14 DAY TRIAL // 2009 was a pretty special year for those who were looking to get a new gaming console and had not done so for the current generation as all the big manufacturers announced price cuts for their devices.
Sony opened the ball, with the announcement of the new Slim version of the PlayStation 3, which was paired with a reduction in the price tag. Microsoft matched the price for the Xbox 360 Elite version of its own device and even Nintendo reacted to a slump in sales by making its console cheaper.
But it seems that the move will not be repeated in 2010, despite the fact that the market is still pretty weak, with a lot of potential customers not having the disposable income needed to buy a Wii.
Cammie Dunaway, who is the executive vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo of America, told VentureBeat that “Right now, we continue to see demand at very strong levels. It's tough to find a Wii now. If we hit 100 stores in the area, we would find Wiis in only 20 percent of them today. That tremendous strength we had in December really wiped the pipeline clean. Our pipeline, the retailer pipeline. And so, with that kind of demand, it doesn't suggest the need for any pricing actions.”
This fall will see the launch of two projects that can directly impact the market share of the Nintendo Wii. Sony is planning its Arc motion tracking controller, which was supposed to arrive in the spring, while Microsoft is adding Project Natal to the Xbox 360. If the two are successful and some of the potential Nintendo audience plans a move to rival platforms, the Wii maker might have its hand forced towards a price cut. Of course, there's always the possibility that the Japanese company has an ace up its sleeve, like a significantly upgraded Wii console that could arrive as early as 2011.