Kotaku
Launching on May 19 in the US, Wii Fit will retail for US $89.99. With the crappy dollar exchange rate, that's about the same as it costs in Japan, where it's priced at ¥8,800. There's more! The first 1,000 folks in the New York City area who pre-order Wii Fit with a $5 deposit at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza have will get a limited edition Wii Fit with a reproduced Shigeru Miyamoto signature on it. That's right, if you are lucky, you too can wear a fake Miyamoto autograph. Hooray!
Hit the jump for the press release.
April 15, 2008Nintendo News: Wii Fit to Keep Americans Moving at $89.99 MSRP
In anticipation of the U.S. launch of Wii Fit™, the new interactive fitness game for the popular Wii™ system, Nintendo of America Inc. has announced pricing details for this groundbreaking release. Available at Nintendo World store starting on May 19, Wii Fit and the innovative Wii Balance Board™ accessory will be bundled and sold together at a suggested retail price of $89.99.
Boasting a dynamic mix of more than 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, Wii Fit provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Using the included wireless Wii Balance Board accessory, every member of the household can step up and stay active, setting individual fitness goals and tracking their progress over time.
Consumers in the New York area who pre-order Wii Fit from the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza will receive a special bonus item. From April 18-20, the first 1,000 consumers who place a $5 deposit for Wii Fit will receive a limited edition Wii Fit T-shirt featuring the image and reproduced autograph of legendary Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.
Through mid-February, Wii Fit had sold more than 1.4 million copies in Japan since its Dec. 1, 2007 launch. For more information about Wii Fit, please visit www.WiiFit.com or contact:
Comments
Can't wait to see the suckers line up for this
Doesnt that take the whole meaning out of having something signed?
Daym, thats only half of what we pay in oz
Good news:
UK/Europe gets it early
Bad news:
Double the price
I love these bitter sweet moments.
...I was willing to shell out $60, mayyyybe $70 for this.
But $90 is just way too rich for something like WiiFit.
I know this is a nitpicky thing, but I'd like to see it come out in black, hopefully when the Wii also comes out in black. I have somewhat sweaty feet so after a while, that white Wii Fit pad would turn mouldy green, even wearing socks on. ;___;
Of course I could wipe it down after use, but I'm the forgetful type.
I'm excited about Wii Fit almost as much as GTAIV. I doubt it'll get as much use as I'm picturing in my head right now but I have no doubt I'll be picking one up for our home.
Maybe Wii Fit drinking games could make for some entertaining balancing acts...and totally misses the point of the balance board I guess.
@Gentleben-Nintendo Club Star Whore: Hehe. I had the same thought.
Wow, why not just join a gym. Really is it necessary that our game consoles help us do pushups? I could understand DDR, it was fun to play and I lost alot of weight doing it but at the end of the day it was just a game, no one sold it to me as a way to slim down, that was just one of the benefits from playing it. I dono, just a little excessive to me, $90 for something like this is a bit much, thats almost half of the console price. But if they can sell it more power to them.
@Lyrai:
Try converting the retail price of £69.99 to $ then you can really complaint.
I've already got mine pre-ordered ... I think they are definitely going to run out of these in the short term. That will be especially true if the reports of the amount of marketing going into WiiFit are true.
I always assumed Wii Fit would be a huge hit here, but thinking about that 90.00 price, I'm not so sure. Do you guys think it's going to be a huge sensation here even with that high entry price? I mean hype can sell anything but this is nearly a third the cost of a Wii!
Um...go for a walk...its free.
@LittleBigPlaneteer: It'll sell out the wazoo. It's an American marketers dream ... the amount of money spent on fitness equipment and weight control merchandise is insane.
Will it sell as many as Japan? Probably not. Will it sell out? Yes.
Its only £45 you cheapskates. Thats less than what you pay retail for most new games without an accessory in the UK.
We get to pay the equivalent of almost $140 for Wii fit!
@Most Wanted: walking also does more to help you lose weight than a session of WiiFit.
After paying $50 for the Wii Play/Remote combo and only playing the game for twenty minutes, I think I'll pass. I would seriously regret paying $90.00 for a minigame collection with a gimmicky controller.
Wow just in time for nice spring time weather where I get all my exercise, out side in the actual environment. They should have launched this last fall.
Wii Fit has to be the worst console accessory ever. I cringe at the idea of using the device. There are so many better ways of getting exercise and of tracking your progress than using this junk.
@Those thinking it is too expensive:
Clearly have never seen what women pay for workout stuff. I know for a fact I will get one for my wife and hell I might use it too. considering how much a good scale costs + a workout program it really looks like a good value.
Its sad most americans will buy this for the wrong reasons.
Gotta love marketing...
yeah good thing i never wanted it.
@Most Wanted:
That's kinda the reason why I"m not interested in Wii Fit right now. It's spring I can be outside going for walks riding my bike and doing yard work. I don't want to play exercising video game inside. If this came out in December I'd probably be buying it.
Sold! Can't wait :D
The whole Nintendo fanboy in me wants to buy this but I'm going to have to pass. I'll just get out my powerpad and hunt down a $5 copy of Dance Aerobics for the NES.
@LittleBigPlaneteer: true but look at Rock Band and everyone said that THAT cost too much. I know a little lady at home who is a school teacher that pre-ordered Wii Fit. This is a woman who never liked videogames but after playing the Wii with friends for 2-3 hours went and bought one on Craigslist and then immediately bought Cooking Mama. SHE PRE-ORDERED THIS! I think this is going to make Wii's scarce for another year.
One thing that most of the naysayers to the Wii Fit don't seem to get is one clear fact: THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!!! It may be a gimmick to you, but to some people having a regenerative health in a FPS is gimmicky. The Wii and Wii Fit are just like school, it isn't for everybody!
That's a very on-the-fence killer price. I want it, but do I want it that bad? I jog and bike (now that the weather is clear) and have been lifting weights since December. So really, I have no purpose for it. On the other hand, I think it could be amusing and at least help out the push-ups and yoga sector, which I hate doing. BUT, $90 is a little steep. I was thinking more like $70. You know, a $30-$40 game and a $30 attachment. Let's face it, the game is less of a game and probably didn't cost a whole lot to make. On the fence, I'd have to lean to the "not purchasing" side. Sorry Nintendo, but help a brotha out.
Is it just me or does that press release make it seem like WiiFit is only going to be available at the Nintendo World Store in NYC? Gamestop no longer has a listing for it on their website...
@DELICIOUS BUNNY: ]
Dude, I'm eating my breakfast here! My stomach is sensitive in the morning!
@Gentleben-Nintendo Club Star Whore: that was the first thing i thought too when a read the news.....
@jp182: You should do your duty and tell this school teacher that there are very marginal health benefits to be had and that she'd be better off buying a good pair of walking shoes for her $90.
Please don't ban me for this, I just can't help myself but say it. If the Wii Balance Board is sensitive enough to tell me the weight difference between my right family jewel and my left family jewel, then it is worth every penny!
@Kyle81: If I were in NYC, I'd be one of those suckers.
Old News
Already pre-ordered - oops.
$90 bucks is not that bad considering how many Guitar Heros have sold since it's conception. I see Wii Fit doing extremely well. This isn't about losing weight--the average Joe knows this. It's about losing weight while playing a video game. Just sit and think about that for awhile. Who would say no? Besides, the mini games are actually quite fun and serve as a nice break from the realistic boring exercise which this also teaches you how to do.
People play Guitar Hero because it's fun, not because they want to learn how to play guitar. And people will play Wii Fit with this same mindset whether you haters want to dismiss or not *cough*Kyle81*cough*
Not so bad. They were guessing $100 when I preordered at Gamestop a few months back.
Even at $90, I bet these will be tough to come by in stores for a few months...
wow thats a bit pricey for 1 title. Pretty soon Wii owners will need a closet just to store their peripherals. Is Wii- the new i-? Looks like nintendo got some marketing ideas from Mac.
@battra92: Nobody wants to play Dance Aerobics again. I still am ashamed to own my copy of the damn thing. @Jenstar: Who would say no? I would
Yikes. That's a LOT of money. Sure, people paid that much and more for Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but this??? I'm very confused about what this market will and will not do, so I have no idea if this will be a monster hit like it has been in Japan.
I'll say this, though: if this IS a hit, then maybe we should all rethink how successful a 'waggle' controller with a GOOD game will do on the 360 and PS3 ...
@DasKonstruct: You mean you don't already have a peripheral closet?
Pretty greedy there, Big N.
*sigh*, looks like I'm skipping WiiFit
Get over the price, people.
$90 is not that much different from $60. Add in the fact that Wii Fit is something you could feasibly use FOREVER, and yes I would say that $90 is pretty reasonable. Everyone who is saying that it's too expensive, think about how much money you spend on things that you WANT per month as opposed to what you NEED. I would be willing to bet it adds up to more than $90. But that's just me.
And who cares whether you exercise inside or outside? What the hell does it matter as long as you're actually doing it? Just another typical example of the internet crapping all over something just because they can. Nintendo creates a device/software that is intended to HELP people with exercising, and people still want to find the negative in it.
You go ahead and pigeon-hole yourselves all you want into having a narrow view, while those of us who are interested in this product branch out and experience new things. It's hilarious to me how people will buy the limited edition of MGS 4 and GTA IV and believe that's money well-spent, totally worth it. But hey a brand new exercise game? Total waste apparently.
@mva5580: I think "FOREVER" is stretching it.
@Len Bias Cocaine Surplus: I don't think "FOREVER" is stretching it at all considering it's an exercise program which is something people can very easily use their entire life. The only thing that's stopping them in that instance is getting rid of the Wii system itself, which I bet more people will be willing to keep for longer periods of time now because of a program like this.
Wow, thats really cheap! It's £70 here... like US$140 =0
$40 extra for a plastic board?! No thank you. That costs as much as the guitar in GHIII! At least that looks like a guitar instead of a white plastic box.
@mva5580: Have you even played the game? I mean, we're all basing this on price alone for the most part, and that's a lot for a game. I don't care how you dice it, $90 is not attractive. Cheaper then weights and equipment? Sure. Same results? No. If it was around $70 I'm sure most people would agree that's a good price. Like someone earlier said Wii Play came with a wiimote and was how much? And I'm sure I'd use the wiimote far more then the balance board. In all reality though, $90 is close to being 2 new games and that's what I think is my drawback. I'd rather have 2 stellar games (whatever the hell those might be) that are coming out with my pittance of money then one game that does what I can do for free with the proper motivation. Again, I'm willing to bet it's a fine game, but that price.....
Man, my lasts few posts at Kotaku have been pretty critical of the big N, and it's the only system I own ....... I am a bitter person.
Ok price, but once Christmas comes around, you know the price will drop a bit and BAM! Huge Christmas sales again for the Wii.
does anyone think this won't be the biggest selling game of the year for any platform? because you'd be very very wrong. this will absolutely HOUSE mgs4 and gtaIV
@male roof blower: Exactly! Any gamer worth their salt should already have WAY too many peripherals!
Seriously though, I'm thinking about what we have sitting on our shelves in the media room:
Rock Band drums
RB guitar
GH guitar for 360
GH guitar for PS2
Beatmania IIDX control
Taiko no Tatsujin drum control
Ace Combat 6 flight stick
A few DDR pads
Wii Zapper
...plus the four controls for the Wii and 360. Don't forget mics and Nunchucks. A classic control for the Wii...oh and a Gamecube control, a few Nintendo DS systems, a gang of PS2 controllers and the multi-tap.
More on topic though, another feature of Wii Fit that seems cool is the channel it adds to your Wii that lets you check your weight with the board even if the game isn't loaded. How much does a good scale cost for weighing yourself at home? Is the Wii Fit board very accurate?
thats a rip off. So far from what I have seen Wii Fit looks like Wii sports with a balance board.
They should sell the board for 49.99 and include Wii Fit as a free bonus.
The impending doom is nigh!
Get ready for a flood of mass market casuals, again!
Did they beef up the balance board for chubby Americans? I remember reading that it was only suitable for folk up to 200lbs when it was released in Japan.
@Jonman:
God I hope so. 200+ lb people + WiiFit + YouTube = hilarity.
@ca$h:
And stupid trolling comments after being chided over the weekend over the exact same thing = frustration
89.99 seems like a reasonable price to me. I mean, people are willing to pay that much for Guitar Hero just to pretend to play guitar. The balance board is a lot more sophisticated than that. Impressions have shown that Wii Fit does work as long as you're committed to it.
@Jonman: Being 240 pounds and having read that article, I'm pretty sure it didn't count me out. I think it was more like 350 pounds.
Hell, Reggie is more than 200 pounds.
I think I'll hold out on this one until the balance board games start rolling in. $90 is a pretty penny to pay for a skinny guy to be leaning all over his bedroom on a white plastic board. Wii protein shake? I'd be ALL over that weight gain shit.
@mva5580