Nintendo slashes Wii price to $149.99
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Nintendo is slashing the price of its Wii gaming console and throwing in some freebies as well.
Starting May 15, the suggested retail price for the Wii, once highly coveted by youngsters and energetic seniors alike, will be cut to $149.99 (a $50 savings from the current price). Included in the deal will be the Mario Kart racing game and a Wii wheel accessory, replacing the Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resorts games packaged with the console now.
The gaming giant will also launch Nintendo Selects, a bundle of four ‘must-own’ games for $19.99, including The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers and Wii Sports.
The Wii was a huge blockbuster for Nintendo after its launch in 2006, when it became a sensation for its easy-to-use wand and motion-oriented games. From January 2007 until last May, the Wii was the top-selling gaming console almost every month in the U.S.
But falling sales have plagued the Wii and compatible games since last year as Microsoft Corp.’s rival Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 gained ground.
But last week, Nintendo announced that it will be showing off its next-generation gaming console, nicknamed ‘Project Cafe,’ at the E3 trade show in June. In March, Nintendo launched the Nintendo 3DS, a no-glasses, handheld gaming device which has sold more than 3 million units.
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-- Shan Li
