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A product listing for Nintendo's Wii U has been posted to Amazon Germany. According to the page, Wii U will launch on December 21, 2012 and will cost a whopping €399.99. The chance of this being placeholder info is overwhelming, as both the date and price don't quite pass the smell test. 

For starters, it's been demonstrated that in the current economic climate, home consoles don't sell until they get to the almost magical $299.99 level. While prices of video games and hardware are generally more expensive in Europe, €399.99 seems exorbitant.

Moreover, despite Nintendo's best efforts to market the console as being next-gen, the use of the "Wii" moniker will make the average consumer think of a discount, casual-friendly console, and Nintendo likely knows it.

Finally, a release date of December 21 in a country like Spain, where the vast majority of gifts are given on January 6 (Epiphany or King's Day), makes some sense. However, most of Europe and North America give gifts on December 25 or earlier, depending upon religious affiliation. Long story short... December 21 seems too late to make an impact at retail during the holiday season, and Nintendo will want to make hay whilst the competition sticks with the current generation of consoles.

We may find out more concrete info tonight, as Nintendo has announced that a special Nintendo Direct video segment airs tonight, June 21, 2012 at 9:00 pm PDT. 

Source: Amazon.de

Link: Nintendo Direct

JC Marx   Followjoncmarx Cutting his gaming teeth at Aladdin's Castle and on the Commodore 64, JC entered into video game journalism in 2008. Helping run GameDynamo as its director is both a dream and a rewarding challenge.

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