![Wii U][3]Aside from what the thing looks like (and a _teeny bit_ of what it plays like), [Nintendo][4]'s [Wii U][5] is shrouded in mystery. We know that the console will [embrace social features][6], will have HD graphics and will cost a helluva lot of money--wait, _what_? There has been much speculation on the [upcoming console's pricing][7]. But Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime [alluded to Time][8] what type of crowd the company expects to draw with the Wii U, at least at launch.
"The consumer buying Wii hardware today is going to be a different consumer than the one who will be buying Wii U in the future," Fils-Aime told Time. "This is the first holiday that the Wii is available at $149.99 or below, so its an expanded demographic we're reaching. These are consumers who have heard about Wii for the past couple years, but at $199 or $249 it was economically out of their reach."
Based on [earlier comments][7] made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and now these words, it would be fair to guess that the Wii U is going to cost more than $250 in the US at launch. That figure was the launch price for the original Wii way back in 2006, and still that was cheaper than both [Microsoft][9]'s Xbox 360 and [Sony][10]'s PlayStation 3 at launch. Nintendo's bread and butter has been the casual audience, which one could argue includes those that wouldn't exactly leap at a $300 or $400 video game box.
Fils-Aime went on the reiterate that the Wii and Wii U will coexist for some ([as he told us recently][11]), but said, "you can definitely expect that pricing is going to be different and that the games are going to be different." In this case, "different" sounds like "more expensive" to us, and we can't help but wonder whether Nintendo's most lucrative audience will bite.
[Via [IndustryGamers][12]]
**Would you consider purchasing the Wii U if it were more expensive than $250 at launch? What would be your breaking point: $300, $400? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][13]**
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[1]: http://blog.games.com/category/other-games/
[2]: http://blog.games.com/category/news/
[3]: http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2011/12/wii-u-release-date-300x300.jpg
[4]: http://blog.games.com/tag/nintendo
[5]: http://blog.games.com/tag/wii+u
[6]: http://blog.games.com/2011/06/17/nintendo-facebook-games-wii-u-social/
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2011/07/07/nintendo-wii-u-release-after-april-1/
[8]: http://techland.time.com/2011/11/30/nintendos-reggie-fils-aime-talks-zelda-the-future-of-handhelds-and-wiis-big-holiday-push/2/
[9]: http://blog.games.com/tag/microsoft
[10]: http://blog.games.com/tag/sony
[11]: http://blog.games.com/2011/11/16/nintendo-reggie-fils-aime-interview/
[12]: http://www.industrygamers.com/news/nintendo-wii-u-targeting-a-different-consumer/
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