Wii U Release Date and Price Announced for Japan

By Matthew Bennett, Associate Editor
Posted on September 13, 2012 AT 03:19am

Nintendo has announced the Wii U’s official release date and price in Japan, with news on a European and U.S. release set to come later today.

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata confirmed during a Nintendo Direct webcast that the console will release December 8 in Japan and there will be two models, the Premium model is 31,500 yen ($405) and the Basic model is 26,250 yen ($338).

The Premium model comes with a built in flash memory of 32GB, a Wii U GamePad, a GamePad stylus, GamePad charging stand, GamePad playing stand, a Wii U stand, a HDMI cable, and AC adapters for the console and controller. Whereas the Basic model comes with 8GB of built in memory and all the contents found in the Premium version minus the GamePad charging stand, GamePad playing stand, and Wii U stand.

Later today an event in New York will reveal the official U.S. price and release date and a parallel Nintendo webcast will offer the European details.

What do you think of the two models and pricing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Matthew Bennett has only been covering the gaming world for a short while, but he’s eager to make his mark. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.

Share on Tumblr