Wii U Price, Games Revealed

This is it. Today is the day the world finally finds out most of the answers to its questions about the Wii U, Nintendo's upcoming eight-generation console. A total of four conferences are planned for today, in Japan, North America, and Europe. Analysts expect announcements on price, release date, online capabilities, and software. My own predictions can be viewed here.


Here's the schedule:

3:00 AM EST: Wii U Nintendo Direct for Japan
10:00 AM EST: Wii U Live from New York City (watch live)
10:00 AM EST: Wii U Nintendo Direct for Europe
10:00 AM EST: Second Wii U Nintendo Direct for Japan


I will continue to update this post throughout the day.

Please note that Japanese prices may not indicate North American and European price points.


3:36 AM EST: Nintendo President Satoru Iwata revealed that Wii U will have 2GB of total RAM: 1GB dedicated for “main memory” with another 1GB reserved for “system” memory. The “main memory” will be used for games and the “system” memory used for the Wii U's operating system (OS). This is twice the amount available to Xbox 360 and roughly three times the amount available on PlayStation 3. Recent rumors suggested the amount of RAM reserved for games at 1GB, while the OS would use something closer to 300-500MB.

3:47 AM EST: Iwata officially confirmed that Wii U proprietary disks will hold up to 25GB of data. Its data transfer rate is clocked at 22.5 megabytes per second.

Launch titles Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land

3:51 AM EST: Iwata announced New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land will both be launch titles for Wii U. That makes New Super Mario Bros. U the first Mario launch game since Super Mario 64 in 1996. New Super Mario Bros. U will retail at 6,000 yen (77 USD), while Nintendo Land will retail at 5,000 yen (64 USD). More information on software will be released at the second Nintendo Direct presentation, which airs at 10:00 AM EST.

4:10 AM EST: Iwata just announced that Wii U will go on sale in Japan on December 8. Two hardware bundles will be available: a white model with 8GB of built-in storage for 26,250 yen (337 USD), and a black “premium” model with 32GB of built-in storage for 31,500 yen (400 USD). Both bundles will include all necessary cables, including HDMI. Update: those prices include tax.

Wii U priced in Japan

4:16 AM EST: Iwata revealed “Nintendo Network Premium," available only to those who bought the Wii U "premium" model. Nintendo Network Premium will offer points for purchases and 10% back on all digital purchases. Nintendo Network Premium is currently set to run through December 2014.

4:21 AM: The Wii U will launch with one GamePad controller, but some games will be compatible with two. Also, the Wii U Pro Controller will be available. An additional GamePad will be available for 13,440 yen (172 USD), a Wii U Pro Controller for 5,000 yen (64 USD), and a GamePad charger for 1,890 yen (24 USD).


Footage from Wii U Nintendo Direct (Japan):

10:06 AM: Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime announced the Wii U will launch in North America on Sunday, November 18.

10:09 AM: As in Japan, there will be two SKUs in North America: a basic model with console and GamePad, and 8 GB of storage; and a deluxe edition with Nintendo Land packed in, and 32 GB of storage. The basic model will cost $299.99 and the deluxe edition will cost $349.99.

The two American bundles

10:24 AM: Fils-Aime announced Nintendo TVii, the third part of a trifecta that includes games, and Miiverse. Nintendo TVii incorporates cable, DVR, Netflix, Hulu, etc. into the GamePad.

Nintendo TVii

10:41 AM: Bayonetta 2 will be a Wii U exclusive.

10:44 AM: Wii U will support a new Monster Hunter game, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

10:48 AM: Activision games include Skylanders Giants, Wipeout 3, 007 Legends, and Transformers Prime: The Game. Oh, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

11:08 AM: The Wii U will launch in Europe on November 30. The two SKUs are identical to the North American versions.


Gameplay footage from Black Ops 2: