Nintendo Wii U will not be more than $400

The idea of saying that a Nintendo console could potentially cost upwards of $500 or even $600 would have seemed absurd just a year or so ago, but as more and more rumors pop up about the Wii U's launch day price point being that high, a new credible story has come out that the system will almost certainly be priced at less than $400, with something in the $350 price range seeming like a distinct possibility.

In fact, the story, which was published on WiiURelese.net following a reported conference call with retailers, only specifically mentioned the UK price. It said the console was "99% likely" to be priced at less than £250, which is around $380. While that doesn't seem like a huge sigh of relief when you consider that the Wii launched at just $250, it is a large difference from previous rumors that suggested price points as high as $600.

The problem with the Wii U's price is the touchscreen tablet controller. Gamers will effectively be buying two unique systems when they buy a Wii U – the box that you plug into the TV, and the controller that almost acts as its own individual game device. Nintendo has previously said that it learned its lesson with the 3DS, which was priced too high and launched with almost no noteworthy launch titles. But with just a few months away from release, we still don't have an official price point, and many seem to think that can only be nothing but an ominous thing.

[via WiiURelease.net]