Wii-lease News

Nintendo finally announced their pricing and release info for the new Wii console today. The system will run $250 and be released Nov. 19. Inside the box will be a motion-sensor controller and Wii sports, which should display the system's capabilities. I was hoping for a $150 price tag and a late October release date, but I can understand the rationale behind the price - people are so hyped up over the machine, Nintendo may as well juice customers for all the money it can, even though the price is probably too high for non-gamers - and I also think the later release date is a smart play, because it's two days after the PS3 comes out. The price tag is still slim when compared to the $300/$400 cost for the two Xbox 360 versions, and the PS3's $500/$600 split. Also, waiting as long as possible for the launch gives Nintendo more time to manufacture enough systems to meet demand and avoid the massive shortages the Xbox 360 suffered last year and Sony is projecting for the PS3 this year. Come holiday season, the Wii will be one hot property. This is Nintendo's chance to jump back into the forefront of the home console competition.