There’s a New Version of The Wii Coming for Some Reason

Nintendo is rolling out a new version of the original Wii. Obvious question: why?

Nintendo will be releasing a new version of the Nintendo Wii, dubbed Wii Mini, on December 7th for $99, in Canada only, reports Best Buy. This version of the now-six-year-old console will come in red, and will include one nunchuk controller, one Wiimote Plus controller, a power adapter, a sensor bar and the standard composite cable. You won’t be able to take your Wii Mini online at all, nor will you be able to play original GameCube games.

This obviously begs the question: why? Nintendo just released the brand new Wii U, with some folks still confused about the difference is between it and the older Wii. The release of the Wii Mini in Canada might further facilitate that confusion – albeit in only one region – resulting in a lot of disappointed children over the holidays that asked for the brand-new Wii U, but instead got a shiny new Wii… Mini.

If Nintendo just wants to clear stock to make room for the Wii U, why not just reduce the price of the original Wii down to $99? Why does the company feel the need to release a redesigned version of the console? What’s Nintendo’s play here?

So. Many. Questions.