The lights are on
The rumored Wii Mini is real. It's coming exclusively to Canada, has no Internet capabilities, and can't play GameCube games.
We reported on a rumor yesterday that a new miniature model off the Wii is on the way, and Nintendo has officially confirmed its existence. There are currently no plans to bring it anywhere outside of Canada. The system is smaller than the Wii, is black with a red border, and will set Canadians back $99.99. It will be available on December 7.
It seems odd to release a redesigned Wii so shortly after the release of the Wii U doesn't it? It seems like it may have the potential to confuse consumers. It is a new Wii after all, even if it isn't the new Wii.
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The Wii was pretty Mini to begin with compared to The XBox 360 and PS3 anyways! So weird.
WOOOOOOO!!!! CANADA!!! EH!!!!
I would be surprised if this gets released anywhere else because I cant' determine what kind of market they are going after with this. Considering they not even bundling a game with it doesn't make it any more appealing than a standard Wii-bundle.
Add to it that Wii games are still WAY over priced even though the Wii-U launched. Add to it further I can still walk into Wal-Mart in my city and buy a Wii-U, like wtf?
Then factor in cost of of adding another Nunchuck/remote and 1 game, the price then becomes closer to a Wii-U Basic. So not really sure who the target families are they expect to reach. If people really wanted a Wii in Canada for xmas and didn't want to blow the $150 on a bundle they could go to a pawn shop and get it cheaper than the mini's price point.
On the other spectrum, thank you Nintendo for releasing a one of a kind console to Canada! About freaking time, although a lot of people are exactly enthused the fact that's it limited edition means it'll be really freaking scarce, and possibly have the potential to be worth a lot of value to Nintendo enthusiasts across the world. For that, I likely to pick one up and leave it sealed, I may even pick 2 up. I'd pre-order it now if I could, however retailers have been warned not to allow it, so that just shows me how little are going to be distributed AND may not even be available for purchase online... Should be interesting.
I'm curious as to why Nintendo's doing this. While it could be a test to see how well it would do, I would think their focus would be on the Wii U and not technology that is becoming outdated, especially with the dawn of their competitors' new consoles approaching.
Add to it that Wii games are still WAY over priced even though the Wii-U launched. Add to it further I can still www.gameinformer.comity and buy a Wii-U, like wtf?
What's the point then?