I don't think the price of the controller is going to be a concern for many, mostly because it's an effective way to split the price of the console among people. One person in the dorm buys the Wii itself, and three other people each buy a controller. Since your Mii can be stored on your controller, there's a significant value to owning your own Wiimote even if you don't own a Wii yourself. Then, when you do finally buy a Wii, there's all your information. Easy-peasy.