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Wii drops price in Australia

Nintendo console falls from A$399.95 ($366) to A$299.95 Down Under; 1.79 million Wiis sold since Aussie launch.

Cheaper Wiis for Aussies.

Cheaper Wiis for Aussies.

Gamers in the US have long enjoyed a lower-cost Wii than consumers in Australia, with Nintendo cutting the price of its home console to $199.99 from $249.99 way back in September 2009. It now seems that Australia will be the next market to receive a reduction, with confirmation today that the Wii's price will drop by A$100 and will now retail for A$299.95 ($275).

The price cut will take effect from April 29, 2010, and is the first time the cost of the Wii has been slashed in Australia. The console launched Down Under in December 2006 and retailed for A$399.95. New Zealanders will also get a cut from tomorrow, with Nintendo's console dropping to NZ$399.95 ($285).

The price may have changed, but the contents of the Wii box in Australia remain the same and include a copy of Wii Sports. What is relatively new, however, is color availability, with Wiis now available in white or black.

The Wii is the last console to drop its price Down Under. Sony reduced the asking price for the PlayStation 3 with the introduction of the Slim model in September last year, with the console retailing for A$499.95. Microsoft's Xbox 360 has received several price drops in recent years--the 120GB Elite now retails for A$449, while the Arcade is A$299.

Nintendo also updated its Wii sales figures for Australia, stating that the console has now sold 1.79 million units Down Under. That figure puts the Wii at almost double the market penetration of the Xbox 360, which has sold 1 million units across Australia and New Zealand, and well ahead of the PS3, which has sold 770,000 units in Australia so far.

26 Comments

  • epsilonz999

    Posted Apr 30, 2010 5:15 pm GMT

    Yeah, i woulda bought the black one if I had the choice

  • chrizmol

    Posted Apr 30, 2010 3:41 am GMT

    Wish they came up with the black variant a little earlier

  • sirfrieden

    Posted Apr 29, 2010 5:46 pm GMT

    Wii has a good game lineup this year, but it doesn't change many (and my own) opinion of the company as of late... They just don't care as much as they used to.

  • kelt321

    Posted Apr 29, 2010 12:12 pm GMT

    I did enjoy Wii for awhile, but there are no good games anymore, no reason to keep it, but my PS3 does get a lot playing cool games

  • kelt321

    Posted Apr 29, 2010 12:11 pm GMT

    wii sould be no more than $100. I was lucky to sell mine for $200 few months ago

  • flyingteddy

    Posted Apr 29, 2010 3:25 am GMT

    first price cut since launch, say what you will but no way is Nintendo catering to their customers, Sony and MS did the right thing and dropped price as manufacturing costs went down, Nintendo are just hoarding as much cash as they can, I hope this blatent ripping off backfires on them next gen.

  • chupamelpo

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 11:05 pm GMT

    300 bucks for a console thats dying.

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 10:54 pm GMT

    Wow, and i thought wii's were already expensive in the us.

  • DeadlyVip3r

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 9:45 pm GMT

    I hear all the "still too expensive". I, along with many other aussies know how badly screwed we get when it comes to games here. I was so looking forward to SSF4 and remember when the developer said that it would carry an expansion game price. WHAT he 4got 2 say was "excluding aus oc". I own SS4 and now i have to pay full 80-90 bucks for an addon game. PLZ take away the "you live in the middle of nowhere tax" TY. Also why i like steam so much atm, coz our aussie dollar is strong.

  • Flint247

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 7:10 pm GMT

    I bought a Wii at $250. A little bit expensive but it was worth my money. I play it just about every week. (Truth)

  • The_crapgamer posted Apr 28, 2010 9:26 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    The_crapgamer

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 9:26 am GMT (hide)

    PS3 in third place in Aussie land too! Cant they throw a shrimp on the George Foreman grill over there? lol That's still hella expensive for a glorified Gamecube.

  • SadPSPAddict

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 7:04 am GMT

    Does still sound expensive I think

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 3:26 am GMT

    Still too overpriced (Why can't you just price it the same as America?), and i wouldn't buy one anyway. .
    Seriously i swear that all electronics businesses get at least 50% of their worldwide profit margins from Australia just because of the prices.

  • ChaosDynasty

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 3:06 am GMT

    great. that is still WAY to expensive compare to americans. i am glad i live in NA. now nintendo. drop the price of wii to $149.99 in America and i'll buy. i do not like throwing $200 or plus more so easily. i think/predict another price cut maybe near the end of the year due to intense competition from the other two.

  • yabbal

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 2:11 am GMT

    Too little too late Nintendo - drop another $100 and maybe I'll consider, until then I'll just keep buying PS3 and 360 games (ie lining the pockets of your competition)

  • g1rldraco7

    Posted Apr 28, 2010 12:32 am GMT

    Wow the price is still high even though the color changed

  • gameking5000

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 11:23 pm GMT

    @Kitty_Fields

    Inflation is probably the reason.

  • Kitty_Fields

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 11:02 pm GMT

    That is still HIDEOUSLY overpriced compared to North American prices. And yeah, no kidding. S'about time for a price drop.

    Poor Aussies.

  • selbie

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 10:26 pm GMT

    It's about time.

  • benboz posted Apr 27, 2010 10:06 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    benboz

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 10:06 pm GMT (hide)

    I don't like the Wii. Not really interested in it.

  • Irsaan posted Apr 27, 2010 9:33 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Irsaan

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 9:33 pm GMT (hide)

    That price is ridiculous. Kinda makes me glad I'm American.

  • qubeley

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 8:39 pm GMT

    I paid $349 two years ago for my Wii at the Sydney Airport duty free because I took advantage of the "Pick up when return" offer at that time. However, since last December it is still disconnected and collecting dust because there is nothing to play at all.

  • Nintendo_Man

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 7:07 pm GMT

    Its funny that the price cut lands on my birthday after all these years on the market.

    Interesting thing is the Wii is now the same price as the DSi XL. Last year we often had retailers sell the Wii for as low as $320 but either way, the Wii has always been top seller here since launch and this will keep things the same.

  • xblane

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 7:06 pm GMT

    *Like*

  • wiidsduelpack

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 6:41 pm GMT

    The PEGI system stablished Nintendo as a monopoly in Australia and New Zealand. Competition is making the console cheaper. Happy for them

  • imprezawrx500

    Posted Apr 27, 2010 6:17 pm GMT

    and they continue to rip us off. Paying 30% more for the same thing when china is close to us than amercia.

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