Wii Fit to Sell for $89.99

[blackdelsol94]

Wii Fit to Sell for $89.99
For about 90 bucks you'll get the Balance Board peripheral (which will no doubt be used with future Wii titles) plus the Wii Fit software. Prepare to yoga!
Posted by James Brightman on Tuesday, April 15, 2008


Having sold over 1.4 million units in Japan since its launch on December 1, 2007, Wii Fit is a hot item. During the Game Developers Conference in February Nintendo of America confirmed a release date of May 19, but the company never announced pricing details. Today Nintendo of America said it would sell Wii Fit (Balance Board included) for $89.99.

The game features over 40 yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance activities, and "provides consumers with a fun, easy and affordable way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines." Don't be fooled into thinking Wii Fit will actually make you fit, however. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto said the goal of the product is simply to make you "aware of your body."

Along with pricing, Nintendo also announced a special deal for New York customers who pre-purchase the game from the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza. 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 Mr. Miyamoto.

[blackdelsol94]

Pachter: Wii Fit to Spark New 'Boom in Demand' for Wii
As if it's not hard enough for people to find the Wii already, analyst Michael Pachter believes that Wii Fit will lead to a further increase in demand for Nintendo's console.
Posted by James Brightman on Tuesday, April 15, 2008


In a preview note regarding Nintendo's upcoming fourth quarter fiscal results (to be reported on Thurs.), Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter said that after attending a recent Nintendo U.S. Media Summit in San Francisco, he "came away with a more positive view on the company." Games such as Mario Kart Wii, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and Wii Fit each have "the potential for significant revenue contribution," Pachter added.

Wii Fit in particular is likely going to be a huge factor for Nintendo when it ships in the U.S. on May 19. "Of particular note, we believe Wii Fit... can cause a new boom in demand for the Wii," Pachter said. "This device is not aimed at hardcore gamers, but is instead intended for more casual (and out-of-shape) consumers. We believe that Nintendo of America intends to support the Wii Fit launch with the biggest marketing campaign in its history, and believe that the increased buzz will drive increased demand for the already difficult to find Wii hardware."

As for Nintendo's Q4 and complete fiscal year, Pachter commented, "Nintendo's recent financial performance has been spectacular and we continue to believe its FY:08 operating profit guidance is conservative. Nintendo's Wii (with over 20 million units sold) and DS (with almost 65 million units sold), sold extremely well during the holidays, and we believe the momentum will last in FY:09. We expect the company to report in line with our estimates for revenue of ¥359 billion and EPS of ¥265 due to strong hardware sales, compared to consensus for revenue of ¥357 billion and EPS of ¥200 and company guidance for revenue of ¥314 billion and EPS of ¥126. Recent exchange rate assumptions were overly pessimistic, leading us to conclude that the company may provide some upside to estimates. While we think that Nintendo may take an impairment charge for investments in the U.S., we do not expect exchange rates to significantly impact net income."

Overall, Wedbush is maintaining a "Buy" rating on Nintendo stock. Pachter raised his FY:09 estimate for revenue to ¥1,700 billion from ¥1,450 billion. His earnings per share (EPS) estimate remains ¥2,816. "Our revenue estimate accounts for higher sales of software, and our EPS estimate reflects a lower exchange rate in FY:09," he explained.

[Danman1116]

price isn't gonna deter me...probably gonna be fun

[blackdelsol94]

Originally Posted by Danman1116

price isn't gonna deter me...probably gonna be fun

I was skeptical at first, but after watching some of the videos I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

[blackdelsol94]

Analyst: Wii Fit to Exacerbate Supply Constraints, Nintendo to Boost Wii Production
Lazard's Colin Sebastian has told GameDaily BIZ that Wii Fit will see shortages and further constrain Wii hardware supply, but Nintendo is likely to boost production again.
Posted by James Brightman on Wednesday, April 16, 2008


In his NPD preview note, in which he predicts video game software sales growth of 35 percent for March, Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian commented that "retail channel checks continue to indicate tight supplies of the Wii; however, we believe Nintendo is likely increasing production above the last confirmed monthly rate (1.8M units)."

GameDaily BIZ followed up with Sebastian, who said he thinks that Nintendo will boost its Wii hardware production to over 2.0 million units per month in the near future as it ramps up for the launch of Wii Fit. He also stated that Wii Fit itself is likely to see shortages. "I suspect there could be supply issues for Wii Fit, with demand potentially outstripping supply," Sebastian told us. "It could also exacerbate the supply constraints of the Wii console itself."

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter recently made similar comments, stating that Wii Fit's May 19 release will spark a new boom in demand for the already difficult to find console.

Sebastian also reiterated that the weak American dollar does seem to be a factor in Nintendo's strategy for Wii allocation since the company can make more money selling the consoles overseas.

[Danman1116]

Probably won't end up getting it right away due to the expected shortage. Same goes for MarioKart too...but definite two must haves.

[blackdelsol94]

Originally Posted by Danman1116

Probably won't end up getting it right away due to the expected shortage. Same goes for MarioKart too...but definite two must haves.

I will be getting Mario Kart right away, but I'll probably hold off on Wii Fit until this summer. I wouldn't have time to play all of it right away anyways (I'm getting GTA4 too).