14 DAY TRIAL // When the PlayStation 3 Slim launched, with its reduced 299-dollar price point, Sony quickly moved to say that in some territories, sales increased by 999%. Microsoft also signaled that feedback had been positive to the similar price cut of the Xbox 360 Elite. Now, it's Nintendo's turn to declare itself happy about the result of the 50-dollar price reduction rolled out.
Reggie Fils-Aime, who is the president of Nintendo of America, told the Financial Times about the recent price cut that “The consumer response has been very strong to the price reduction. There are literally millions of consumers out there who want a Wii and had been on the sidelines. They’d been waiting for that little nudge to go out and pick it up - the price decline, the sampling, the launching of key software like Wii Fit Plus - we believe it’s what’s pushing them over the edge to get into the category.”
The Nintendo man said that the company is trying to reach the estimated 50 million Americans interested in videogames and playing them on social networks or casually on the PC but do not yet own a dedicated gaming console.
The Wii is best positioned to attract them because of its videogame portfolio and because of the ease of use of the motion tracking controls. It seems that 150 million other potential gamers over the world are also targeted by Nintendo with events where they can try out the Wii for free.
One important measurement of how the consoles are doing at the moment will be the NPD Group sales numbers for September, which are due to be released in about one week. But the real test of the console' power to attract customers will be the Christmas shopping season, which is now debuting.