Nintendo Announces Wii U Price Drop, 2DS Handheld Price set at $130

Nintendo has dropped two big bombshells on fans, as they have announced that the Deluxe Version of the Wii U will have a price drop, and they are releasing a new handheld control, the Nintendo 2DS.

On September 20, the 32GB version of the Wii U will drop $50 off the price, making it so gamers can grab the console for $299.99. A price cut of £30 is also being reported in Europe, but that price cut will take place later on October 4. This is a smart move by Nintendo, as now the Wii U will be $100 less than the PlayStation 4 and $200 less than the Xbox One, and could boost sales of the struggling system enough to help it compete against the next-gen consoles. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told IGN that the strong fall and winter lineup for the system will also help the Wii U turn around the system's fortunes.

"The price decline is pretty straightforward...Really, the focus on heightening the value for Wii U is now that we are in a position where we've got a regular pace of great software. Pikmin 3, New Super Luigi U that just launched physically, Wonderful 101 in September, and then Wind Waker. Then we've got strong third-party content coming for the holidays as well. Scribblenauts, Skylanders, Sonic Lost World, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed IV, Watch Dogs. So, strong pace of first-party, strong third-party content. Now's the time to make the Wii U even more affordable and heighten the value."

Nintendo also announced that they will have a new handheld console on October 12, called the Nintendo 2DS. This device will be available for $129.99, and will be capable of playing all DS and 3DS games. The handheld is designed to be a introduction console for younger gamers, and instead of folding in half like other DS models the 2DS is one solid piece. The 2DS will not be 3D capable, but will have other 3DS functions such as WiFi and local multiplayer.  Because users cannot simply shut the device to power the 2DS off, a slider is instead used to turn off the device, and the system's WiFi can be turned off within the system's controls rather than a physical switch on the console. The device will come in blue and red models to start, and will be available along with the 3DS and 3DS XL.