No more scans from leaked ads from various retailers, no more analysts endlessly speculating, no more "will it or won't it" conversation in the forum: Nintendo has finally made the Nintendo Wii price drop official. Starting on September 27, the Wii hardware will be available for $199.99. The package will continue to include a Wiimote, a nunchuk, and Wii Sports.
Nintendo also gave up the launch dates of two of its biggest titles for 2009: New Super Mario Bros. will be released on November 15, with Wii Fit Plus coming to retail on October 4.
Nintendo, of course, expects the price drop to widen The Wii's appeal. “Wii has reached more video game players than any game system before because it attracts everyone—both men and women, and people of all ages,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Our research shows there are 50 million Americans thinking about becoming gamers, and this more affordable price point and our vast array of new software mean many of them can now make the leap and find experiences that appeal to them, whatever their tastes or level of gaming experience."
While both the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS have been handily outselling their competition in the United States, the Wii has been faltering in sales in the last few months, with the Xbox 360 coming dangerously close to catching up to the system's sales on a per-month basis. With Sony's newfound momentum it was also possible that Sony may come close to touching Nintendo's sales in the next month or so if trends continued, a contingency that was seen as unthinkable a few short months ago.
So how do you make sure you stay on top of the pack? Drop the price $50. This move is the latest in a long line of poorly hidden pricing announcements in the gaming industry, and should do a lot to make sure the king of casual games and family appeal stays in the number-one slot. Even after Microsoft's $50 mail-in rebate, Nintendo will now remain $50 cheaper than the Elite, while now enjoying the same price as the 360 Arcade.
Even better, retail seems to have a handle on the supply issue, meaning that consumers who are finally pushed off the fence should be able to find plenty of hardware at their local retailers.
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