Ninty already started bundling MK last Xmas. The bundle, unlike the other ones, included WS, but not WSR and it was the second most expensive bundle after the BB and WiiFit Plus one, but it was already under 200€ (in EU) for Xmas and dropped to as little as 179€ after the holidays.

A bundle dropped to 149€, but with WS removed, could be perceived as a false discount, as value was removed together with the price drop.

Moreover, while WS already did everything it could to push Wii, and it did it in an excellent way, bundling WSR with every Wii bundle, even better removing WS from some, would be the minimum vital effort to push WiiMotion Plus and WiiMote Plus, that lack other best selling games besides the bundled WSR itself. If Nintendo starts pushing precision motion control even less than now, it will be like offering PS Move another chunk of its market for free, without fighting. Not good for Nintendo, neither for the industry, nor for the users, but nor for Sony itself, as it isn't pushing Move as it could, so possibly receiving for free a chunk of market for it, without having to develop more to consolidate it, could give it an ephemeral success followed by a fast withering.

I was a little surprised by the removal of WSR as well, and I'm not sure of the logic behind the decision. The remote in the bundle does still include the Wiimote plus, so they aren't completely abandoning the device, they are just not including any software that demonstrates its usefulness.

I'm wondering if Wiiplay 2, will start getting packed in as the new software to show off motion plus. Or maybe they are going to use this new price point and bundle to help sells initially, and then have a new bundle for the holidays.

Either way I think it was a bit of a strange choice.

They must have thought that bundling 3 games is a bit too much if you want people to buy your other software.

Taking out Wii Sports would have meant that people who bought such a bundle are unable to buy WS, so the choice falls on WSR.

Yep, and it was strange since the beginning, with the first MK bundle. There isn't very much to push WM Plus, if even that little is removed, with the overwhelming competition from simple WiiMote games and nothing for the public to try the improved control's advantages and benefits, it's guaranteed that Ninty won't receive 3rd party support for it until next gen, when 100% of motion controls sold for or bundled with the new console will be of the improved type since the beginning. Not to mention that racer fans are quite likely to appreciate improved precision controls than the average user, even though MK itself just uses basic, not improved, WiiMote functions. It's quite easy to imagine that bicycle and motorbike racers could greatly benefit from WiiMote Plus features, for example. But for the games to be economically viable, either for Ninty, or, even more, for 3rd parties, a greater public awareness regarding WM Plus is needed this gen, otherwise SW houses, particularly 3rd parties, will find easier and safer to develop for the wider user base of the simple WiiMote first version. Next gen the problem will disappear, but right now it can only be mitigated pushing WM Plus as much as possible.

In fact I agree about removing WS, but not WSR, to push more WM Plus, that needs it a lot more than the simple WiiMote, that has a huge game library. Bundling only WSR and MK would increase WM Plus public awareness.