Friday 15 September 2006
Nintendo's Wii console will cost £180 and will launch in the UK on 8 December, Nintendo has finally confirmed at today's European Wii event in London.

Coming a week after the Japanese launch and three weeks after the console is released in the US, for your £180 the Wii pack will include one Wii-mote control, one Nunchuck attachment and a copy of Wii Sports.

Wii's other features include interactive news and weather channels - updated constantly through the WiiConnect24 online service - the Virtual Console and a Mii channel, which enables you to create your own avatar for use in games. These features will be accessible through the console's Wii Channel Menu, Nintendo's point-and-click answer to Xbox 360's Dashboard console interface.

The Wii Points system will be used to purchase downloadable content, including new Virtual Console games. Like Microsoft's MS Points on Xbox Live, the system will mean credit cards aren't needed for regular, impulse buys.

Above: Nintendo will charge £180 for Wii in the UK, which comes with one controller and Wii Sports

With US gamers getting theirs for $250, which works out at under £150, it seems that us UK dwellers have been stiffed by yet another videogame console launch. £180 slightly undermines Nintendo's drive for accessible, reasonably priced hardware, and certainly isn't quite the cheap-and-cheerful price tag we were all hoping for. Especially as for a mere £20 more you could bag yourself an Xbox 360 Core pack.

Nintendo is releasing new info at this very second, so we'll be updating you with news on Wii's UK launch line-up of games as well as any other developments, like Virtual Console pricing, and so on. Keep your eyes on GamesRadar for the latest.