Several major retailers have told Tech Radar that the demand for the Wii Mini has been virtually non-existent in the United Kingdom. One of GAME’s flagship stores told the publication that it wasn’t even stocking the console due to underwhelming interest, despite having pre-orders up on the site beforehand. HMV also told the publication that it is not stocking the Wii Mini at this moment in time, however it may sell it in the future if demand picks up.
VoucherCodesPro have conducted a survey which consisted of 1,003 British consumers to see what they thought of the Wii Mini which is coming to Europe on March 22nd. Interestingly, 76 percent of those who were surveyed thought that the Wii Mini wasn’t a very exciting prospect. The poll asked, “Are you excited about the Wii Mini announcement?” 76 percent said no, while the remaining 24 percent said yes. Those who said no were asked to give a reason, here’s the results:
1. Don’t see the point – 74%
2. No advance in graphics – 56%
3. Just rehashing an old console, not a technological advancement 49%
4. Small size not a big enough selling point- 47%
5. Already own an original Wii – 42%
Those who were surveyed were then asked “Would you be likely to purchase a Wii Mini once it’s released?” participants replied:
“It seems that despite the release of the Wii U and with the recent announcement of the PS4 and the anticipated Xbox 720, Nintendo still felt the need to get in there with another release. Unfortunately for them, gamers just aren’t bothered; according to our poll at least.”
“It’s an exciting time for gamers who’ve been waiting several years for the next big console release. But the Wii Mini doesn’t carry the same gravitas. With no anticipation of improved graphics and no real advance on the original console, is it the case of flogging a dead horse?”
- VoucherCodesPro’s George Charles
Nintendo of Canada’s Communications Manager, Matt Ryan, has revealed that Nintendo sold 35,700 Wii Mini consoles in Canada since launch. Ryan said that the Canadian market has reacted positively to the system which lacks a lot of the functionality that the original Wii console contained. Nintendo Europe announced yesterday that the system will go on sale throughout Europe on March 22nd. UK retail outlets have begun taking pre-orders for the system which costs £80.
“Canadian market has reacted positively to the great value the system has to offer, and we are seeing this reflected in the sales numbers.”
UK retailers have already begun pricing the Wii Mini which was announced for Europe yesterday. Both Amazon and GAME have the system listed for £79.99. The pricing for the console is significantly higher than the $99 Canadian price, which would put the machine at around £65. As usual Nintendo has left the pricing up to retailers. The Wii Mini lacks Gamecube compatibility and does not support S-Video or Component video cables. The console also lacks an SD card slot, and doesn’t have Wi-Fi support.
To coincide with the launch of Wii Mini, Nintendo is also adding to the existing range of Nintendo Selects titles, offering great value for everyone to enjoy classic Wii games. While Nintendo Selects games such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy and Animal Crossing: Let’s Go to the City are already available, other classic Wii titles being added to the Nintendo Selects roster in time for the launch of Wii Mini on March 22nd include:
After nearly 100 million Wii consoles sold worldwide, the new look Wii Mini launches across UK on 22nd March. The latest addition to this family of home consoles offers great gameplay at great value, putting the focus squarely on games with over 1200 disc-based Wii titles to choose from.
Wii Mini is smaller than the original Wii, and comes in matte black with a red border. Included with the console are a red Wii Remote Plus and a red Nunchuk controller, with Wii Mini also being compatible with most existing Wii accessories.
NeoGaf member Qurupeke has spotted a listing for the Wii Mini console on the official Nintendo UK website. Nintendo previously said that they aren’t planning to release the console outside of Canada, but that looks set to change. The Wii Mini launched in Canada on December 7th, 2012. The console doesn’t feature Gamecube support and does not support S-Video or Component video cables. The console also lacks an SD card slot, and doesn’t have Wi-Fi support.
Update: Apparently it’s also been spotted on various European official Nintendo sites.
Famed Wedbush Morgan industry analyst Michael Pachter believes that Nintendo are a few years late in everything they decide to do. Speaking during his Pach Attack show Pachter said that the Wii U was released three years too late, and is simply an HD version of the original Wii console. He then went on to say that the eShop is seven or eight years too late, and online multiplayer for Nintendo is seven or eight years too late. Here’s what he had to say.
“I just think Nintendo’s a few years late. So, the Wii U is the Wii HD, it’s coming three years too late. The Wii Mini was a great idea back in 2008/2009, they probably should have brought it out then – they’re way too late.”
“Poor Nintendo, I think they try way too hard to get things right and it takes a long time. “The eShop is seven or eight years too late, online multiplayer for Nintendo is seven or eight years too late.”
“Nintendo has got great ideas, it’s just that they’re great ideas from the last decade. The Wii Mini is one of them.”
Technology enthusiasts Digital Foundry have managed to get their hands on the Wii Mini which is exclusive to Canada. The publication says that not only does it lack any form of internet connection, it also lacks 480p component cable support. Digital Foundry wraps up their review by saying that the Wii Mini disappoints on almost every level. Here’s some choice excerpts.
We held out hope that we could get access to the internet using Nintendo’s own USB-based Ethernet adaptor (a single USB port remains on the new hardware) but astonishingly this does not work at all, meaning that the platform holder hasn’t just removed the WiFi hardware, but has also deliberately nerfed any kind of internet access. To confirm that, we also found that all the internet configuration options on the front-end have been completely removed.
Remarkably, the unwarranted cutbacks don’t end there. Going back to the GameCube era, Nintendo hardware has supported analogue component output with a 480p progressive scan option. For reasons best known to itself, the platform holder hasn’t just removed the 480p functionality but has totally removed any kind of support for the component cable itself. Standard RCA AV inputs are – thankfully – fast becoming a relic of the last decade, if not the last century, but in the here and now, that murky composite picture is the best you’re going to get from the Wii Mini.
Unfortunately, the sad reality is that the Wii Mini disappoints on almost every level. It’s not a good-looking piece of kit at all, functionality has been stripped down to the absolute bare-bones, and perhaps worst of all for a product actively being marketed on its dinky form-factor is the fact that it’s not actually that much smaller than the original model. What we have left is a console designed for young children, marketed at a price low enough to qualify it as a toy.
Nintendo of Canada’s spokesperson Matt Ryan has discussed why the company is releasing the Wii Mini which lacks, Wi-Fi, SD Card functionality, and Gamecube support. The Wii Mini, which is currently exclusive to Canada, is a smaller, budget version of the Wii console. Here’s what Ryan had to say.
“They are two very different products for a different type of player. It really depends on the experience that players want and their preferred investment in their gaming console. If a player just wants to play Wii games, Wii Mini is a great choice at a great price. If the player wants more from their system, Wii U is the latest innovation of fun from Nintendo.”
