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November 7th 2013 12:52 pm

Wii Mini could negatively impact Wii U

Last week Nintendo announced that the Wii Mini will soon be released in America. I don't see the point. Especially if they are already behind in sales based on their goals for the Wii U.

While their two competitors are moving forward with new hardware for this holiday season, they're going backwards -literally to the previous gen. How about some more energy and hype into all of the promise and potential that the U could offer? As it is, last I heard, EA and 2K both have no current intentions on publishing for the U. So now the game selection is slimmer than it already was.

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The only people who will buy a Wii mini are those who weren't even considering a U in the first place. It might actually work as a gateway drug. If someone buys one and likes the Wii games, they may end up wishing they had bought a real Wii or a U once they discover they are missing out on Virtual Console and internet features. I fully expect to see a tall stack of used Wii minis in my local 2nd & Charles by March as people decide to trade them in towards a Wii or Wii U. If they sell them as cheaply as $25 I might even buy one to put in the closet with my copy of Last Story so I will have a way to play it in 10 years when I get nostalgic. :)
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Good point!
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The Wii Mini has been out for several months in Canada. As far as I can tell, this has not affected sales of the Wii U in any shape or form
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Well, there's nothing wrong with selling older tech if people buy it. Apple is still selling the iPhone 4s even though the 5s is out, and though they retired the iPhone 5 they replaced it with the 5c. There are always going to be people who can't afford to buy the latest and greatest, and don't need the latest and greatest, and devices like the Wii mini are aimed at that market. The Wii mini isn't for the likes of you and I.

If the Wii mini does sell, it's really a win-win for Nintendo, since it's unlikely to cannibalize much of the Wii U's sales (most of that loss will be uneducated parents and grandparents who buy the "new Wii" for little Janey and Johnny). There are plenty of Wii games out there on the market to build a strong game library for it. The lackluster Wii U library, which as you point out is missing a lot of big publishers, is not an issue. Additionally, since the Wii mini lacks internet access, Nintendo doesn't have to worry about supporting any online features and can continue shutting them down to save money.

However, we still advise against buying a Wii mini; it's not a good piece of hardware and you can pick up a used Wii for a song nowadays.
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Yes. Okay but the U is backwards compatible is it not? If the masses are looking to find a bargain than yeah, buy the Mini... So now they made their console choice with that, how does it help build the U market?
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