http://www.gamezone.com/news/wii-u-meant-for-consumers-with-higher-disposable-income-says-nintendo
As rumors about the Nintendo Wii U price point continue to spread, its becoming evident that the newest console from Nintendo is not going to be cheap. Even the Nintendo's President Satoru Iwata admitted, "This thing is not going to be cheap." At the time he hinted it would be priced at more than 20,000 yen in Japan, or roughly $250 in the U.S. Recently, we had a few leaks which saw several sites and retail outlets pricing the Wii U for $600. Regardless of whether or not you believe these are placeholders or the potential price, it becomes more evident that the Wii U is going to be expensive. In fact, based on the latest details from Nintendo’s North America President Reggie Fils-Aime, if I had to choose between a price for the Wii U between $250 and $600, I'd say it's going to cost closer to $600. That's right. It's now appearing as if the Wii U might not be for everyone. When speaking to AllThingsD, Fils-Aime had said the Wii U is going to be "for consumers who want to have the latest gadgets and have a higher disposable income." When speaking about the success of the Wii and its record-breaking sales, thanks mostly to affordable pricing, Fils-Aime made it clear that the Wii U will not follow a similar suit. "The market is going to continue to differentiate based on the types of experiences that consumers want. As an example, if I’m the head of a household of a family of four, and my disposable income is $50,000 to $60,000, I’m going to continue to look at the Wii because of the software, and it’s a great entertainment device. For consumers who want to have the latest gadgets and have a higher disposable income, that’s for the Wii U." Of course, anyone who has seen the Wii U knows that it is using innovative technology with its new tablet controller - which is part of the reason for its high price estimation. Though Nintendo hasn't announced an official price for the new console, Aimes did say, "given the current pricing of the Wii, it's not going to be there." "We’ve been very clear, the market is going to decide how long these products will coexist side by side. Our goal is to launch the Wii U and drive it into the marketplace, but it will speak to a different consumer than the one that is buying the Wii today during the holidays." Unfortunately, it looks like that "different consumer" is going to be for the wealthy individuals who have the extra money to spend. And looking at the current economy, it doesn't look like it will be many - especially if it's closer to the $600 price. Based on fan reaction to the earlier estimates, many don't seem to be willing to part with that much money.