greenmedic88 said:
The GamePad is not a tablet PC; it's a controller with video/data streaming capabilities. There are a lot of missing components that contribute to the overall cost of tablet PCs from SoC, system memory, local storage, etc. etc. that simply are not in the GamePad.
As I alway say, I'll wait until iSuppli does its teardown and BoM assessment upon the Wii U's release, but my guess is that the controller will cost less than $100 to produce and assemble. Possibly as low as $60.
If Nintendo goes the MS route of proprietary formatted/packaged, Xbox branded HDDs, then I think there will be legitimate reason for consumers to complain. While it would be a good idea for them to have Nintendo Wii U brand HDDs available for lesser informed consumers, or even just consumers who want matching external HDDs that go with the Wii U design (nothing wrong with that at all) that can easily be picked up at the same retail outlet where the consoles are sold, the option to use an existing HDD is one that I would imagine most buyers would opt for.
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Well, the Wiimote still retails for $30 MSRP ($40 with Wiimote Plus built in), which I'm guessing doesn't cost that much to produce now (or probably even at launch); hopefully they don't markup the price of the GamePad too much. The big three companies make the most off of their accessories, and I'm still guessing that the GamePad is going to cost a good bit more than a Wiimote. I'm thinking it will probably retail for around $70-80 once all is said and done.
If they go the route of proprietary HDDs, I just hope they still allow the use of other HDDs. I think that was one of the best moves on Sony's part this gen, allowing users to put in any internal laptop HDD into their PS3, if they wanted/needed.
