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[sixteen-bit]

You can't get GC support on the regular Wii anymore.

Unless you can still find the classic for $149.99. I believe it has been discontinued.

yeah its been discontinued for like a year

 

[dwu8991]

It's 1$ under 100$ and the value is lost when you can get a Wii + game + online + GC support for 149$.

Outside of the hardcore Nintendo gamers, most people could care less about GC support

as for online, the only online games that really worked were Mario Kart

COD and Goldeneye online audience have completely dropped off so no big deal there

 

[The Elite]

Outside of the hardcore Nintendo gamers, most people could care less about GC support

as for online, the only online games that really worked were Mario Kart

COD and Goldeneye online audience have completely dropped off so no big deal there

Online gives people access to the Wii Shop, Netflix and other applications.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Online gives people access to the Wii Shop, Netflix and other applications.

Yeah. I remember reading most people who use a game console to access Netflix do so from a Wii.

 

[Vane_MagicCity]

Outside of the hardcore Nintendo gamers, most people could care less about GC support

as for online, the only online games that really worked were Mario Kart

COD and Goldeneye online audience have completely dropped off so no big deal there

The Virtual Console is the best thing about the Wii. Netflix is nice too if you don't own a PS3 to watch Netflix.

 

[The Elite]

This being exclusive to Canada, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some good Boxing Day deals for the regular Wii in Canada.

 

[Liberty4all]

89 dollars at shoppers drug mart: http://flyers.smartcanucks.ca/canada/shoppers-drug-marton-flyer-dec-1-to-7/single/6

at that price its an impulse by for people buying for kids.

also at shoppers drug msrt if you use your points you can practically get it for free.

I should also add that 89 dollars in Canada will usually buy you alot less than in the US (despite our dollar being on par) ... Meaning that by Canadian standards that is dirt cheap.

 

[superbank]

It looks like a toolbox. No, that is not good.

edit: Actually, now that I think about it they should have taken a page out of the GCN playbook and put a handle on it. It would be an amazing design then. Haha.

 

[rapid32.5]

power brick is still there, yeah it's not mini.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

89 dollars at shoppers drug mart: http://flyers.smartcanucks.ca/canada/shoppers-drug-marton-flyer-dec-1-to-7/single/6



at that price its an impulse by for people buying for kids.

also at shoppers drug msrt if you use your points you can practically get it for free.

I should also add that 89 dollars in Canada will usually buy you alot less than in the US (despite our dollar being on par) ... Meaning that by Canadian standards that is dirt cheap.

Wow. At that price I almost want to impulse purchase one, even though it makes more sense to put the $90 towards a Wii U.

 

[zeelman]

power brick is still there, yeah it's not mini.

It wouldn't be a mini with a power supply in it.

 

[krae_man]

It wouldn't be a mini with a power supply in it.

Sony managed to put a Power Supply in the PS2 Slim.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Sony managed to put a Power Supply in the PS2 Slim.

No, the PS2 slim had a power brick. I know, I'm holding it right now.

 

[MarkusRJR]

No, the PS2 slim had a power brick. I know, I'm holding it right now.

There's 2 versions of the slim. There's one with a power brick and then a late revised model with no brick.

 

[booyakasha]

No, the PS2 slim had a power brick. I know, I'm holding it right now.

the later revisions of the slim had the power brick built in like the ps3

 

[Dreamwriter]

So, anybody in Canada-GAF buy one of these yet?

 

[schlew]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

So, anybody in Canada-GAF buy one of these yet?

Thread title says available Dec. 7th.

 

[H_Prestige]

It wouldn't be a mini with a power supply in it.

Nintendo just sucks at designing hardware. Internal power supply makes things more compact.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

No USB either I'm guessing. Homebrewproof. :/

 

[TheCongressman1]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

So, yeah. This is completely worthless then.

 

[metalslimer]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

So not worth it.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Nintendo just sucks at designing hardware. Internal power supply makes things more compact.

The PS2 Slim is arguably the finest console revision in gaming history and it originally had a power brick also.

That aside you would think that Nintendo would understand the possible market for existing console owners upgrading to a new model later on considering how many revisions of their handhelds they relase but yet they continue to revise the Wii in ways that makes existing owners want one less and less.

 

[The Bookerman]

I'd buy it as a collector item... nothing more.

 

[Azure Dream]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

Ridiculously short-sighted. Not even an upgrade path to the Wii U? And I wonder if this will introduce glitches into games that can access the SD Card slot, like Brawl.

How on earth did this make it to production?

 

[dallow_bg]

Ridiculously short-sighted. Not even an upgrade path to the Wii U? And I wonder if this will introduce glitches into games that can access the SD Card slot, like Brawl.

How on earth did this make it to production?

Might just say SD card not inserted and confuse customers.

 

[H_Prestige]

The PS2 Slim is arguably the finest console revision in gaming history and it originally had a power brick also.

That aside you would think that Nintendo would understand the possible market for existing console owners upgrading to a new model later on considering how many revisions of their handhelds they relase but yet they continue to revise the Wii in ways that makes existing owners want one less and less.

Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with this. There was a real opportunity here to slim things down like the ps2 slim. You'd think after more than ten years they would have figured out how to shrink the gamecube hardware.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with this. There was a real opportunity here to slim things down like the ps2 slim. You'd think after more than ten years they would have figured out how to shrink the gamecube hardware.

They did, they just put it in the WiiU instead.

Spoiler

I kid but really Nintendo? Really?

 

[Rubius]

Just preordered from Amazon.ca
I mean its pretty much a collector item with a Free Wiimote and Nunchuk. And its not everyday you can find a Red Nunchuck and Wiimote!

 

[Rubius]

The PS2 Slim is arguably the finest console revision in gaming history and it originally had a power brick also.

That aside you would think that Nintendo would understand the possible market for existing console owners upgrading to a new model later on considering how many revisions of their handhelds they relase but yet they continue to revise the Wii in ways that makes existing owners want one less and less.

Gameboy Advance SP is better I think.Max portability, confort and backlight.

 

[Maximus.]

The PS2 Slim is arguably the finest console revision in gaming history and it originally had a power brick also.

That aside you would think that Nintendo would understand the possible market for existing console owners upgrading to a new model later on considering how many revisions of their handhelds they relase but yet they continue to revise the Wii in ways that makes existing owners want one less and less.

Game Boy Pocket? Game Boy Color? Game Boy Advance SP? Nintendo DS Lite? Nintendo DSi + XL? I think Nintendo knows what they are doing...Yes no internet sucks, but if you want that feature, they are forcing you to get the current Wii or Wii U.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Gameboy Advance SP is better I think.Max portability, confort and backlight.

The SP should definitely be in the argument along with the DS Lite. Nintendo knows how to do this, just not with the Wii apparently.

Game Boy Pocket? Game Boy Color? Game Boy Advance SP? Nintendo DS Lite? Nintendo DSi + XL? I think Nintendo knows what they are doing...Yes no internet sucks, but if you want that feature, they are forcing you to get the current Wii or Wii U.

They're not forcing me to do anything but not buy their Wii revisions due to them being inferior to my launch model. They are in the business of selling consoles last time I checked. I would have liked to have one of these to sit next to my WiiU for GC games and Wii/GC games that support DPLII but now I'll just hold off.

 

[Dreamwriter]

Thread title says available Dec. 7th.

Thread title seems wrong, Walmart claims to have been selling it already.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/30/wii-mini-goes-on-sale-at-walmart-today/

 

[kittens]

The original Wii with GC support is easy to find used. Just buy it from a place with a decent return policy, and you'll be fine.

 

[DrForester]

You can't get GC support on the regular Wii anymore.

Unless you can still find the classic for $149.99. I believe it has been discontinued.

Yeah, in the US the last GC compatible Wii was the Mario Kart bundle I believe. The NSMB one was their first to take it out.

 

[Hours Left]

How come when Canada finally gets an exclusive launch of something, it turns out to be something so lame. :/

 

[Mariolee]

Think of this as like a Playskool Wii. And this isn't a slam against the Wii Mini at all.

The Wii Mini was made for people who don't have a Wii, never had any intention to, probably don't know much about Nintendo aside from the Wii, and wanna get something for their 6 year old who doesn't care about memory transfer/size or GC support. This isn't for the mass market, Nintendo hasn't shot themselves in the foot. Gaffers are simply confused as to who this is for.

 

[Dreamwriter]

Think of this as like a Playskool Wii. And this isn't a slam against the Wii Mini at all.

The Wii Mini was made for people who don't have a Wii, never had any intention to, probably don't know much about Nintendo aside from the Wii, and wanna get something for their 6 year old who doesn't care about memory transfer/size or GC support. This isn't for the mass market, Nintendo hasn't shot themselves in the foot. Gaffers are simply confused as to who this is for.

I think you're mistaken - people who don't know much about Nintendo who buy a console without researching it, won't choose the one that doesn't come with a game. Coming with the game means they don't have to figure out what game to buy from the hundreds available.

 

[Vamphuntr]

I wonder if people would buy this on ebay. Not sure if I should try to buy one and sell it for a profit to people in other regions.

 

[Saint Gregory]

I think you're mistaken - people who don't know much about Nintendo who buy a console without researching it, won't choose the one that doesn't come with a game. Coming with the game means they don't have to figure out what game to buy from the hundreds available.

Well there's that and reasoning that it could have been both. It's pretty rare to do a size revision on your console and strip out features like this. Sony pulled PS2 back compat long before the PS3 Slim so Nintendo pulling GC BC at this point shouldn't be surprising but stripping out virtually everything other than Wii game play seems unnecessary as they should be saving a ton in manufacturing from the hardware shrink.

I'd really like to hear the cost breakdown in which this system with all the stripped features returned still isn't profitable for Nintendo.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I actually really like the look of it (matte>shiny) but considering the regular Wii isn't A) all that expensive or B) all that big, a redesign can't be as gimped as this one is if it's going to be viable. Not including wifi is beyond stupid.

 

[Bgamer90]

I spoke with Nintendo of Canada and they confirmed that the Wii Mini will ship without support for SD cards. Those saves are staying where they are.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32673

Haha, this is ridicuslous.

So basically, this is Nintendo trying to make major profit off of parents that don't know any better.




(Comment

"You guys are really missing the point. Nintendo designed this to increase their profit margin for legacy Wii sales, not just now but for years to come. The people who will consider buying a Wii at this point don't care about the features being removed. Omitting components gives Nintendo flexibility to eventually lower the price even further to continue squeezing out sales from a very old platform. This tradition goes back to the mid-90s with the redesigns of NES, SNES, and even Genesis.


The fact that Wii Mini looks so much different is actually a nice bonus for hardcore collectors."

SMH.

 

[Rubius]

Haha, this is ridicuslous.

So basically, this is Nintendo trying to make major profit off of parents that don't know any better.

Its not THAT bad. The internet on the Wii was pretty limited, the Gamecube was already gone and the save is kinda annoying but casuals dont mind. Its a cheap Wii for people who want to play Wii Sports and Super Mario Bros from times to times.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I actually really like the look of it (matte>shiny) but considering the regular Wii isn't A) all that expensive or B) all that big, a redesign can't be as gimped as this one is if it's going to be viable. Not including wifi is beyond stupid.

This is probably aimed at chopping the price down as much as humanly possible (it won't stay at $99) and selling it in emerging markets where broadband internet's not such a big deal. I'd bet they're looking at this with an eye to selling it for the next 5-10 years.

Even in North America, this could have grandmas filing Nintendo's warchest by buying copies of Super Mario Galaxy for their young grandchildren for years if they can get it down to $75 then eventually $49.

 

[Azure Dream]

This isn't for the mass market, Nintendo hasn't shot themselves in the foot. Gaffers are simply confused as to who this is for.

But there's no reason to go this extreme. You don't have to limit your market for this device just to appeal to that younger audience. Maybe trimming the SD Card reader reduced costs or increased profits a fractional amount (as well as blocked piracy and homebrew, for now), but it creates the possibility for incompatibilities and unforeseen glitches on a mature platform, with no way to correct them aftermarket. And it completely removes the option for a Wii Mini to Wii U transfer. It may not matter to a lot of consumers ultimately, but it's an additional reason for a potential buyer to be told not to purchase this, and it creates an added frustration for the limited audience that will want to use the Wii U's backwards compatibility later down the line, when they decide to pick one up, just to be told they have the "wrong version" of the Wii to do it.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Its not THAT bad. The internet on the Wii was pretty limited, the Gamecube was already gone and the save is kinda annoying but casuals dont mind. Its a cheap Wii for people who want to play Wii Sports and Super Mario Bros from times to times.

MK Wii online is still hugely popular and why would you want to cut off people from the eShop?

This seems to be more for cutting out any possibility of homebrew and thus pirating software like someone said earlier.

 

[Aquamarine]

But there's no reason to go this extreme. You don't have to limit your market for this device just to appeal to that younger audience. Maybe trimming the SD Card reader reduced costs or increased profits a fractional amount (as well as blocked piracy and homebrew, for now), but it creates the possibility for incompatibilities and unforeseen glitches on a mature platform, with no way to correct them aftermarket. And it completely removes the option for a Wii Mini to Wii U transfer. It may not matter to a lot of consumers ultimately, but it's an additional reason for a potential buyer to be told not to purchase this, and it creates an added frustration for the limited audience that will want to use the Wii U's backwards compatibility later down the line, when they decide to pick one up, just to be told they have the "wrong version" of the Wii to do it.

It's extreme BECAUSE it's precisely intended for the ultra-casual. It's called reductive design, and we've seen it in everything from Mario Tennis 3DS (removal of story mode), to the Wii Mini.

 

[Dreamwriter]

It's extreme BECAUSE it's precisely intended for the ultra-casual. It's called reductive design, and we've seen it in everything from Mario Tennis 3DS (removal of story mode), to the Wii Mini.

It's definitely not intended for the ultra-casual, not without a packin game.

And it completely removes the option for a Wii Mini to Wii U transfer. It may not matter to a lot of consumers ultimately, but it's an additional reason for a potential buyer to be told not to purchase this, and it creates an added frustration for the limited audience that will want to use the Wii U's backwards compatibility later down the line, when they decide to pick one up, just to be told they have the "wrong version" of the Wii to do it.

The only point for a Wii Mini to Wii U transfer would be game saves, and that's a VERY small audience who'd care much about that.

 

[Rubius]

MK Wii online is still hugely popular and why would you want to cut off people from the eShop?

This seems to be more for cutting out any possibility of homebrew and thus pirating software like someone said earlier.

Like I said, its not that bad. Its bad. But its not that bad. they get the basic stuff. I dont understand the removal of a network card to save cost, but still.

 

[firehawk12]

Wow, no SD card support? It really is the most locked down thing ever. lol