Rumor: Wii to drop to $200 by October
- September 14, 2009 14:49 PM PST
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While Sony and Microsoft have dropped their console's prices, Nintendo's Wii has stayed put at $250. That may change in the next month.
Just two weeks ago, Denise Kaigler told gamers that Nintendo would not drop the North American Wii price for the holidays... but evidence to the contrary may have already surfaced. An alleged early versiion of a Wal-Mart ad circular to be distributed later this month promises a "new low price" for the Nintendo Wii. The outlet that obtained (but didn't post) the leaked ad, Kotaku, didn't find out the new Wii price but could say that the price drop would be effective in the first week of October. A newer circular, reportedly from Toys R Us, has also appeared on Kotaku, with a price of $199.
If early October seems like a strange time for a price drop, think again. Tokyo Game Show is coming up later this month and it's a perfect venue for announcing a price drop that would probably apply to Japan as well as North America. Nintendo is specifically participating in the Kyoto Cross Media Experience, a show that runs concurrent with TGS and usually plays host to major product announcements.
While Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was also singing the "no price drop" tune in August, since then we've seen sales of the PS3 soar dramatically in Japan while North American Wii sales have almost fallen to PS3 and 360 levels. The Wii's original $250 price point is pretty long in the tooth by now and Nintendo may have good reason to think it won't be competitive with $299 360s and PS3s as the system goes into its fourth holiday season.
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With Nintendo's Wii momentum finally slowing down, a price drop is becoming more and more necessary by the week. If Nintendo can afford to sell the system for less, it could really push them ahead for good in the console race.
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- Sep 14 2009 at 03:31:30:PM PST
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I agree with Rudden. XBOX and PS3 fans can complain all they want about the Wii, but this alleged price drop will mean a big win in this latest console war for the Big N.
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I was under the impression that video games were supposed to be fun: PERIOD.
Wii Sports (and Resort), Mario Galaxy, Boom Blox, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Twilight Princess, Mad World, Tiger Woods w/ Wii Motion Plus, No More Heroes and Metroid Trilogy are all great on the Wii. By the way, all the games I named are exclusives.
Perks and drawbacks come with each system. But, why would anyone want to push one system aside over another?
It's time to start picking up the controller (or the wii-mote) and stop spreading video game hate!
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Dave Rudden Dave
With Nintendo's Wii momentum finally slowing down, a price drop is becoming more and more necessary by the week. If Nintendo can afford to sell the system for less, it could really push them ahead for good in the console race.
Of course they can afford to lower the price, hell they was makin
money off of it at the price it's at now, the Wii isn't that much advance from the Gamecube...I dont want a Wii anyway so oh well
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I believe this will happen. While Nintendo think they are in "doomed" territory of late, a price drop would reinvigorate those sales to their typical numbers.
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I believe this is a really smart move by Nintendo. While I don't believe the Wii should really have been $250 to begin with since it really was just an upgraded Gamecube in my opinion, I don't blame them for having sold it at that price for so long since they sold like hotcakes. Now with sales starting to slow, and the PS3 and 360 now being $300 and under, it's only common sense for them to decide to lower the price to $200. I expect Nintendo to see a spike in sales again and a ton more copies of Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus to be sold as a result.
BTW, I'm just wondering, but does anyone else have a problem with the login popup box? When I click login, a box about the width of your thumbnail pops up and sometimes I can't login. XP
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Why not go $150 Nintendo??? I'm not touching the Wii until it goes down to $150 it's just not worth it.
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Wow, but they still make alot of junky games. All that sells are these casual games that grandma will play....
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denveraic wrote:
Why not go $150 Nintendo??? I'm not touching the Wii until it goes down to $150 it's just not worth it.
I'm not touching it til it goes down to $100.
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