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Reggie: Nintendo Experimenting With New Forms Of Monetization, Hints At Wii U Pricing

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Well, this is interesting.

AllThingsD said:
AllThingsD: You don’t see that innovation happening in social gaming?

Reggie: The companies that will win in the social gaming space need to show an ability to provide the new and different experiences, and a way to monetize it. In the end, these are businesses that need to make money.

AllThingsD: Is that your comment on the free-to-play model? Will you experiment with free-to-play?

Reggie: I have two comments on that.

First, we make games for Nintendo devices, and that is a competitive advantage for us. You can only play Mario on a Nintendo device, so from that standpoint, I wouldn’t expect to see our franchises on other platforms, and I would argue Facebook is a platform.

My second point, on whether we will experiment with other forms of monetization?

Certainly.

How that comes about, or which ones we do first, that’s all experimentation that’s going on right now in our various studios.
Click to expand...
Source: http://allthingsd.com/20111222/nint...iday-and-says-what-he-really-thinks-of-zynga/

Edit:

There's also this:

AllThingsD said:
AllThingsD: Does that change as we get closer to the next-generation console, the Wii U?

Reggie: The market is going to continue to differentiate based on the types of experiences that consumers want. As an example, if I’m the head of a household of a family of four, and my disposable income is $50,000 to $60,000, I’m going to continue to look at the Wii because of the software, and it’s a great entertainment device. For consumers who want to have the latest gadgets and have a higher disposable income, that’s for the Wii U.

We haven’t announced pricing or availability or any other details, but given the current pricing of the Wii, it’s not going to be there.

We’ve been very clear, the market is going to decide how long these products will coexist side by side. Our goal is to launch the Wii U and drive it into the marketplace, but it will speak to a different consumer than the one that is buying the Wii today during the holidays.
Click to expand...
 
they were actually thinking of charging people for their service? lol
 
Added this to the OP as well:

AllThingsD said:
AllThingsD: Does that change as we get closer to the next-generation console, the Wii U?

Reggie: The market is going to continue to differentiate based on the types of experiences that consumers want. As an example, if I’m the head of a household of a family of four, and my disposable income is $50,000 to $60,000, I’m going to continue to look at the Wii because of the software, and it’s a great entertainment device. For consumers who want to have the latest gadgets and have a higher disposable income, that’s for the Wii U.

We haven’t announced pricing or availability or any other details, but given the current pricing of the Wii, it’s not going to be there.

We’ve been very clear, the market is going to decide how long these products will coexist side by side. Our goal is to launch the Wii U and drive it into the marketplace, but it will speak to a different consumer than the one that is buying the Wii today during the holidays.
Click to expand...

I feel this is a fairly high household income bar to pass for a Wii U.
 
I can't imagine Nintendo doing Free to Play. They'd probably go the route Ubisoft went with their Ghost Recon Wii-U game. Make it $10 and let DLC do the rest.
 
Reggie: The market is going to continue to differentiate based on the types of experiences that consumers want. As an example, if I’m the head of a household of a family of four, and my disposable income is $50,000 to $60,000, I’m going to continue to look at the Wii because of the software, and it’s a great entertainment device. For consumers who want to have the latest gadgets and have a higher disposable income, that’s for the Wii U.
Click to expand...

...

Gaf, what are your estimates on Wii U price based on that?
 
Nirolak said:
Added this to the OP as well:



I feel this is a fairly high household income bar to pass for a Wii U.
Click to expand...

It could be implying that the wii could be an impulse purchase for that family, whereas the WiiU is more of an "investment", for people with more disposable income like the quote says :)
 
about time they cash in... they have many IPs that can be exploited

Animal Crossing
Pokemon
Pikmin
Mario
Find Mii
PilotWings
Nintendogs
Waverace
F-Zero
Smash Bros
 
Everything he ever says is always open ended guff, hard to put any stock into it and report it as inklings to possible Nintendo future plans.
 
He's probably referring to the online Pokemon Trading Card Game website http://www.pokemontcg.com/ which is in beta right now and is F2P, with future plans for paid avatar items, along with the ability to use real life cards in the online games (a form of monitisation in of itself)

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/3740...With_The_Pokemon_Trading_Card_Game_Online.php

Iwata himself has openly rejected the F2P model publically, stating that Nintendo's own games will not be using F2P/Freemium/Scam DLC models.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/110729qa/index.html
 
cooljeanius said:
I hate the word "monetization"
Click to expand...
Bad word, but a concept that still needs to be talked about. Personally, I roll my eyes when people freak out at the very idea that a game could make money for its creators in any way other than a one-time purchase of a boxed product.
 
Nuclear Muffin said:
He's probably referring to the online Pokemon Trading Card Game website http://www.pokemontcg.com/ which is in beta right now and is F2P, with future plans for paid avatar items, along with the ability to use real life cards in the online games (a form of monitisation in of itself)

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/3740...With_The_Pokemon_Trading_Card_Game_Online.php

Iwata himself has openly rejected the F2P model publically, stating that Nintendo's own games will not be using F2P/Freemium/Scam DLC models.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/110729qa/index.html
Click to expand...

Posts like these make me think that certain members of GAF know better of what's going in at NCL than NOA themselves.
 
Aeana said:
I missed the "disposable" part.

Man. I guess Nintendo really is targeting a new audience.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they edited the parts in the system, or if the controller is more expensive than I imagined.

Since the system as it sounded to me from rumors didn't seem like, especially expensive.
 
Foffy said:
my disposable income is $50,000 to $60,000

Per year? What are these, one percenters?
Click to expand...

I think he pretty much meant "typical family of four living on 50-60k per year" and worded it wrong.

I dont think what Reg said was so wrong, fine and obvious really, everybody knows the concept of "early adopters" It does show Wii U price is going to be 299 and up though. Which was also pretty obvious, but when Nintendo talked about not repeating the mistakes of 3DS with Wii U, I thought that might mean they'd push hard on price.


Since the system as it sounded to me from rumors didn't seem like, especially expensive.
Click to expand...

It will be because of the controller, that is going to screw them over so hard on pricing. It wont be able to be cheap because it has a 50-100 controller, no matter how modest the graphical prowess is.
 
You know it's more than possible he meant a family with an income of 60k PA with the average disposable income to be derived from that. Noone is perfect.
 
Realistic guess - $349. Fair given the value. And $399 would feel like too much.

Going for the kill learning from 3DS? $249

Can't see them afford it though, even if its their chance of a lifetime.
 
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