Watch the Wii U game prices.

Coffee Beans
I went to the Wal-Mart closest to our house earlier tonight to see how their electronics section is handling the Wii U launch, and to see if by any chance they are doing a midnight release. They aren't doing a midnight release for the system, but while I was browsing the video game section I spotted a few Wii U games already out, with prices listed for each.

If you are heading to Wal-Mart tonight (or this week) to try and grab a Wii U and are planning on picking up Scribblenauts Unlimited make sure to bring a price match ad from perhaps Target, or an online scan from Amazon.com. Wal-Mart had the game listed at $59.96, but Target.com, Amazon.com, and a Game Stop store tonight all have Scribblenauts Unlimited for the Wii U now with a list price of $49.99, instead of the $59.99 (or $59.96).

So, if you're going out Wii U shopping this next week, make sure to watch game prices across a few different sites to make sure you are getting the best deals for your money.

If you haven't seen the newest Wii U commercials for Scribblenauts Unlimited yet, here's one of them:

Questions
Are any of you planning on buying Scribblenauts Unlimited with the Wii U, and if you have played the past Scribblenauts games, do you think a 3.5 year old would enjoy them?

You can see Scribblenauts Unlimited on Amazon.com below with the lower list price:

Caffeinated Thoughts on the Wii U GamePad (demo unit).

Coffee Beans & Brew
There have been Wii U demo stations popping up in Best Buy, Game Stop, and even Wal-Mart stores around the U.S. for the last several weeks. We ventured out a few weeks back, but didn't find a Wii U demo station on our first attempt.

This past Monday afternoon, after checking Nintendo's Wii U demo locator, I ventured out to a Best Buy to give one a try. Upon entering the Best Buy the Wii U demo station was easy to spot in the middle of the store with the Wii U logo being lit up on top, helping draw attention to the unit. The Wii U demo unit on display was the white Wii U console and GamePad, which I believe is the standard color for the demo stations.

What did I think of my short time with the Wii U and the Wii U GamePad? Brew yourself some coffee and read my thoughts on the GamePad, and even find out one thing I found to be uncomfortable about the GamePad!

Wal-Mart's Black Friday Ad Revealed - Video Games Page

Coffee Beans
     Wal-Mart just released their Black Friday ad, so shoppers can start sitting in lines now!  Okay, maybe not now.  Shoppers can start planning on what they are interested in though.
     Take a look at the image below that shows some video game deals Wal-Mart will be offering.

Filtered Thoughts

     Seeing the PlayStation 3 bundled with two games for under $200 I think is a great deal, and the Wii console being under $100 will probably do extremely well also.  Being that I don't own an Xbox 360, I would have been more interested in seeing the Arcade version discounted down around $150, and perhaps with a game or two bundled in.

     As for the video games being offered, Shaun White Skateboarding for only $10 on the Wii stood out to me, because of the Balance Board controls the game has and the fact I have enjoyed my time with Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip.

Questions
     Do you see any video game deals that you won't be able to pass up, and perhaps you are reading this on your iPhone while driving to Wal-Mart right now with your sleeping bag and tent?
     If you already own a lot of the games shown, are there any you would really recommend others picking up at the discounted prices?

Nintendo's profit on the Wii at a $199.99 MSRP.

How much will Nintendo make off the Wii at a 
$199.99 MSRP?

Updated from previous article: Friday, September 18, 2009

If the reports and sale ads for the stores*, that are appearing on the internet now, are correct, the Wii will get a price drop to $199.99 on September 27.

If $199.99 is the new MSRP for the Wii, and if it is costing Nintendo $107.79 to manufacture everything included with the console, Nintendo will still be making roughly $80-90 per Wii unit sold at the new $199.99 MSRP.

How much does it cost Nintendo to manufacture the Wii in 2009?

From the original Wii manufacturing cost of $195.99*, to the new estimate in manufacturing costs reduction being 45%*, I would say Nintendo can manufacture and distribute the Wii in 2009, for less than $120. If correct, this would mean a Wii retailing at a MSRP of $149.99 or even $129.99 is possible, but not probable, in the very near future.

$107.79 may seem like a low cost to manufacture the Wii with everything in the box, but we must remember, the Wii is simply two GameCubes duct taped together*…

Do you think Nintendo is dropping the price of the Wii enough at the $199.99 MSRP?  Do you think when looking at numbers like these, that an analyst like Michael Pachter may be right in assuming that Nintendo will announce a Wii Plus HD next year and sell it alongside the current Wii?

If you don't own a Wii, does the new rumored MSRP of $199.99 make it more likely you'll buy one now?

Sources for rumored price drop:

*http://www.nintendojo.com/infocus/view_item.php?1253311668

*http://kotaku.com/5362694/this-is-getting-wii+diculous

*http://kotaku.com/5361772/target-circular-adds-fuel-to-the-wii-price-drop-fire

*http://kotaku.com/5359038/toys-r-us-ad-points-to-199-wii-price-drop-this-month

Sources for manufacturing costs:

*http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/15/wii-manufacturing-costs-ring-up-to-just-158/

*http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/07/analyst-suspects-wii-manufacturing-costs-are-down-45/


Source for duct taped comment:
http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=14251