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With both Sony and Microsoft unveiling considerable price drops for their respective next-generation videogame consoles, are we now to expect Nintendo to finally – after years of staunch refusal – lower the price of its motion-sensing Wii?
Hello, Nintendo... price drop? Image: Nintendo.
According to a Business Insider report, that’s exactly what Nintendo has to do, with the online magazine pointing out that after enjoying unprecedented market momentum since launching in November of 2006, sales of the Wii have been dropping progressively for a number of months.
Yet, despite recent NPD Group figures for the U.S. market revealing the Wii to be the biggest hardware loser for the month of July (down some 55), Nintendo still appears unwilling to downgrade the console’s longstanding price of $249 USD.
However, prospective Wii buyers holding out for a drop may be looking for Nintendo to act after Sony last week lopped a full $100 USD off its PlayStation 3 console (taking it to $299 USD) and Microsoft reacted by dropping its Pro and Elite models by $50 USD and $100 USD respectively (taking them to $249 USD and $299 USD).
Given declining sales and the massive gulf in processing power and multimedia versatility separating the PS3 and Xbox 360 from the demographic-busting Wii, surely Nintendo can no longer rest on its laurels and needs to reinforce the Wii’s pricing strength – the console’s only other obvious market advantage beyond its innovative control scheme.
“The Wii is the leader of the three in worldwide sales, but after being launched [nearly three] years ago, it isn’t exactly the “must have” it was when its motion control system was novel,” offers Business Insider.
“Given the current tough retail market, it’s hard to believe consumers won’t notice if Sony and Microsoft cut their prices significantly while Nintendo maintains its price.”
Regardless of any gathering weight of opinion connected to the Wii’s pricing, Nintendo has proven time and time again that it does its own thing, its own way, and no amount of outside pressure will change that.
For us here at The Tech Herald, a Wii price drop to around $199 USD in time for the Christmas rush would seem Nintendo’s most likely response to Sony and Microsoft’s aggressive pricing – but we wouldn’t be willing to stake our reputations on it.
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