Despite Nintendo (NTDOY: OTC) denying rumors for over a month, the leading electronic entertainment company recently announced that it was slashing the price of its popular video game console Wii. Starting Sunday, Sept. 27, the console will cost only $199.99, a full 50 dollars in savings. The console will still be bundled with the ever-popular Wii Sports, making this console a must-have for yet another holiday season. This price cut comes after both Microsoft (MSFT: NASDAQ) and Sony (SNE: NYSE) announced price cuts on their respective Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Nintendo’s price cut announcement took place during Sony’s keynote speech at the Tokyo Game Show on Sept. 23, likely stealing some of Sony’s thunder. The $50 price cut comes at a very strategic time, shortly before the release of the follow-up to the exercise-gaming sensation Wii Fit.
Wii Fit+ will be released in early October, and another surefire hit, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be unleashed to the public on Nov. 15. To combat this Microsoft will be releasing another entry in the popular Halo series, Halo ODST, while Sony will release Uncharted 2 to try and drive up sales. Both high-definition consoles have another trump card: the sequel to the smash hit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, published by Activision.
All three consoles are in the process of offering new motion controls, with Nintendo’s new, more accurate motion-plus device already on the market. Due to the success motion controls have brought Nintendo, Microsoft is bringing an advanced camera, Natal, to the market at some undetermined point next year while Sony is bringing its motion control wand to the market in the spring, according to its recent showing at the Tokyo Game Show.
Between the compelling software being offered during the holiday season, and the potential offered by new motion control options on the horizon, it should be very interesting to see which company comes out on top.
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