Nintendo has slashed the price of the Wii console from $149.99 to $129.99, which be "widely available" on October 28.
The $129.99 console will include a black Wii, Nunchuck controller, Wii Motion Plus controller, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii Sports. Nintendo's offer will take take the place of Nintendo's current $149.99 value offer, which includes a black Wii with New Super Mario Bros Wii.
Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt, states: "Nearly six years after it launched, people are still attracted to the pure, inclusive fun of the Wii console."
He adds, "A new suggested price and the inclusion of two great games make it an easy choice for families looking for a great value this holiday season."
Fall 2012 will likely be a decicive holiday season for Nintendo, gauging the mass market interest for the Wii U, the company's new tablet-enhanced console.
Prominent Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter writes, "We expect demand [for the Wii U] from Nintendo's core fan base to remain high through the end of its March 31 fiscal year. Once initial demand begins to subside, we expect Nintendo to lower prices."
As for when Nintendo will bring costs down, Pachter notes: "We don't expect a price cut until summer 2013, at the earliest, but do expect a cut prior to holiday 2013. Any prospective cut will depend largely on competition, which we expect to materialize in the coming weeks."
This "competition" include's Microsoft and Sony's new next-generation consoles, which are rumored to launch during holiday 2013. A price cut on the Wii U, in conjuction with an established user-base, will give Nintendo a distinct edge against 2013's new consoles.
The Wii U will release on November 18 with two versions: a $299 white console, and a $249 black deluxe console that ships with the game Nintendo Land.
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