Nintendo: No Wii or DS price cuts in '08

Satoru Iwata says the company hasn't factored hardware discounting into its forecast, as one analyst predicts slowing handheld sales will prompt another DS revamp.

Like anything else, the price of game hardware is affected by the law of supply and demand. If everyone wants something but there isn't enough of it to go around, prices aren't likely to come down.

Nintendo has no doubt realized that demand for its hardware is high and supply is not, as it reportedly doesn't expect to bring down the cost of admission for either piece of hardware anytime this year. According to Reuters, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the possibility of price cuts in an analysts' meeting earlier today.

"Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don't think we are going to need them," Iwata was quoted as saying.

Despite that confidence, there is reason to think that the laws of supply and demand won't work as much in Nintendo's favor this year. In a note to investors this morning, Lazard Capital Markets Colin Sebastian pointed to Nintendo's plan to increase Wii production and supply by more than 34 percent this year. He also noted the company's forecast that it expects to ship 28 million DS systems for the new fiscal year, down from 30 million last year, suggesting that it expects slightly tempered demand for the handheld.

Sebastian said Nintendo is planning to spark DS sales in the future by pushing further into the mainstream consumer market with new features and games designed for non-traditional gamers. But if that doesn't work out, Sebastian suggested that the DS would be in for another redesign.

"[W]e believe Nintendo could launch a refresh of its handheld platform if sales momentum does not continue," Sebastian said.

This isn't the first time an analyst has suggested a new version of the DS. Last November, Pacific Crest Securities' Evan Wilson cited contacts in the industry as telling him the redesign is already complete, and Nintendo was just waiting to unveil it until DS sales tapered off in the US, Europe, and Japan.

The DS was launched in November of 2004, and its first redesign, the DS Lite, debuted in Japan in March of 2006.

279 Comments

  • jmartin1016

    Posted Apr 30, 2008 10:51 am PT

    They should lower the price anyway. They are making a bundle on each system sold. They should pass on their savings a little.

  • senjutsu

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 8:54 pm PT

    "Nintendo: No Wii or DS price cuts in '08"

    Me: No wii or DS for me in '08

  • eggo21

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 6:01 pm PT

    I expect the DS lite to drop price due the new DS coming out. Maybe a 79-99 price tag.
    As for the Wii no drop at all. Its outselling everything. It's #1 worldwide in sales. So why drop?

  • iceveiled

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 2:42 pm PT

    The systems are still in high demand, and really, neither the DS or the Wii have direct competition. I don't believe the Wii is trying to compete with the PS3 or 360 in the hardcore gamer market segment. So why would they consider lowering prices? If anything they should raise the price. Wait..scratch that. Nintendo isn't in the oil industry.

  • Pedro7_2000

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 12:29 pm PT

    Nintendo is like Apple, they love making a killing on the price of hardware.

  • londonrider posted Apr 29, 2008 6:29 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    londonrider

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 6:29 am PT (hide)

    Wii is not the cheapiest console already. It costs 179 pounds, and Xbox 360 Arcade- 159.99 (and it does more than Wii)

  • sun_spirit posted Apr 29, 2008 3:00 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    sun_spirit

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 3:00 am PT (hide)

    Both consoles are cheap enough as it is, they are both selling fine.

  • smcaudata

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 12:25 am PT

    If the system is selling as fast as it is made (albeit production is terrible), there is no reason for a price cut. As a Wii owner though, I would love to see a price cut AND more production. As a long time gamer, I don't consider my console to be a game player unless it can play Metroid, Zelda, and Mario games. These are games I enjoy and still the only ones that I play start to finish quickly. I disliike FPS games on my console. I am much more interested in playing online games on my PC where I can type for communication. I know there is voice support... but honestly, I have ZERO desire to listen to some of the people that play Halo or the like online through Live or whatever Sony has. In my MMORPGs I have played I find raiding on voice chat to be irritating enough at times, random annoying youngsters would drive me crazy. Online games NEED keyboards IMO.

    So, hopefully Nintendo can get their production ramped out to encourage third party support. Until then though as long as the first party games are really good I'll stick by em. Hell, I build a new PC every couple of years for what ends up being only a handful of games. A console that costs a fraction of the cost and lasts twice is long is well worth it even if it only plays 2 or 3 games a year. There are poeple that bought or buy playstations exclusively for FF games. I see no difference.

  • wookie560

    Posted Apr 29, 2008 12:23 am PT

    ?There was a DS Lite price cut at Futureshop like a month ago where I live. It went from $150 to $130. What're they talking about?

    Stores can price products at whatever they want. The "Buy" price for them will remain the same, just less profits (if any).

  • JBDragon

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:50 pm PT

    Early on I thought about getting a Wii, but now, not really interested. My brother has one and I've played his Wii Sports, which I do conceder it to just be a "Wii Sports player", but 3rd party support is weak, no HD support, and basically the same old Nintendo Games once again with lots of Mario. What really has changed since the NES? The SNES? The N64? Cube? It's the same old games over and over again. Sure Improved Graphics, but still the same old thing. Maybe it just seems that way with pretty much being mostly Nintendo games on the consoles is seems like. Can't Nintendo think of something completely new in a game? It's also just too Cartoony. To me it's just a kids Console.

  • living_wmd_888

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:16 pm PT

    The DS's success has been amazing, especially since many people - including 1UP's Shoe - thought the PSP would allow Sony to take over the handheld market the way the PlayStation did with the console market. Nintendo was history, Shoe claimed. The DS's lifetime sales are over twice those of PSP. The PSP has been Japan's biggest seller this year though. I would actually like to see Nintendo bring on a new Game Boy with PSP-comparable (or specs that exceed the PSP) as its next handheld.

    As for the Wii... I like the Wii a lot, but even I'm shocked by how hard it is to find one after all this time. Third party games would sell better on the Wii if they were of better quality. I don't need my Wii to play DVDs. I found out the hard way with the PS2 that playing movies on consoles ruins them. I won't play DVDs on my 360 or allow the kids to do so.

  • ShadowTheHHFan

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:04 pm PT

    WTH? Another redesign? Isn't the DS lite good enough? The DS hasn't even been out for more then 4 years yet. Also, Another issue that other people have been pointing out is the waste of potential the Wii has. Third partier haven't really been making anything really wroth while other then RE4. Though I hope Coundit or whatever it's called will fix that.

  • master_chief_MN

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 9:53 pm PT

    I agree with what nate1222 said wholeheartedly. I can't even imagine how much I (or my parents back then) have spent on console gaming since the 8-bit days... I'm trying to get a good collection of limited edition DS systems, but if a redesign is coming that soon, I'm not going to spend the $500 on the A Bathing Ape / Mario DS that's on eBay right now. That would be insane.

  • nate1222

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:47 pm PT

    The Wii and DS DON'T need price cuts. I own a DS and love it. I mostly play my old GBA games on it. Most new consoles start out at $300 and drop by $50 a year. So at $250, Nintendo Wii is already where it should be this far into this generation. I'm 32. I've been gaming since the 8bit NES era. That's roughly 20+ years in the hole. You start to notice certain points in the life cycles of consoles:
    start-$300
    1st year-drop to $250
    2nd year-drop to $200
    3rd year-drop to $150
    4th year-drop to $100
    It typically goes like that. Save for the PS2, it's still at $130. But it also doubles as a DVD player. And that exception is a first in gaming. So Sony gets a free pass on $130. The PS3 and 360 also have their 'perks'. They both mark a turning point in consoles. And not neccessarily a good one, either.

  • DSfanatic5

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:21 pm PT

    I agree with valcrist09, in that Nintendo needs to focus on increasing production. This is the first time I've ever seen a gaming system in such low supply, long after its launch. As for price reduction, Nintendo doesn't need to reduce anything, since the Wii and DS are selling out due to popular demand. This is a much needed success for Nintendo, rising up from the ashes of the GameCube's poor sales. The Wii has become a global phenomenon, and everybody wants it.

    We sold out of Mario Kart the instant it came out on Sunday. I expect this titile, as well as Smash Bros, to be sold out throughout the holiday season. When Wii Fit releases, it's going to cause even more hysteria. That's not even including the surprises that Nintendo has up its sleeves.

  • valcrist09

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 4:45 pm PT

    screw price cuts, how about increasing PRODUCTION nintendo good freaking god... the wii is not all that fantasic to begin with, 3rd party games freaking suck, most of nintendos quality games were lackluster this generation ugh im just not impressed with the Wii, just sits and collects dust hoping something will come out that really makes the system shine.

  • LindBergh2007

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 4:44 pm PT

    Hey shadystxxx. that's exactly what I told myself in 2005 when Nintendo unveiled the Wii-mote. Pretty much after Gamecube, Nintendo lost my support starting ignoring the online gaming base and ending with the Revolution controller.

    Nothing about the Wii has convinced me. Nintendo fanboys bascially dispise me because I'm 25 years old and have been a gamer since 1988. But I'm a realist. I want a TRUE next gen console. A cutting edge console. Not a redesigned GC sold for $250 that looks no different from Gamecube. That would be like if PS2 was a redesigned 64-bit PSone with DVD playback. But the PS2 isn't. Looking at the Wii, it's mostly only the first party title that sell not the 3rd party games. Plus, most of the Wii-sports games, Wii-fit, and even Mario Kart steering wheel have already been done before. I won't even name how many other times there was a steering wheel accessory.(hell, nobody even remembers the Power Pad!) The Wii-mode itself was originally Phillips' idea. They used it with the failed CDi machine, but unlike Phillips, Nintendo didn't overpriced the Wii henceforth why it worked for them. A price cut isn't coming because Nintendo isn't working on another console( People in Japan believe they're going exclusively handhled and that Wii is thier final home console)

    All I'm saying is that Nintendo has yet to convince me. They claim Wii is NEW and revolutionary. But there's nothing NEW about Wii. We already know what it is and no why it sells, we already know kids will buy anything Nintendo, and that girls love to be cheap with gaming since they don't play games very much.

    The 360 and PS3 are okay, but they aren't next gen. Henceforth why I won't buy one. I'm probably one of the few people that doesn't live in Japan that believes that Sega will somehow re-enter the console market. But needless to say, this is just my opinion. I'm not impressed at the industry and don't like the direction it's headed in. You don't have to agree with me. But like shadystxxx, I'm not buying into this cheap last--gen gaming nonsense.

  • ahyumifan

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 3:36 pm PT

    I mean, for us, it might be bad news. But for Nintendo, why would they? They selling so much hardware even with this price point. Besides, even current price level is cheap price to purchase. So I think it is appropriate.

  • hungfar

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 3:06 pm PT

    Everybody wants cheaper hardware, but for Nintendo to cut prices at this point would be flat-out stupid. That's why I can't understand why I see a story about Nintendo price cuts every week on one site or another. When sales start to slow down is the only time Nintendo would consider it, and of course the obligatory redesigned hardware would launch at the previous model's higher price point at the same time so they win either way.

  • nickelarcade

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 3:05 pm PT

    the day i dont have to stand in line for a wii, is the day i will buy one

  • felshs

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 12:41 pm PT

    i know..that Wii had cool down, but i still couldn`t find one in store. Nintendo must be up to something,seriously.

  • stevemcginn

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 12:40 pm PT

    The Wii and DS are making so much money...Nintendo would not ever think of cutting the price when people are still having trouble getting a Wii in the US

  • KuraiShinigami

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 12:36 pm PT

    A DS redesign sounds cool...I guess...

  • T070Y

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 12:03 pm PT

    Wii and DS dont need a price cut, they are the cheapest consoles.
    Also with or without a price cut it will still be selling.

  • Killer2401

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:58 am PT

    Why would the DS or the Wii need a price cut? They're dirt cheap!

  • leonheart_z

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:15 am PT

    funny..or very odd i think..in my country,Nigeria..the PS3 actually has more playing time and game titles available..most gamers here prefer the PS3 n PSP to even the 360..let alone Wii or DS..

  • vasudean

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 10:52 am PT

    promano, I don't think that the Wii need better graphics, the graphics are fine where they are. Also I think it would be rather dumb to add a DVD player because the life of the average gaming console is 5-6 years and in my opinion, I don't feel like buying another all-purpose media player everytime a new one comes out. I'm not trying to diss people who like having one, but I'm glad Nintendo decided not to jump the bandwagon on adding more features to a system, but making gaming optional, I think that all game consoles shouldn't put all that extra stuff on it. It's just not necessary. Being able to download new content, that's fine. Downloading arcade or classic games, that's fine too, but a DVD player is just an unnecessary feature that sometimes doesn't even agree with the system in the first place.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 9:06 am PT

    The Xbox360 Arcade (as it is now called) is down to the price of the Wii, less in some countries. Nintendo may have a great system, but their competitive price is a provider of some of that steam. Nintendo doesn't really have a lot of big-budget, high-profile, AAA-titles lined up for the next year. At least not that they have announced.

    Nintendo has a good following and good rumors going around about it that help it sell. If they don't cut the price at all, this may hurt them in the end. If we don't see one by the end of '08, we will surely see on after the holiday season.

  • Dualmask

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:55 am PT

    @Proust "no one who owns both a Wii and PS3 (and what PS3 owner doesn't own a Wii?) thinks the wii is a better value." -- Actually, I do. I mean, what the PS3 can do is great, and I'm glad I have one, but I do find myself going to my Wii a lot more when I feel like gaming. I recently had the opportunity to pick up a few games with extra cash and I had a much easier time picking out Wii titles than I did PS3 games...but that's just me. I did get skate for PS3, but I also picked up Okami, Metal Slug Anthology, Mario Kart Wii and Bully.

    On a side note, I wouldn't mind if the DS were dropped to $99. I want one, and I'd pay the price they're asking, but the DS isn't nearly as hard to find as the Wii is.

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:45 am PT

    $250 is still too much for a console with old technology, no dvd play back, no HD, and no hard drive. Plus the fact that there is still not enough 3rd party AAA games for it..

    I like my DS as much as the next person but don't see why it's selling for $130. $99 would be more fair.

  • NandoSupes

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:39 am PT

    The Wii and the DS are still cheapest game devices when it comes to the other big 2 ,360 and PS3.

    Nintendo has no reason to lower the price until the 360 and PS3 do their price cuts.

  • Grandstream

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:26 am PT

    The problem is...the DS redesign they have planned doesn't have a GBA port on it. So it could potentially be cheaper if people pay for the DS playability compared to DS/GBA.

  • Maersyndel

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 8:24 am PT

    Another DS redesign?

    I thought it was bad enough when game studios milked IPs.....will we see as many DS versions as there were Game Boy?

  • newfg311

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 7:52 am PT

    Sorry to hear that ScottEFresh, but mine is the complete opposite. I play the Wii WAY more than I play my PS3 at the moment. Its sad to say, but PS3 really has no game out there that makes you wanna play the console non-stop so I don't know exactly what it is that you are playing, but it can't be all that good. My PS3 is basically a blu-ray player at the moment (at least until tonight when I get GTA) and the Wii has been getting a lot more usage.

  • ScottEFresh

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 7:36 am PT

    I can't wait until this system just goes away. I'm glad they aren't cutting the price though...that way I can still sell mine for all it's worth come the holidays. All this thing does is sit next to my PS3 and look like an idiot...piece of crap Wii.

  • dmish82

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 7:32 am PT

    How am I reading XBL comments on a Wii/DS price cut forum?! Seriously!!! I wasn't kidding when I said I seriously read XBL comments on EVERY forum. It's getting way out of hand now.

  • dryden555

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 7:22 am PT

    given the currency exchange rate with the dollar so low, it makes sense for Nintendo to keep the retail prices unchanged

  • resident_rozza

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 6:49 am PT

    Whilst a price drop would indeed be nice, would it really affect Nintendo so badly?

    Think about it, Nintendo claim to make a large profit on any Wii sold, and whilst i can see that Nintendo may be looking at profit maximisation, i don't think it would be too detrimental to their profits.
    Besides if a price drop did occur, all it would do is create more of a rush for people to snap up a Wii, Nintendo could probably use a smaller price tag as a unique selling point and make more money on that.

  • jmdude

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 6:49 am PT

    a price drop is unnecessary when your trademark system is selling outrageous...

  • littlestreakier

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 6:42 am PT

    not suprising. nintendo would be stupid to sell the wii with a price cut. it's still selling extremely well.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 6:14 am PT

    Oh for the love of...
    What do these people know?
    Why to they think they have any idea about what Nintendo is doing and why? Most analysts didn't think the Wii wouldn't last it's first year against the might of "real" next-gen systems, and that the DS would only reach a niche audience against the might of the PSP.

    Where are we now? Both platforms are separately selling twice any other offering on the market. By what logic would grand gestures to boost (the threat of) sagging sales is in the cards?

    By the time the DS genuinely starts aging (which has not shown signs of nearing), Nintendo might as well bring out the DS' successor, not a redesign. The DS Lite fixed pretty much every issue the DS had with as little sacrifice as possible. What is there to improve? Why would either face a price cut? Both systems are still the lowest priced in their divisions and are still selling well.

    Looking at it, it sounds like some sort of "quasi-political" scare tactic to manipulate buyers. There hasn't been a single sign of any of the gloom and doom they've been analyzing. Not when a tremendous sag in sales would only result in them selling at what's normal to everyone else.

  • Proust

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 4:49 am PT

    Nintendo is so full of it. When the Wii was out there was all this "we wanted to sell it for $100", we wanted everyone to afford it. The press went with that crap back then but no one mentions it now that it would hurt Nintendo. Wii is like gass prices, you could raise it or drop it and the same number would sell right now. Nintendo lives for profit, they always had, why do they have to lie. @MonkishGamer. no one who owns both a Wii and PS3 (and what PS3 owner doesn't own a Wii?) thinks the wii is a better value.

  • MonkishGamer

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 4:19 am PT

    Doesn't really matter to me, already have a Wii and a DS. Don't plan on buying another one. Thanks anyway Nintendo. I consider the pricepoint on the Wii extremely agreeable, considering it's BETTER THAN THE $400 PS3!!!!!!

  • Lucidmike78

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 12:57 am PT

    I need to buy a new DS because my old one is shuts itself off randomly. I refuse to buy a new one until the new DS is released. Until then, Nintendo will not make any money from me.

  • shadystxxx

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 11:58 pm PT

    As far as i'm concerned Nintendo has sold out completely now.

    I bought a Wii on launch day basicly just for zelda(i always buy the nintendo consoles for the several good first party games) but after playing zelda for around 20 hours i realized something, WAGGLE is boring(just my opinion) instead of using skilled button presses to put together some great combat in battle you waggle your hand back and forward and it does it for you, so for twenty hours all i did was walk/run/waggle/solve a puzzle/waggle/waggle some more read sh** loads of text as nintendo refuse to move into ps1/ps2 territory with voice acting, they continue with the stupid noises and text, and my assumption for them doing that is it's cheaper.

    That's my assumption for everything nintendo do, they do things on the cheap, all there games are basicly using the same tools as gamcube games, games like mario kart,zelda,mario strikers have not moved forward at all from last gen in terms of graphics/gameplay(do not say waggling improves gameplay) infact the only game i'd say thats worth a next gen title is mario galaxy and even that game is really ugly in parts but its excellent overall.

    I have a wii and a DS so nintendo got my money for there hardware(£179 for a gamecube with waggle, thats a steep price) but since i have both nintendo systems i have only bought one game in the last 15 months or so while in that time i bought over 20 360 games and 8 ps3 games and around 10 pc games, i also bought over 20 xbla games and around 5 psn games, sony and ms have had money on software from me just in downloadable titles.

    My biggest fear is the wii is going to kill the hardcore gamer, if nintendo make a killing and dominate this entire generation i fear MS/SONY may follow them, why make 20 million pound games when £200,000 games sell so well on wii, why spend millions in creating the next best console and losing money on every system sold when you can make a console for $50 with a gimmick.

    I doubt this will happen as the market has proved theres enough room for hardcore and casual and its good for the buisness.

    I expected this from nintendo but i still expected them to push the boundries with there hardcore titles and i feel like they have not, they have dumbed them down so the casual can enjoy, and now after the release of mario kart i think they have completely sold out.

    Just my opinion, Nintendo will not get another penny from me untll i see some progression in there games, mario kart is infact worse on the wii than it was on gamecube, the gamecube game was allot more indepth, again its clear to see they sold out IMO.

    I heard somebody say something on the 1up podcast, they said nintendo's looking at these titles mario kart/zelda etc and thinking 90% of there customers have never played a zelda or mario kart so it's a new expierence to them, but what about the loyal hardcore fans(im not one of them, but if i was i'd be piss**) this mario kart is not a new expierence, even zelda was an old expierence same old story.

  • Jebril

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 9:10 pm PT

    Who's the dumb moron who asked Nintendo about a price cut, LMFAO.

  • SonicDBZRacer

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 8:54 pm PT

    @ pukmok: Please, PSP sucks, I had one last year, no good games. The Wii is good enough now to buy it since it's cheap and has good games on it, the same for the DS.

  • pukmok

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 8:51 pm PT

    I'll get a Wii when its $50 on ebay to play mario galaxy and brawl. As for the DS, I'd only get one for the backwards compatibility with gameboy games which I rather just play on my psp and stay with one handheld.

  • xophaser

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 8:39 pm PT

    rip-off, I will get one when the price drop (wii). I am basing this off the other consoles' specs and components.

  • khai411

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 7:42 pm PT

    Doesn't matter to me. I need a next-gen console.
    I'm patiently waiting for another PS3 price cut.

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