June 16th, 2012

Why weren’t the launch date, price, and other details about the Wii U announced at E3 2012?

29 Comments

Nintendo told us they wouldn’t announce the launch date or the price of the Wii U at E3 2012. They made it quite clear we’d see the launch window titles, and that would be it. Even so, people whined when the details didn’t arrive, but Reggie has justified the decision, saying that:

We want to see what resonates. We want to understand which games and experiences really resonate with consumers, and then use that information to make decisions moving forward. This is something we’ve done every launch year. We did it with DS, we did it with Wii, we did it with 3DS.

…and:

We’ll take all of the information coming from E3 and use it to make final decisions on launch date, launch price, configuration, launch day software, launch window software, and follow up-software. Because now we have the benefit of information.

As for the “we did it with 3DS” side of things, that’s actually why the device cost as much as it did when it launched. It had such a positive reception that Nintendo decided they could charge more for it. Of course, that didn’t work out. But it’s nice to know Nintendo doesn’t (always) hold back information for the sake of it.

  • http://twitter.com/thegreattave Tave

    Nintendo Direct please?

    • Enzo

      If they announce another Nintendo Direct, I think I’ll be more excited for it than I was for e3.

    • http://twitter.com/thegreattave Tave

      Absolutely.

    • CuteFan

      true pikmin 3 looks great but that didn’t have a big bang game like Super Mario Galaxy 3 which i am sure we will hear about later.

    • Isaac G

      Super Mario Universe anyone?

  • KING Z Is Ready For The Wii U

    Thats Amazing

  • CuteFan

    i just want a release date so i can know how
    long i have to save anyone else feel the same way?

    • http://twitter.com/thegreattave Tave

      Yeah, same here. Once I can start pre-ordering it, I’m gonna put down 50 bucks on every paycheck LOL.

    • chuckycheese

      agreed i want to have a date to look forward to as well as the knowledge of the price tag (although i have some idea) just so i have a fair idea of how i should be saving

  • George Tirebiter

    One simple answer to why people complained: Those people pay attention to nothing but the main conference, and they might not even have watched it but rather read a summary. In fact, it might not have been a summary by a news site but rather that of their friend, or perhaps even more likely the friend of a friend.

    Plenty of people don’t research, but they sure can type (sometimes without concern for spelling or remembering to turn the CAPSLOCK off).

    • MadCrain

      Ignorance.

    • Ezz151

      true, but I’ve read everything they announced carefully and it still seems that the rehashed slightly modified 3rd party launch games and very rehashed content across all nintendo’s e3 reveals is cause for valid concern and complaint. they needed to wow us, shatter our doubts, even if some of the games were just promises of things next year. they started well with pikmin 3, but then the hype crashed and burned, other interesting tidbits considered.

  • Michael

    I think it’s a smart decision, and I think they’ve finally gotten it down that they will use a combination of seeing reactions and making decisions on them, but not too rashly like with the 3DS pricing.

    I think after E3, they will decide to launch the console at around $300 – $350 and will bundle in Nintendo Land. It’s essential to do that if they want people to learn the Wii U’s potential like with Wii Sports. Also, I do not think many would pay retail for that game, and the extensive online features it displays are SO much better if EVERYONE had a copy.

    Now, I just wonder how they’re going to handle new software announcements. We all KNOW that a “3D” Mario will be made, a new Zelda, a new original IP, and the Retro project. Question is, when are they going to announce it? Or release it? I don’t think we’ll see much of it until next summer. Because they have enough games right now to last them through the holiday season and even further, I think. They can’t just let ALL the horses out I once or else their own games will compete with each other for sales. You gotta spread it out. Plus, Nintendo wants to allow some wiggle room for 3rd party devs to feel comfortable and release many titles. People don’t realize that when the Wii was in its prime, graphics were not the only reason 3rd party lacked. They were scared that Nintendo’s major first party titles would over shadow them, and they did for the most part.

    Anyway, I expect new Wii U and 3DS software teases towards the end of Winter and into Spring, then finally into E3 2013.

  • Kevin Jo

    I didn’t expect any of that info at E3.

    I’m glad they use the responses of fans on the internet to make decisions.

  • 009soulmaster

    sure the 3DS costed alot but when they lowered it they rewarded people who got it full price with free games. that no one has as of yet :3 so I is a a happy costumer.

  • LINKJSC

    Add analog triggers Nintendo!!!

    • Big E

      They did…On the Wii U Gamepad anyway.

    • Big E

      Someone hasn’t been doing research.

    • George Tirebiter

      @Big E There are trigger buttons, but they’re digital not analog. This is the case for both the Gamepad and the Wii U Pro.

    • chuckycheese

      can someone please explain the difference between digital and analog sticks to me

    • Lene

      They are called triggers. Doesn’t it mean they are analog?

      triggers = analog
      bumpers = digital

      If not, why use different names? >.>”

    • Big E

      When he said “analog triggers”, I thought he/she meant having the analog sticks become clickable. The second comment was a (bad) pun on a comment above this one.

    • Tails the Foxhound

      Analog: adjective – of or pertaining to a mechanism that represents data by measurement of a continuous physical variable, as voltage or pressure.

      (Responds to pressure and is able to infer force based on such. Wears out faster, but is good for functions which requires finesse.)

      Digital: adjective – electronics responding to discrete values of input voltage and producing discrete output voltage levels, as in a logic circuit

      (Does not respond to pressure, it is simply on or off, pressed or not. Wears down slower due to less moving parts, good for instant feed back and twitch gaming.)

  • megajacobf

    so since nintendo e3’12 was dissapointing and the reaction was kinda dull can we expect a low $250 price?

    • George Tirebiter

      I’m anticipating $300 at least, despite the main conference. However, thanks to that presentation, I highly doubt it would go much beyond that and it certainly wouldn’t surpass $350.

  • Some guy

    Seems to me that what’s resonating after E3 is that they need to keep the price at 300 and reveal the exact technical specifications. Otherwise they won’t win over any of the skeptics they have to sell to.

  • james braselton

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  • Kehool

    i’d say they simply didn’t disclose that information because it wasn’t set in stone then

  • miiworld2

    I expected no news about the launch date and price at E3, so why people are complaining about that is beyond me.

    The only thing I’m complaining about is that they haven’t shown much of the WiiU features except for MiiVerse but briefly.

    But I keep my hopes up. And if Reggie emphasizes that WiiU features are something that we need to experience it to better understand it, then that sounds like WiiU is too complicated yet powerful to even put in words. (shrugs) I dunno…