a little higher than slightly better than last gen.

    Reply