Nintendo promises 'reasonable' Wii U price

The Wii U will be on store shelves in about six months, and one of the largest questions surrounding its launch remains unanswered: How much will the system cost? In an interview with Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun (translated by Andriasang), Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata did not reveal a firm price for the console, due worldwide this holiday season, but said it will be sold at a "reasonable" rate.

"We won't make the same mistake that we did with the 3DS, which was considered relatively high by consumers," he said.

The 3DS launched last March at $250, but after a sluggish start, Nintendo cut the portable's price down to $170. Regarding the future of the handheld, Iwata said, "We've fixed the 3DS profitability issue, and pledge to turn profitable by the end of this fiscal year."

Though Nintendo has kept the Wii U's official price tag under wraps, reports about its cost have come to light. In April, sources reportedly involved with manufacturing and distributing Nintendo products said the Wii U would cost no less than $300 at launch.

Earlier this month, Wedbush Securities industry analyst Michael Pachter said the Wii U must sell for under $300 at launch, noting an optimal price for the system would be $250. The industry diviner expressed uncertainty regarding the system, saying it lacks a "killer app" to help drive initial hardware sales.