The Wii U will release in North America on November 18 and will sell in two different versions, Nintendo announced at a New York press conference earlier this morning. The Basic Set will include the 8GB console, gamepad, AC adapter for each HDMI cable and sensory bar all in white for $299.99.
The Deluxe Set will inlcude all of what is in the Basic Set, but will be in black, come with 32GB of memory, charging cradle, Deluxe Digital Promotion and NintendoLand pack-in. The Digital Deluxe Promotion will offer online shoppers rebates for downloadable Wii U titles and will cost $349.99.
The console will launch in Europe on November 30 and Japan December 8, with the price varying from region to region.
Nintendo TVii was revealed during the presentation as a way to stream TV and movies to the GamePad. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Tivo are all integrated into TVii with a “personalized programming guide” that allows you to favorite and engage with programs. The service is included with the Wii U with no additional fees.
Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Skylanders Giants and Transformers Prime for the Wii U were all among the games shown during the conference. A live demo for Call of Duty Black Ops 2 running on the new console was shown, also.
The Wii U was first unveiled at E3 2011, surprising many with its tablet-like controller. It will be Nintendo’s first HD console and is to include a more robust online experience with the Nintendo Network. At this year’s E3, Nintendo confirmed that the Wii U would support up to two GamePads, in addition to four Wii Remotes. Nintendo says the system will be backwards compatible with most Wii titles.
Nintendo remains unsure of the “first day” launch titles for Wii U, expecting some to be ready for shortly after the Wii U’s release rather than the day itself. Around fifty games will be released during the “launch window,” November 18 – March 2013, including Assassin’s Creed III, Mass Effect 3, Pikmin 3, Trine 2 and LEGO City: Undercover.
If you want to watch the event in its entirety, you can view it at the company’s official site.
Are you tempted to buy the Wii U at this price? Which launch title are you looking forward to the most?
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.