Apparently comsumers aren’t the only ones who think the Wii’s controller pricing scheme is outrageous. A blogger named Kim Pallister was talking with some developers at the Tokyo Game Show and noted a particular comment:“Nintendo’s mistake is the high price of the second controller, which is expected to cost around $65 (controller + nunchuk + tax). That’s around 25% the price of the console itself, and more than the cost of buying another game. As a result, a lot of parents buying the console for their kids at Xmas will buy the console with one controller and one or two games. Kids will have fun with it, as they would with any other console.”
This reasoning is not excluded to parents buying for their kids. I will happily pay $250 for the Wii console. I will not buy a second/third/fourth controller complete with nunchakus for $60. Isn’t, though, the Wii about playing Wii Sports against your family, creating a Mii character, showing off with your superior gaming skills (or lack thereof) with your friends, and sharing fun experiences playing Wario Ware with Wii-motes flying around your living room? How is that supposed to happen when very few people are willing to pay for extra controllers?
Also, Nintendo has no right to criticize the high priced offerings of Microsoft and Sony. The 360 is largely a console you play by yourself and online. Sony has never put multiplayer gaming high on their priority list. Nintendo always pictures the Wii being played with friends and family in the same room. That involves another controller or three. And when you add another $60-$180 to the $250 price tag, the 360 and PS3 don’t look quite as expensive.
