The Wii price drop that was first announced at the beginning of May took effect yesterday.
This makes it the least expensive current-generation video game system on the market today, and the cut comes as Nintendo has failed to keep the Wii momentum going strong. Sales have faltered over the last several months.
The company announced the price drop earlier this month, causing several retailers to slightly reduce the price in the last couple weeks. Now, though, you can pick one up for the cheapest it has ever been.
The new price point applies to all Wii systems that were previously priced at $200, though to commemorate the new cut Nintendo has also introduced a new bundle. It comes with a Wii Remote with MotionPlus, a Nunchuck, a copy of Mario Kart Wii, and a Wii Wheel peripheral.
Additionally, a slate of Wii games have just been axed to a slick $20 price point, including The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, and Mario Super Sluggers.
“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another. The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people,” said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime in a statement when the new price was first revealed.
The price drop comes nearly a month before Nintendo plans to reveal the Wii’s successor, known internally as Project Cafe. The new console will be shown off at next month’s E3 conference, Nintendo has confirmed.
The Wii had been priced at $200 for years, and outlasted price drops from both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Those competing consoles have a very complicated and extensive price history. The Wii, meanwhile, has only ever retailed for $250 or $200.
Despite the price consistency, Nintendo’s console has begun falling in sales, largely because its technology is highly outdated.
The new Wii, meanwhile, is rumored to be technologically superior to – and more expensive than – the 360 and PS3.
