Taking a wait and see approach, or buying on launch day?

[Cloud121]

Ever since I got the Wii back on launch day, I pretty much made a vow to pick up every console on launch day. Let's be honest, I'm a hardcore gamer like most of us here, and console launches don't happen all the time. They're exciting, cutting edge, etc. Perfect example is why I get pumped over election year every four years. I may not get that involved with politics, but doesn't happen very often, and voting is always exciting for me. After all, you only live once.

Okay, I rambled a bit there, but you get my point. Here's the deal, ever since E3 last year I've been so pumped for the Wii U. A year went by with no news, and at this year's E3... Still no news. I sold my original Wii back in early 2010, and with the announcement that Wii U would be backwards compatible, I decided to hold off on buying a new one, and just wait. But with our knowing literally nothing about the new console, I've come to the realization that I'm really wanting one right now for the sake of playing Wii games, not Wii U.

I've been burned by all three consoles this generation. Wii (Corrupted GameCube memory card due to heat), 20GB PS3 (Repaired twice, finally bit the dust for good last week), and Xbox 360 Elite (Launch model. RRODed about six months after selling it to my friend). The hardcore gamer in me is telling my to buy Wii U, Durango, and Orbis all on launch day. But the broke college student, trying to be more frugal part of me is telling me to wait until price drops and hardware revisions before taking the plunge. Yeah, there is always risk in being an early adopter (HD DVD for me. Still proud of it, and show off my discs with pride), but is it worth it anymore?

I'm considering re-purchasing another Wii with component cables and Wii Motion Plus for about $70, as I got the urge to play No More Heroes again, not too mention I got Xenoblade on my shelf, and want to play Last Story very badly.

Also, did Nintendo ever shrink the die of the Broadway and Hollywood chips? Or are they still 90nm to this day?



Sorry for rambling like that with the questions. I'm tired, and it's just now finally cooling down here in Iowa.

[theclaw]

I thought the Wii memory card problem happens only to 1019 size, and is just data loss. Larger cards not affected. While reformatting an affected 1019 by a Gamecube, from then on strictly never inserting it into Wii ever again, is the long term fix.

Or am I wrong about all that? I haven't seen much testing of 2048, perhaps since they're third party. A planned colossal type Nintendo didn't get around to selling.

[Ryudo]

I thought the Wii memory card problem happens only to 1019 size, and is just data loss. Larger cards not affected. While reformatting an affected 1019 by a Gamecube, from then on strictly never inserting it into Wii ever again, is the long term fix.

Or am I wrong about all that? I haven't seen much testing of 2048, perhaps since they're third party. A planned colossal type Nintendo didn't get around to selling.

Nintendo only made them up to 1019. And yes those cards had issues.

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Anyway Wii U launch yes for me. Wii was my fave system this gen and the most varied library (ignoring shovelware)

[duffmanth]

Sounds like you should stop buying consoles at launch, and wait til the bugs are worked out.

[theclaw]

Nintendo only made them up to 1019. And yes those cards had issues.

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Anyway Wii U launch yes for me. Wii was my fave system this gen and the most varied library (ignoring shovelware)

Right, like I just said. Nintendo gave the console support for 2048 (2043 usable) than failed to release their own use for it. Similar to serial port 2 and digital audio.

What I'm not sure is whether the cards above 1019 apply to this specific problem. There doesn't seem to be much testing of the next bigger size on Wii.

[swlovinist]

I have learned early on to just wait on consoles. Either let someone else "take the hit" and spend the $$$ or just wait a longer time and get a "slim" version of a system. I think that espically now these days, there is such a rich backlog of current gen stuff, it would take someone years to go through the games.

As console lifespans increase, there are alot of advantages to waiting.

1. You are typically getting a system with less errors and smaller size
2. The system typically will cost less.
3. The libraries of a system are usually more robust, with GOTY versions, budget rereleases, and reduced cost games.

My last console I bought new was the Gamecube. I have not bought on launch since and I have not looked back.

[Enmity]

Day one purchase for me on all three systems. Its just how I am. I usually keep up to date with the games I want to play so backlogs don't hold me over very long. I also enjoy playing with new hardware while its new.

[Flashback2012]

I used to be in the "buy at launch" crowd but not anymore. I bought my PS2, Cube, and Xbox all at launch last gen and all 3 systems crapped out on me and had to be replaced. While the PS2 and Cube replacements work just fine, the replacement Xbox is suffering from drive errors and along with all of the RROD horror stories, that was enough for me to bypass MS this time around. I am not as apprehensive as I used to be towards the 360 but it's still on the back burner of systems I want to pick up. I also do not own a PS3 (yet) and while I own 2 Wii systems, neither were launch units. I took the plunge on the red Wii unit and then lucked into a brand new cheap Black BC unit right before the non BC units hit stores.

I did buy the DS and PSP at launch. Both of those units still work great but I didn't get my 3DS at launch (Zelda Holiday bundle) and I'm waiting for a price drop on the Vita. As for the next generation of stuff...I'll wait. I did this generation for the console side and it seemed like to me that I didn't miss out on much. That said, I have a ton of games for both 360 and PS3 ready to be played when I do get the systems and I'm sure it'll be the same way for Vita, Wii U, and the Sony/MS systems.

One other thing is I've been much more of a PC/MMO and portables gamer the last 10 years (NeoPocket>GBC>GBA>DS & PSP) that I've not really worried about the console side of things too much.

[JSoup]

I've always been a part of the 'wait for it to get cheaper' group, with the odd exception here or there. I've never run across a system that was just so damn awesome that I wouldn't appreciate it just as much if not more if I waited for it to drop to a price I find reasonable.

[markusman64ds]

I got the 3DS on launch day. There were only two games at the store when I got there, so it was either Lego Star Wars 3 or Bust-A-Move Universe (I picked Star Wars.) I think I made the right choice.

I'm gonna wait on the Wii U. I will probably get it for Christmas, but first I want to see if there are any serious hardware problems with it like the 360. At least there will be better launch titles.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

If you are thinking about buying a used Wii, I bet the prices fall on them drastically after WiiU launches. When you consider how many Wiis are out there, I bet they will eventually be sold for under $20.

I agree with the others that it's best to not buy systems at launch due to bugs and the low number of games available.

[theclaw]

Meh. Don't like western games enough to get next gen's consoles at launch.

Vita I was close, then I'm not sure what happened. I guess buying a microsd adapter for PSP was a cheaper way to be rid of UMD.

[duffmanth]

I've always been a part of the 'wait for it to get cheaper' group, with the odd exception here or there. I've never run across a system that was just so damn awesome that I wouldn't appreciate it just as much if not more if I waited for it to drop to a price I find reasonable.

I've usually approached consoles this way, with the exception of the PS2 which I bought just after its launch for $500 CDN lol. The piece of shit lasted me 3 months, but luckily the unit I exchanged it for is still running to this day.

[kupomogli]

When coming to getting a better built console, the later developed models are the way to go, but other than the NES being revised to the top loader, this gen is really the only time it's seemed to have made a major difference.

I'd say it'll be years before the revisions to the new consoles have even made that much of a difference, except for those Sony revisions. You know what ones I'm talking about. Price also probably won't be dropped anytime soon after release, so if you're interested in any Wii U games, then I'd say pick up a Wii U. If you're not interested in Wii U games, then wait until a few months after the Wii U is released and the Wii is then sold for practically nothing.

[substantial_snake]

Wait a year or two at least, unless you have enough disposable income to buy the new console and a library of games to support it.

I grew up a house where we really only had one family console at any given time and we typically got our next latest machine near the middle of the console generation. By that time usually the lead platform has been decided or a particularly heavy hitting game had impressed us enough to ask for a particular machine. Also by that time you get a good sense of weather a particular platform is going to attract the kind of third party games your interested in, along with the typical hardware price drops/revisions, and a sizable library of cheap games to chose from.

I've only really broken this rule twice now that I can buy my own consoles and I probably wont do it again, for the Vita and 3DS with the former for several games and the latter in a soon after launch deal. I don't regret it but the more frugal part of my mind is giving me hell for buying more consoles when I already have an extensive backlog. lol

[Leo_A]

I'm gonna wait on the Wii U. I will probably get it for Christmas, but first I want to see if there are any serious hardware problems with it like the 360. At least there will be better launch titles.

You do realize that the console is going to be released for the Christmas shopping season and not next week?

Waiting a handful of weeks until Christmas isn't going to be able to tell you if Wii U's are ticking time bombs that will be breaking en masse in the months after release. The console is still going to be virtually brand new at that point.

It took a decent bit of time before the severity of issues with things like the early models of the Playstation 2 and the first few years of Xbox 360 production became obvious and well known.

[Berserker]

You said it yourself, you've been burned by all three launch consoles. You also said that you mostly just want a Wii U right now so that you can play Wii games. So if I were in your shoes, I would do what Orion suggested and wait until the Wii U launches, pick up a Wii, and enjoy your games while the new stuff gets its kinks worked out.

[Rickstilwell1]

I usually don't get consoles on launch day. But depending on the console I still might get it a couple months after launch. 3DS came out in March if I remember right, and I waited till June to get it. Usually I just wait till there's a game I want for the system and get it then. The Vita hasn't taken my interest yet but that's because I haven't researched what games are available yet, so I haven't yet picked out a game to sell the system to me. The 3DS had a Zelda remake and a new Bust-A-Move plus I had read about the upcoming Mario games. That was enough to sell me on it. Now that I have Super Mario 3D Land I am loving it. I knew it would be a good game just because Mario platformers are good 100% of the time. If the Vita ever gets a hack n slash game like Untold Legends for it, that would get me to buy it.

[Leo_A]

I would do what Orion suggested and wait until the Wii U launches, pick up a Wii, and enjoy your games while the new stuff gets its kinks worked out.

And if you're like me at all, the GCN gamepad has seen a good bit of use with multiple Wii releases.

Gone will be the ability to use my WaveBird on the Wii U which is one reason I'll be hanging on to my Wii even after purchasing a Wii U. It's much too useful for me to ever give up.

[Gamevet]

I've bought a lot of consoles at launch, with the Dreamcast and Gamecube being the last. I waited about a year to buy a PS2, a couple years to buy the original Xbox, about 10 months to buy a PS3 and almost 2 years to buy a 360.

I'm not in a real hurry to buy any of the upcoming consoles at launch. When the 32-bit era arrived, it represented a large enough step ahead of the previous generation to justify buying those consoles at launch. I didn't feel that way when the 360 came out, because I was only a couple of years in with the Xbox and still had a bunch of games I wanted to play on the PS2. When I'd bought the PS3, there wasn't a huge selection of must play games for it, so I got a 360 Elite and soon burned though its library as well. When the next gen comes out, I'll be enjoying all of the games I've yet to play and I won't feel so bad about being behind. When the titles start coming out at a decent pace, only then will I jump in.

[heybtbm]

I buy on launch day if possible. Now days if I can get it online, it's definitely launch day. I have too many responsibilities, too much dignity, and too little patience to wait in line at some brick and mortar.

Sometimes you win (launch PSP and DS still truckin') and sometimes you don't (PS3 at $599.99, launch 360's = RRoD). Overall I still think it's worth the risk. I'll be ordering the Wii U from Amazon as soon as it's available.

[JSoup]

One of the exceptions I mentioned will probably be the 3DS XL, depending on what it's running and if Amazon is having a pre-order deal. I've got a little Amazon credit left over.

[The 1 2 P]

I don't think I've ever bought a console at launch and still don't feel like I've been missing out. The lead console I had for the last three gens was bought atleast three years after the console launched. The Wii U definitely has not gotten my interest with anything they've shown outside of Zombie U(which hopefully gets a title change). The third party ports and standard Nintendo fare won't do it for me. However, as a core gamer I will eventually pick it up since I plan on once again having all three systems in order to play all the worthwhile exclusives. My wallet will hate me for that but thats why I wait a few years. We still have no idea what any of these systems will cost.

But to answer the OP's question, I'm going to echo what others have already said: either wait until the price drops or just get another Wii when they become cheaper(you only need to wait 4 more months for those super Black Friday sales). That way you can continue to play your Wii library.

[ifkz]

I think it depends on your game credit situation too:

I bought a 3ds at launch along with four games. Three months into it, right before it dropped from $250 to $170 I traded it in under a Gamestop trade bump bonus and got right around $200 for the system and one of the games. A year passes and I find I am in line for the Playstation Vita just to get rid of the credit. I was (and still am) excited about the hardware. I was smart about it and waited for the first good bundle to come out and got one with a game, case, and system.

So, it depends how you do it, but being an early adopter can work out. I am perfectly happy if the Vita goes on sale for $200 in the near future, I feel like I got some extra value by buying early. It is also nice to have a system early so you can pick up some of the super-on-sale specials that come about, like Mortal Kombat Vita for $10. Or another example, when all of the gamecrazy stores went out of business and they clearanced a lot of fun 360 games for $5 like Quake 4, Prey, and Blue Dragon not long after they launched.

On the subject of consoles, they are really going to have to wow me to get me to upgrade. This long generation has been less 'fun' than any of the ones before it for me anyhow.

[Esquire Fox]

I'm going one step further with this one. I will be reserving it as soon as a release date is even announced.
Why? Well, this time around, I'd rather NOT camp at Walmart for a full 16 hours on the day before launch to get my next Nintendo console.
Nintendo was entirely unprepared for consumer demand with the Wii. Unfortunately, so was I.