Wii officially at $199 starting Sept 27

by: Chuck - posted: 9/24/2009 7:29:00 AM

I know we've already touched on this but Nintendo has officially dropped the price on the Wii to $199 effective September 27th.  This isn't any kind of surprised and it looks like Nintendo is going to be keeping the price up for a few days to see if they can get a few ignorant rubes to pay full price between now and Sunday.

I do wonder if the shine is officially off the Wii now.  With the device readily available in stores it's now having to compete on price and on software it's no longer the mythical device it was for the first two years of it's life.  I'm interested to see if the Wii will see much of a jump in sales or not but it's still hard to recommend the device to people when you can get an Xbox 360 arcade unit for the same price.  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments.

Wii at $199.99 Beginning Sept. 27

World of Nintendo Events, Key Software Releases Further Demonstrate System’s Incomparable Value

NOTE: Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Beginning Sunday, Sept. 27, the world’s most popular home video game system gets even more appealing. On that day, Nintendo’s suggested retail price for its record-setting Wii™ drops by $50 to $199.99. The new $199.99 Wii price point delivers the full iconic Wii gaming experience, including the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Sports™ software, and furthers Nintendo’s mission to expand the gaming universe by making video games accessible to more and more consumers.

Wii ownership also opens an avenue for players to the industry’s most diverse and unique collection of home console games. Key upcoming releases include Wii Fit™ Plus, launching on Oct. 4, and the first truly multiplayer Mario™ title ever, New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii.

Both new and veteran players in America can jump into this new Mario action when it arrives on Nov. 15.

And beginning Oct. 2, consumers in select cities will have a new, convenient way to decide which Nintendo adventure to tackle next. On that day, a novel series of sampling events called “World of Nintendo” kicks off in Long Beach, Calif.

“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.”

The inherent social nature of Wii is fully demonstrated in a groundbreaking way with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the first Mario game ever to allow four players to take part in the action at the same time. That same dynamic is propelling the enthusiastic response for Wii Sports Resort™, while the release of Wii Fit Plus includes everything you love about Wii Fit™, along with new multiplayer elements and the ability to customize workouts to fit individual needs.

See below for full details on the World of Nintendo events that are scheduled to take place in Long Beach, Philadelphia and New York throughout the month of October.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

For more information about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, visit www.MarioBrosWii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please contact Deanna Talamantez at 213-438-8742 or dtalamantez@golinharris.com. Users can receive instant Nintendo information by subscribing to the site’s RSS feed.

KEY Wii SOFTWARE RELEASES


Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
Available Now


Guitar Hero 5 (Activision)
Available Now


The Beatles: Rock Band (EA)
Available Now


Metroid™ Prime: Trilogy (Nintendo)
Available Now


Dead Space Extraction (EA)
Sept. 29


Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
Oct. 4


Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes (LucasArts)
Oct. 6


Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (SEGA)
Oct. 13


Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (Konami)
Nov. 3


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex (Activision)
Nov. 10


New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
Nov. 15


EA Sports Active More Workouts (EA)
Nov. 17


Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Capcom)
Nov. 17


LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (LucasArts)
Nov. 17


James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game (Ubisoft)
Nov. 24


WORLD OF NINTENDO CONSUMER SAMPLING TOUR

In video game aisles, shelves are filled with hundreds of choices. Online, differentiating between thousands of alternatives is nearly impossible. For players, the ideal option would be the chance to see just those titles you’re most interested in—and then grab the controller and take them for a test drive.

That solution springs to life next month as World of Nintendo sampling events pop up in three cities. Among the hit Nintendo titles to be included:

For Wii:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus, Punch-Out!!™ and WiiWare™ titles

For Nintendo DS™/Nintendo DSi™:

The Legend of Zelda™: Spirit Tracks, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box™ and Nintendo DSiWare™ titles

While final details are pending, the current schedule is as follows:
CITY DATES EVENT LOCATION
Long Beach, Calif. Oct. 2: 3-7 p.m.

Oct. 3: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Oct. 4: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Long Beach Comic Con Long Beach Convention Center
Philadelphia Oct. 9: 2-9 p.m.

Oct. 10: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Oct. 11: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
VGXPO Pennsylvania Convention Center
New York Oct. 16: noon-8 p.m.

Oct. 17: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Oct. 18: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.


Big Apple Comic Con


Pier 94

(55th Street at 12th Avenue)

For information and updates, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6057703&lang=en

Contacts

GOLIN HARRIS
Eileen Tanner, 509-521-2594
etanner@golinharris.com
or
Michele Wyman, 310-625-9088
mwyman@golinharris.com

Source: Nintendo
Smart Multimedia Gallery
Graphic

Starting Sept. 27, the world's most popular home video game system gets even more appealing. Nintendo's suggested retail price for its record-setting Wii console drops by $50 to $199.99 and delivers the full Wii gaming experience: motion-sensing Wii Remote controller, Nunchuk controller and Wii Sports software, and furthers Nintendo's mission to make video games accessible to more consumers. Since it launched in November 2006, the Wii console has been the fastest-selling video game system in history, selling more than 21 million units in the United States alone. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Graphic

Sept. 23, 2009 -- Today Nintendo announced that the first multiplayer Mario title ever, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, will arrive in stores across the country on Nov. 15. The inherent social nature of Wii is fully demonstrated in a groundbreaking way with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the first Mario game ever to allow four players to take part in the action at the same time. Since it launched in November 2006, the Wii console has sold more than 21 million units in the United States alone. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Graphic

Sept. 23, 2009 -- Nintendo of America today announces "World of Nintendo" consumer sampling events kicking off Oct. 2 and visiting select cities nationwide, including Long Beach, Calif., Philadelphia and New York throughout the month of October. These World of Nintendo events offer consumers the opportunity to sample many of Nintendo's upcoming games, including New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Fit Plus, and for Nintendo DS The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box as well as WiiWare and Nintendo DSiWare titles. Please check Nintendo.com for the most up-to-date information. (Graphic: Business Wire)