Nintendo hacks down 3DS retail price

by Steven Mostyn - Jul 29 2011, 08:26

If you’ve been tempted by the extra graphical dimension of Nintendo’s sexy dual-screen 3DS—but the asking price has thus far blunted your enthusiasm—now is perhaps the time to open your wallet.

More pointedly, Japanese gaming giant Nintendo has this week announced its decision to hack down existing regional price points associated with the 3DS portable console.

The price cut, which will be rolled out on August 12, will see the 3DS selling for $169.99 USD in the United States—while prospective buyers in Australia be facing a revised price of $249.99 AUD, and Japanese gamers can snag it for 15,000 yen.

“For anyone who was sitting on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” commented Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime in a BBC report.

In order to sooth any surging annoyance from customers who’ve already purchased the console at its original price, Nintendo will be hoping its temporary 3DS ‘Ambassador Programme’ will serve as an adequate apology.

Available to existing 3DS owners until the August 12 price drop, the Ambassador Programme will provide downloadable access to 10 NES games, 10 Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles via the official Nintendo eShop.

“To register for this programme, the Nintendo 3DS owners simply need to connect to the Nintendo eShop before the 12th of August,” outlined Nintendo in a statement.

“The free software will then be made available at a later stage,” it added. “More details on the programme will be announced on the Nintendo of Europe website shortly.”

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