At long last, Nintendo cuts Wii U Deluxe price to $300
The Wii U Deluxe starts selling at the reduced price on September 20.
Nintendo has finally made a move to improve the Wii U's chances of finding more suitors.
The company on Wednesday announced that it will cut the price on the Wii U Deluxe set by $50. Starting September 20, the deluxe console will be available for $299.99. In addition, Nintendo will sell a limited-edition Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on September 20 for the same $299.99 price tag.
Nintendo's announcement did not mention any changes to the Wii U Basic Set which also currently has a suggested retail price of $299.99.
The big news, however, is that Nintendo has finally decided to cut the price of the Wii U. Since its launch last year, the Wii U has collected dust on store shelves, with only 160,000 units worldwide during the last quarter. Analysts and shareholders have been pressing Nintendo to cut the console's price, but its CEO Satoru Iwata has continued to say that his company needs only to express the console's value more effectively.
It's not clear what made Nintendo change its tune, but it's possible that the company wants to separate its console from the more-expensive Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launching later this year. More importantly, some consumers might find more value in the Wii U once it's a bit cheaper.
The fourth quarter also promises to be a strong period for Nintendo's software team, with Wii Party U, Super Mario 3D World, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze all expected to hit store shelves before the holiday season.