Wii Mini is Real, and a Canadian Exclusive (For Now)

So here's the last vestiges of Nintendo, WiiU is the Dreamcast of Nintendo.

Um the wiiu is out here.

Canada is a common test market. It's population is roughly 10% of Americas and we usually pay more for products. We also have similar taste in products. If a product can be successful in Canada then it can find a market in the states. That's why OLED screens were only available in Canada at first.

I actually kind of love the design. 70s future look. Right at home in Space 1999 or UFO.

The Wii U is already out in Canada.

So how do you patch games? Seems strange, at least include an ethernet port. Maybe Nintendo thinks Canadians are a bunch of backwater, nomads that do not have internet? haha

@allgamelover said:

Nintendo has not yet commented on the availability of Wii U outside of Canada, though I’d suspect it’s likely.

You mean Wii mini, and

Wii Mini launches in Canada on December 7, just one week after Wii U arrives there on November 30.

Canada has had Wii U since the US had. Unless somehow everyone broke a release date.

Although technically in Canada it's called the Wii Eh, so maybe he got confused.

Yeah, Canada finally gets our's!!!! If you non-Canadians want a Wii mini just contact me. But be ready to throw down some Kings, and even some Bordens. Yeah, that's right, I said Bordens.

I'm assuming Nintendo is using us here in Canada as a test market. It means they don't need to make nearly the same quantity of systems as they would need for the US. With the Wii U out and a recent price-cut on the Wii it might not sell. It could of course also really confuse consumers.

As a Canadian I'm confused as hell...

Quit fucking around, Nintendo.

Gotta love that it has the virtual boy color theme.

Okay this looks different, it must be the new Nintendo. Phew, I almost bought that tablet accesory by mistake.

This is stupid.

So..Ugly..And that price? You can keep it Nintendo..

Does it at least have a ethernet port? Like the $99 price point is great since I really only want one to play Monster Hunter (My parents use our current one as a Netflix box), but if I can't play online what's the point.

@Bistromath: Thanks?

Keep raising the bar for quality coverage, Scoops.

Am I the only one who thinks that a red and white color scheme was a missed opportunity? They almost got it right, too...

Considering all the shovelware made for the Wii, and with no internet connection or backwards compatibility on older systems, this just seems like a bad idea to give anyone. Also you can probably find cheaper used/normal Wii consoles at places like gamestop for the same price.

I'd like to buy one. I'd love to play Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, No More Heroes 1 & 2 and Zak & Wiki. Too bad it's not out in Europe. :-(

Nintendo has not yet commented on the availability of Wii U outside of Canada, though I’d suspect it’s likely.

You mean Wii mini, and

Wii Mini launches in Canada on December 7, just one week after Wii U arrives there on November 30.

Canada has had Wii U since the US had. Unless somehow everyone broke a release date.

It's rare that I don't lust over a new hardware iteration, this is one of those rare cases.

@OllyOxenFree said:

@DoctorWelch said:

Again, is anyone proof reading anything around here?

No.

Your avatar fits perfectly with this comment, and it made me laugh.

Personally i'm interested because it looks so good, i've never and will never play a wii game online or use any of the online features, i don't need virtual console games, and i have a gamecube already to play my gamecube games. So basically this is for anyone like me who wants to just play wii games. I'm hoping they'll either release it here in the US or i can get one shipped to me for not a lot more

@Orbitz89 said:

@McGhee: And I love our gun toting, flag waving, bible thumping second cousin's to the south!

Really? I can't stand it here. ha

No internet? Even the PS2 slim has internet.

@evanbower said:

Nintendo has not yet commented on the availability of Wii U outside of Canada, though I’d suspect it’s likely.

Don't hold your breath, jerks. Come find me in Vancouver, sitting on my throne of Wii U's.

like the iron throne but melted plastic/silicon?

hope you wore a mask when forging it.

So how do you patch games? Seems strange, at least include an ethernet port. Maybe Nintendo thinks Canadians are a bunch of backwater, nomads that do not have internet? haha

Again, is anyone proof reading anything around here?

Sick get Canada, sick get

Well, congratulations Canada?

As if they didn't need more product confusion. I literally had to explain to three people today (within the span of an hour) that the WiiU was not a controller add on for the Wii.

@jozzy said:

Nintendo has not yet commented on the availability of Wii U outside of Canada, though I’d suspect it’s likely.

I am sure you mean Wii mini..

Anyway, I might actually buy this thing. I don't have a Wii yet and I wouldn't mind playing some Wii Sports with the kids, and I'd like to play the Galaxies games.

Doesn't seem like it comes with any games does it?

You know, my knee-jerk reaction was also to laugh at the proposal, but there are a couple Wii games I'd like to play, and I wouldn't need the internet to play them.

@McGhee: And I love our gun toting, flag waving, bible thumping second cousin's to the south!

Again, is anyone proof reading anything around here?

The only thing i see this being a good idea for is a collector item and never taking it out of the box. That's it.

@GenghisJohn said:

So this is for the person who:

• Didnt already have a wii but wanted one
• Has no interest in virtual console games
• Isn't buying a wii u

What the hell is nintendo thinking?

I don't know, that seems like a pretty decent subset. Just before Christmas, at a nice impulse buy price (giving your kid a Wii U for Christmas is probably too much for a lot of people), it might actually sell. I bet it doesn't cost Nintendo much to produce either. And people that don't have one yet are probably not interested in VC games. The no internet restriction seems weirder to me, this would make a pretty decent netflix box for cheap.

Did you see that the Wii sold 300k units in the US on Black Friday, clearly the thing still has legs. We'll see, but I think the Wii mini will do pretty well.

The confusion argument with the Wii U is a pretty good one though, but that problem started with naming it the Wii U.

@crusader8463 said:

@korkesh said:

@patrickklepek "just one week after Wii U arrives there on November 30" Are you talking about Canada in that last sentence? We've had it since launch day in US. It comes out in the UK on the 30th fyi.

Giant Bomb thinks Canada is in France and a part of Europe. Don't expect them to realize that when they get a release date that says North American launch that it includes Canada.

North America, you mean like alaska?

@PinkCrayon32 said:

If anything this will take sales away from the WiiU...

People who'll buy this are mostly people who have been put off by the Wii's price over the years. Do you really think those people would buy a Wii U?

how is it black and also small?

Nintendo has not yet commented on the availability of Wii U outside of Canada, though I’d suspect it’s likely.

Don't hold your breath, jerks. Come find me in Vancouver, sitting on my throne of Wii U's.

In lieu of not being able to, and kind of not wanting to buy a WiiU I've been going back to play all of the early Wii stuff. Totally satiated my Nintendo lust for the time being. I wholeheartedly support just playing your old Nintendo shit if you already have it because it seems to have about the same affect.

Now when Grandma goes Christmas shopping, she'll see that new Wii thing everybody is talking about for only $99 and think she's getting little Timmy an awesome gift she can actually afford.

@korkesh said:

@patrickklepek "just one week after Wii U arrives there on November 30" Are you talking about Canada in that last sentence? We've had it since launch day in US (Nov 18th). It comes out in the UK on the 30th fyi.

Haha, in Patrick's last mention of Canada, he said that we were "across the ocean." ....He thinks we're England.

@GenghisJohn said:

So this is for the person who:

• Didnt already have a wii but wanted one
• Has no interest in virtual console games
• Isn't buying a wii u

What the hell is nintendo thinking?

Money, Profit by grandmothers who buy their grand kids the wrong consoles.

So many grandmas will buy this for so many disappointed Canadian children.

I envision Nintendo PR & Marketing Department to be a hundred japanese dudes in a very small area shouting and screaming until someone pushes a button somewhere and work is done that way.