Wii launching in Korea on April 26

Well over a year after Nintendo sets up Korean offices, the hardware maker officially dates and prices its hot-commodity console for the region.

Back in July 2006, Nintendo opened an office in South Korea and seemed to have plans to begin bringing its products to the tech-savvy nation. However, almost a year went by before the DS Lite was released into the South Korean wilds, with local heartthrob Jan Dong-gun roped in to promote it.

At the same time, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that the Mario Factory was now planning to "move aggressively" into the Korean market and that the Wii was going to appear there late in 2007, a statement the exec revised in October to sometime in 2008.

Now the Wii has been officially dated to be released in South Korea on April 26 and will be priced at 220,000 won ($224).

There will be nine games available for launch: Wii Sports; Wii Play (which comes with an extra controller); Rayman Raving Rabbids 2; Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure; FIFA 08; Elebits; Namco Museum Remix; Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; and Super Swing Golf Season 2. The games will retail at a variety of price points, with the lowest being Namco Museum Remix at 38,000 won ($39) and the highest being 88,000 won ($90) for Guitar Hero III with the guitar.

Ten games will be available for download through the Wii's Virtual Console at launch: Mario Kart 64, Contra III, Cybernator, Super Metroid, Super Mario World, Gradius III, Kirby's Adventure, Super Mario Bros., Antarctic Adventure, and Donkey Kong. These will cost between 400 and 800 Wii points each, as they do elsewhere.

59 Comments

  • 3anks

    Posted Apr 15, 2008 12:48 pm PT

    They can't even keep up demand here in the states. How are they launching in another country? Maybe nintendo is hoarding systems!

  • Kezman118

    Posted Apr 15, 2008 3:13 am PT

    If Korea is getting it, then when is it coming to Hong Kong? (P.S: Hong Kong is not in Japan)

  • HappyBB

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 11:36 pm PT

    Korea is a country known for game-piracy. Korean retailers probably have imported Japanese version of Wiis and sold them since day one, along with pirated games. Even Korean gamers openly admit that pirated games can easily be found on the street! Launching Wii in the Korean market makes no celebrated news for me.

  • BigSmitts07

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 10:31 pm PT

    wow...there like neighbors and it took this long...thats politics for you

  • _em_

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 10:27 pm PT

    It sure has taken awhile. o.o Korea's not really a large country, but they certaintly do game--I thought something like the Wii would be there much sooner than this. Not much really in the way of launch titles, but I assume that's because they have to translate the games into Korean...

  • black_ice23

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 8:14 pm PT

    you figure they would release there heavy hitters 1st ya know galaxy, brawl , mp3 , zelda

  • Darth-Caedus

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 7:06 pm PT

    Its took them that long to get it over there O_o

  • DeathStar17

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 6:37 pm PT

    Only a few years late...

  • Merl57

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 5:18 pm PT

    Not sure if it is going to sell because South Korea is the MMO leader of the world basically, because of their unrivaled internet connection speeds.

  • football_legend

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 4:56 pm PT

    It still didn't lunch there....wtf... i even saw the wiis in third world nations in a recent tour..

  • Trashcan_Man

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 4:40 pm PT

    Sail more of those consoles over here, and end the bloody shortage. I know a few people who still haven't been able to find one. Every time I'm at Target I hear some mom getting frustrated that there aren't any Wii's in-stock. Hurry Nintendo--the window is closing!!! *coughGTAIVcough*

  • typeRseries

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 4:21 pm PT

    unless you have extra money save it for starcraft 2 xD

  • nate1222

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 4:08 pm PT

    This is something a friend and I were talking about, regarding Nintendo's strategy. Nintendo wants to be affordable and available in places where "console" gaming rarely, if ever, thrives. Sony and Microsoft often avoid/ignore such regions. If CONSOLE gaming is going to become GLOBAL then it needs to become 'affordable, accessible and easy to use'. Nintendo offers that in the Wii. Fromwhat I gather, Korea rarely even gets consoles in their region and when they do it's too expensive for the average gamer. Thus, they're mostly a "PC ONLY" croud. And the PC games they play are often older games with low system requiremnts (Counter Strike, UT1999,Half-Life,Star Craft). Nintendo just might get a decent foot hold in Korea.

  • Super-Mario-Fan

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 3:32 pm PT

    Releasing the console in a new region will definately boost worldwide sales.

  • ocdog45

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    the madness is about to begin in korea.

  • ise1880

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 3:00 pm PT

    this just in ! Atari 2600 just released in korea!
    this just in !
    sega saturn just released in korea!
    this just in !
    virtual boy just released in korea!

    o_O

  • cooldude03

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 2:49 pm PT

    Every gamer should own a Wii. I'm always happy when gamers get to game. Play on Korea

  • proair92

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 2:02 pm PT

    We also had about fifty launch titles, what happened to that?

  • proair92

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 2:01 pm PT

    I thought it was between 500 and 1000 Wii points for the VC games?

  • re4leonkennedy

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 2:00 pm PT

    I wished the US used another form of currency. 220,000 won sounds so much better than 224 dollars

  • _JPH_

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:54 pm PT

    I don't care actually. I don't live in Korea. And if I did, I would have imported the Wii from the US.

  • wooooode

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:51 pm PT

    Well there goes another surge in sales and less available to everyone else.

  • 09231991

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:46 pm PT

    They get it now? Holy crap thats funny!

  • Heromoua

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:45 pm PT

    hmm, i wonder how many koreans had already ebayed a wii already

  • Gamer_152

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:24 pm PT

    Poor Korea. Ah well, at least their getting the Wii now, happy gaming Korea.

  • jacksonm560

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:21 pm PT

    yay more wii fanboys

  • markgowii

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:18 pm PT

    What about TWILIGHT PRINCESS and SUPER MARIO GALAXY.

    Holy crap, those games that are offered at launch will sell a crap-load, but then the Koreans will [probably] realize that those games suck, and they won't buy the new game that come out from fear of suckage.

    Launch-games are supposed to be awesome! That way when new games come out, the customers buy without looking into them first.

    WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS EVEN WITH A SHORTAGE OF WIIS:
    Wii's have been available in North America for ages. Anybody that really TRUELY wants one, and is devoted, has already gotten one. By selling them in Korea, they bring the Wii to millions of new people, many of which, like North Americans, will buy. It's marketing; spread out.

  • towelie892

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:07 pm PT

    How have they survived so long without it?

  • shadyelf

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:05 pm PT

    They need to put Starcraft on the Wii, it's sales might go through the roof if they made it good.

  • WolfWatch

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:02 pm PT

    Aha~! this is almost not good news for me... My girlfriend lives in Korea, and with the Wii on the release I know that I am going to have somebody pinching at my wallet... lol

  • ShadowLaguna

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 1:01 pm PT

    It isn't out in Korea yet!? And their launch titles? Dude.....no Zelda or Mario!

  • aymansharof

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:59 pm PT

    is it region free or like other WII systems????? I wonder

  • Dreski83

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:54 pm PT

    wait a second... Nintendo, the guys who are selling Wii's like hot cakes and seem to never have enough around for the consumers is opening shop at ANOTHER place?

    Not sure what that means, but if this leads to even less available Wii's Nintendo is gonna look crazy and have people feeling the same

  • Genexi2

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:49 pm PT

    Man, and I thought Europeans had it bad with regards to being shoved on the backburner for near everything. At any rate, I'm hoping Nintendo has enough production lines going to even support Korea among the other locations which are *still* not getting enough Wiis in stock.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:42 pm PT

    Another territory for the Wii to dominate!

  • Ranteal

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:30 pm PT

    Whens the North Korea release date? Come on nintendo, commies gotta play too.

  • grizly-sword

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:23 pm PT

    Good, more people to jam with online.

  • Montrealien

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:20 pm PT

    Korea has had consoles banned for years now, one of the main reasons why PC gaming and Starcraft is so huge over there actually. They recently lifted this ban and Nintendo are taking it one step at a time.

  • tyzwain

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 12:13 pm PT

    Okay... I dont understand why they haven't released the Wii there. They're practically neighbours. I thought the South Koreans would have loved it.

  • hobobski

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 11:58 am PT

    'cause they have to translate 'em all.
    anyway, why Rayman instead of Brawl...?

  • feryl06

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 11:48 am PT

    I don't understand why Nintendo isn't releasing their flagship games there?---i.e Smash Brawl? or Zelda? Why not do a grand opening with a BIG SPLASH? Instead of being a 'nice lineup'?

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 11:45 am PT

    About time.

  • 8434

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 11:02 am PT

    about time
    sounds like a good line-up of games though

  • KingSigy

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 10:31 am PT

    Why not Mario Galaxy or Zelda. Let's launch the Wii without Nintendo's star mascots. Brilliant move guys.

  • remmbermytitans

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 10:24 am PT

    thats not a bad starting lineup

  • YourChaosIsntMe

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 10:18 am PT

    I'm sure Kim Jong-Il already has one. He's notorious for being a devoted American-Japanese consumer. From Japan!? From America!? Ohhhhh so rary rary excited.

    Also, South Korea and North Korea are two different countries.....the Wii is not being released in North Korea.

  • Cyber-

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 9:40 am PT

    how will VGchartz track this? Will they place it in Other for their info?

  • batmanknights posted Apr 14, 2008 9:26 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    batmanknights

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 9:26 am PT (hide)

    how do you say " the wii is boring " in Korean?

  • legendofmario5

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 9:25 am PT

    WTF? NO TWILIGHT PRINCESS? NO SSBB?! NO MARIO GALAXY?! OR METROID PRIME 3 CORRUPTION? ARGHH!!!! Ah well, they might be getting Mario Kart Wii dn those games anytime soon.

  • B0urn3

    Posted Apr 14, 2008 9:18 am PT

    "I wonder if Kim Jong-il will get one now..."

    Were talking about South Korea here...which is an entirely different country except for the language. South Korea is a developed country.

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