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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.

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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.

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Avatar image for Kezman118
Kezman118

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

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Avatar image for HappyBB
HappyBB

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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.

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Avatar image for BigSmitts07
BigSmitts07

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

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Avatar image for _em_
_em_

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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...

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black_ice23

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

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Avatar image for Darth-Caedus
Darth-Caedus

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:| Its took them that long to get it over there O_o

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DeathStar17

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Only a few years late...

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Merl57

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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.

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football_legend

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

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Trashcan_Man

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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*

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Avatar image for typeRseries
typeRseries

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unless you have extra money save it for starcraft 2 xD

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nate1222

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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.

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Avatar image for Super-Mario-Fan
Super-Mario-Fan

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

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Avatar image for ocdog45
ocdog45

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the madness is about to begin in korea.

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Avatar image for ise1880
ise1880

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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

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Avatar image for cooldude03
cooldude03

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

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Avatar image for proair92
proair92

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

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Avatar image for proair92
proair92

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

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Avatar image for re4leonkennedy
re4leonkennedy

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

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_JPH_

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

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wooooode

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

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09231991

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They get it now? Holy crap thats funny!

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Heromoua

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

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Avatar image for Gamer_152
Gamer_152

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

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jacksonm560

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yay more wii fanboys

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markgowii

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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.

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Avatar image for towelie892
towelie892

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How have they survived so long without it?

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shadyelf

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

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WolfWatch

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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

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ShadowLaguna

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

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aymansharof

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

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Dreski83

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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 :|

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Genexi2

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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.

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LosDaddie

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Another territory for the Wii to dominate!

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Ranteal

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

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grizly-sword

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Good, more people to jam with online.

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Montrealien

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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.

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Avatar image for tyzwain
tyzwain

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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.

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hobobski

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

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feryl06

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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'?

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Avatar image for RaiKageRyu
RaiKageRyu

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About time.

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8434

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

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KingSigy

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

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remmbermytitans

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thats not a bad starting lineup :)

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YourChaosIsntMe

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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.

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Cyber-

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

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batmanknights

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

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legendofmario5

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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.

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B0urn3

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"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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zoe256

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Its good that they are finally getting it, but unfair they've had to wait this long! Still not a bad price, hopefully they'll look into getting some of the more popular games out for them too.

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