And with that, Nintendo gets the upper hand in the price wars again.
The 3DS, which retailed at $249.99 currently, will get a massive $80 price cut starting August 12, taking its new price down to $169.99. No doubt the impending PS Vita, which also retails for $249, and is a hell of a lot more technologically advanced that the 3DS is, has something to do with the price cut.
Sluggish 3DS sales (with only 790,000 3DS units shipped worldwide last quarter) might also have something to do with this move.
In any case, this price cut makes the 3DS incredibly competitive. With the upcoming holiday lineup the system has, which includes Super Mario, Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Kid Icarus, Tales of the Abyss, Star Fox and Nano Assault, 3DS sales may finally begin to catch up.
Japan saw a price drop from 25,000 Yen to 15,000 Yen as well.
No pricing for Europe has been announced.
The press release is below:
Nintendo 3DS Price Drops to $169.99, as Great Value and New 3D Games Come Together
Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and Kid Icarus: Uprising Prep Nintendo 3DS for a Strong Holiday Season
NOTE: Multimedia available here
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™ system to $169.99 in the United States, as new games based on some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises head to the system. The new price, down from the suggested launch price of $249.99 and effective Aug. 12, makes an outstanding value even better and sets up a strong holiday season for the system.
“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”
Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who’s Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus™: Uprising during the holiday season.
In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season.
For users of the system who already bought it at the much higher $249 price point, Nintendo plans on releasing a new online games program, called the Ambassadors Program, under which 10 NES games and 10 GBA games will be made available to these early adopters exclusively.
The games will include The Legend of Zelda and Ice Climbers for the NES, and Metroid Fusion and Mario Kart: Super Curcuit for the GBA.
More on this, including a potential Europe and Australian price cut, as well as the full list of games Nintendo plans to make available, will be posted here, so stay tuned.
