Nintendo Wii U price, launch date revealed

During a Nintendo Direct presentation held today (13 September 2012), Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that the Wii U console will be released in Japan on 8 December 2012.

The console will come in two versions, Basic and Premium.

The Premium package will retail for 31,500 Yen (±R3,400 / ±US$405), and will include the Wii U console with 32GB internal storage, the GamePad touchscreen control, power adapters, and an HDMI cable. The Premium bundle will also include membership of Nintendo Network Premium, giving discounts on digital software.

The Basic package retails for 26,250 yen (±R2,830 / ±US$340) and includes the Wii U console with 8GB internal storage, GamePad touchscreen control, power adapters, and an HDMI cable.

The Wii U supports SD memory cards and external USB storage to expand on the internal. The console uses 2GB of RAM; 1GB for games, and 1GB for system memory. Wii U game discs have a 25GB capacity.

Launch title pricing also emerged. New Super Mario Bros U will go for 5,895 Yen (±R640 / ±US$75), and Nintendo Land will go for 4,395 Yen (±R475 / ±US$56).

The GamePad touchscreen control will cost 13,440 Yen (±R1,450 / ±US$175). The more traditionally shaped Wii U Pro Controller will cost 5,040 Yen (±R550 / ±US$65).

Official international pricing will follow later today when Nintendo hosts US and European conferences. We are still waiting on confirmation of South African price points.

Wii U Hardware

Launches: December 2012.
Price: Premium – 31,500 Yen; Basic – 26,250 Yen.
Size: Approximately 1.8 inches high, 10.5 inches deep and 6.8 inches long.
Weight: Approximately 3.41 pounds (1.5 kg).
Appearance: The new console features a compact design that will make it a natural addition to any home entertainment setup.
Wii U GamePad:The Wii U GamePad controller incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen, as well as traditional button controls and two analog sticks. Inputs include a +Control Pad, L/R sticks, L/R stick buttons, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons, ZL/ZR buttons, Power button, HOME button, -/SELECT button, +/START button, and TV CONTROL button.
- The GamePad also includes motion control (powered by an accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor), a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble features, a sensor bar, an included stylus and support for Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and weighs approximately 1.1 pounds (500 g).

Wii U GamePad

Other Controllers: The Wii U console is capable of supporting two Wii U GamePads, up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers or Wii U Pro Controllers, and Wii accessories such as the Nunchuk, Classic Controller and Wii Balance Board.
CPU: IBM Power-based multi-core processor.
GPU: AMD Radeon-based High Definition GPU.
RAM: 2GB
Storage: Wii U uses an internal flash memory. It also supports SD memory cards and external USB storage. The console comes with two internal storage options, 8GB and 32GB.
Media: Wii U and Wii optical discs.
Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, Wii D-Terminal, Wii Component Video, Wii RGB, Wii S-Video Stereo AV and Wii AV.
Audio Output: Uses six-channel PCM linear output via HDMI connector, or analog output via the AV Multi Out connector.
Networking: Wii U can access the Internet via wireless (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) connection. The console features four USB 2.0 connectors – two in the front and two in the rear – that support Wii LAN Adapters.
Wii Compatibility: Nearly all Wii software and accessories can be used with Wii U.

Wii U GamePad

Wii U Features

The Wii U also adds a variety of non-gaming features.

Miiverse:Miiverse is a brand-new network communication system that lets gamers from around the world share experiences, discuss games and discover new content.
- Using their personalized Mii character, players enter Miiverse and see games, applications or entertainment content that either they have interacted with recently, expressed interest in learning more about or that their friends are using or discussing. From here they can challenge their friends to play together, ask a question about a difficult level or discover new elements of their favorite games they never knew existed. After a notable achievement or other share-worthy moment, players can pause their game or application and seamlessly post messages to the Miiverse community.
TV Remote: Using infrared communication, the Wii U GamePad may also function as a TV remote, whether users are watching TV or playing a game.
Near Field Communication: The Wii U GamePad has the ability to communicate wirelessly with objects that are (NFC): held above it. This allows for a variety of interesting new possibilities for games and activities.
Nintendo eShop: The digital storefront for Wii U will be available at launch and offer a variety of content for people to download and enjoy. Consumers will also be able to purchase and download select games that are also available at retail stores.
Video Entertainment: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Hulu are all developing applications for the Wii U that take advantage of the integrated second-screen experience. Additional details will be released at a later time.
Video Chat: Using the built-in camera of the Wii U GamePad controller, people can communicate with other Wii U owners in real time.
Internet Browser: Wii U comes with a browser that lets people with a wireless Internet connection surf the Internet from the comfort of their couches.