Last Thursday, Nintendo hosted a special event in New York City where they announced the launch date and price point for the Wii U.
The company elected to offer two separate versions of their console at launch: a basic edition and a deluxe edition. The basic version sells for $299 and includes a Wii U console, GamePad, 8GB of storage space and other accessories. The deluxe version sells for $349 and includes a console, GamePad, 32GB of storage, Nintendo Land, the same basic accessories and enrollment in a new deluxe program for digital downloads.
For most gamers, the deluxe edition of the machine is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, pre-ordering the deluxe package is becoming a little difficult.
As of writing this article, the deluxe version has sold out online with retailers like GameStop and Best Buy. Amazon hasn’t listed official pre-orders yet, but third parties are selling the deluxe version on the marketplace for upwards of $700. Toys ‘R Us and Target have completely sold out of both bundles. And, Wal-mart is offering overpriced versions of each edition.
I made some cold calls to local GameStops in my area and found that they’re low on pre-orders as well. I certainly had more luck with physical shops than online retailers, but things are starting to look sparse.
If you’re considering the Wii U, I suggest you pre-order it now and decide later. You can always back out of a pre-order, folks. That’s just my two cents.
The Wii U is scheduled to ship on November 18th.
