Nintendo’s top-selling Wii is getting a price drop of $US50 to $US200 starting this Sunday, something Nintendo hopes will drive gaming fence sitters to the mass-appeal console.

“Our research shows that 50 million people in the US are considering getting involved with video games, but need a good reason,” Kaigler told Kotaku in an email interview. “We feel that this price reduction, occurring during the time frame in which Wii Fit Plus is launched, will give many of them that reason. Generating increased consumer demand just before the holiday season is beneficial not only to Nintendo but our many publishing and retailer business partners.”

The announcement of the new price landed during the middle of Sony’s keynote at this year’s Tokyo Game show. Kaigler said that that the timing of the coordinated Japan and US announcement was the result of many factors, but in the end it was a date and time that “worked well for both of our regions”.

Kaigler added that the price drop wasn’t spurred by slow sales of Nintendo’s console earlier this year, something she feels was more about game releases than console pricing.

“As we’ve stated before, this year’s most anticipated releases for Wii come during the second half of the year. Last year, they arrived in the first half. That’s the main reason for somewhat slower hardware sales this year,” she said. “Of course, a lower price brings the system into consideration for many more people. But I’d like to ask your readers to not lose sight of what’s involved in the comparison. Last year Wii set the record for the highest number of hardware sales for any system in US history. Wii has consistently sold at least 250,000 units since it launched 34 months ago, setting another record for any home console.”

The new price, Kaigler says, could also help attract a broader demographic to their console.

“I think the new price, combined with the inherent value of the Wii package, will make the system more attractive to consumers of all kinds, including passionate gamers and people who are still trying to decide whether they should get into video games,” she said. “Our research shows that there are several different kinds of prospective buyers. The greatest number includes those who consider themselves possible video game players-they say they’re just waiting for the right incentive. We’ve got a three-part program this holiday season to reach these people: a lower suggested price; hit new software, including both Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii; and an aggressive sampling tour that we expect will reach approximately 1 million people. This will provide a lot of incentive.”

While the $US200 price tag makes the Wii the same price as Microsoft’s entry-level Xbox 360 Arcade, Kaigler says that the experience out of the box for the Wii makes it a better value.

“The key component is value. Right out of the box, Wii owners receive unique motion control with the Wii Remote, and the groundbreaking Wii Sports,” she said. “This experience isn’t available anywhere else at any price-but now it’s available from Nintendo at a more affordable price.”

While Nintendo says the price drop was timed to the upcoming release of Wii Fit Plus, Nintendo currently has no plans to bundle that or any other additional game with the console.

“When we have something to announce, we will be sure to let your readers know,” she said. She also said that the company currently has no news on the possibility of adding a service that would allow Wii owners to buy or rent videos through the Wii, something both the PS3 and Xbox 360 support.

And what about that rumoured Wii 2?

“Our development teams are always working on new possibilities for future hardware and software, but we have nothing to announce at this time,” she said.

Kaigler said that there is still plenty of room for the Wii to grow. Especially, she notes, in the realm of the console’s WiiWare download only titles which haven’t yet reached their full potential.

“This is a service that provides the highest possible range of creativity for the lowest developer investment. And creativity knows no boundaries,” she said. “In the grand scheme of things, WiiWare is still a relatively new service. I think the reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Games like World of Goo have no doubt inspired other indie developers to say “I want to try that.” We’ve seen a great deal of diversity in the types of games and developers on WiiWare but there is much more to come.”

Keep in mind, in the US, the PSP-3000 is $US169, while the PSPgo is $US249.

In Japan, the PSP-3000 is currently priced at ¥19,800 (AU$250). With the price drop, the monetary difference between the PSP-3000 and PSPgo is around a hundred bucks. Think about it.

In the US, the cut will take effect on September 27, and as expected will see the console go from $US250 to $US200. Not only will the Wii drop by $US50, but will also include for the first time a Wii Nunchuk peripheral, which previously had to be purchased separately.

In Japan, the reduction will kick in on October 1, and see the console dropping from 25,000 (AU$313) to 20,000 (AU$251).

This marks the first time Nintendo have officially reduced the price of the console in any market since the console’s launch in 2006. That’s an impressive run.

Kansas City, Missouri, to be exact, where a Sony representative was instructing store representatives on the relative values of the three consoles, making note of the Xbox 360’s optional wireless adaptor and pay-to-play online and the Wii’s limited-capabilities and $US199 price tag. Did you know that the PlayStation 3 has a Blu-ray drive and the other two consoles don’t? You did? Oh. Well maybe the Best Buy people didn’t.

The clock is ticking, and the proof is definitely building up. Will Nintendo announce a price cut before the week is out, or will it be a surprise? Will it happen at all?

We’ve requested comment from both Sony and Nintendo regarding both the presentation and the price cut, but we’ve yet to receive a response.

I’ve emailed our Nintendo of America PR contact to ask if they’d like to add anything. Likely, the company’s official response is along the lines of what they told us on Thursday, that they won’t comment on rumour or speculation.

I would say it’s a solid bet we’ll put an end to all of this with some announcement at Tokyo Game Show this week.

Wii Price Cut Confirmed [Nintendojo via Go Nintendo]

So, yeah, the Xbox 360’s price tag has been cut for The Land of the Rising Sun. Pricing looks like this:

• Xbox 360 Elite
Previous Price: ¥39,800 (AU$515)
New Price: ¥29,800 (AU$385)

• Xbox 360 Pro
Previous Price: ¥29,800 (AU$385)
New Price: Open

• Xbox 360 Arcade
Previous Price: ¥19,800 (AU$256)
New Price: ¥19,800

The open price for the Xbox 360 Pro is to basically ensure (or hopefully ensure) that retailers sell through their stock. The “new price” for the Xbox 360 Arcade isn’t a new price—so don’t get excitement.

Other details mentioned at the event include:

• Microsoft has sold 31.4 million Xbox 360s
• Over twenty million Xbox LIVE members.
• During the first half of this year, downloads were up 30 per cent
• 27 million games in the Halo franchise have been sold

Numbers are fun!

【Xbox360 media briefing 2009】テキストライブ Xbox360値下げを発表 | インサイド [Inside Games]
マイクロソフトの発表会で、Xbox 360 エリートが29800円［税込］に値下げ！ [ファミ通.com]

But I guess it helps to add Best Buy to Wal-Mart and Meijer’s upcoming ads showing a price drop for the Xbox 360 Elite and Pro.

According to our Best Buy tipster, the price drop hits next week. The ad lists the white 60GB Xbox 360 Pro as $US249 and the black 120GB Xbox 360 Elite as $US299, matching the Playstation 3’s size, price and even colour.

[Thanks Fave]

A “major” UK retailer has told game site CVG that PSP and PS3 price cuts are “definitely coming soon”. Rumours have been circulating about such a price cut for some time.

“It’s been on the cards for a while,” the retailer is quotes as saying, “but manufacturers are not in the habit of giving exact dates so as not to effect sales.”

The rumoured price cut is supposed to bring the PS3 down to US$300 and is expected to be announced next week.

PlayStation price drop [CVG]

The PlayStation 3 will get a price drop in 2009. It just has to if Sony wants the console to keep up, install base-wise. Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg agrees and expects a cheaper PS3 within months.

He tells Edge Online that Microsoft is planning on its console competition becoming more price competitive in 2009. Not really his call, obviously, but failing to plan means planning to fail, right?

“We absolutely expect the PS3 price drop to happen in the next couple of months,” Greenberg said, following recent Microsoft sales boasting. “We’re frankly surprised it’s taken this long. I would expect they’d have to move on price, sooner than later, for sure.”

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves disagrees. He says not to expect a price cut this Spring, sticking to the “value added” thing. With PlayStation 3s reportedly getting cheaper to make, we’d expect it sooner rather than later — “no plans” notwithstanding.

MS: 360 Life-to-Date Sales Hit 28m [Edge Online]

“We are continually looking for ways to enhance the player experience on the PLAYSTATION®Network, and downloadable content through the PLAYSTATION Store is just one of our areas of focus,” said Grace Chen, Senior Manager for the PLAYSTATION Store. “We anticipate that this price adjustment will meet the expectations of our Canadian consumers and provide them with a better PLAYSTATION Network experience.”

The adjustment will occur over the day and should be in full effect by the time tomorrow’s scheduled update hits. I wonder if they’ll be doing this in other markets as well? Seems like this is something Microsoft should be looking into too.