Nintendo 3DS: Selling for Reduced Price
Low sales have forced the Nintendo 3DS to drastically mark down its prices beginning August 12, 2011.
The price of the 3DS is currently $249.99 and will change to $169.99 come mid-August. The Nintendo of America President, Reggie Fils-Aime, released a statement telling fans of the handheld game console to take advantage of the low prices.
"For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now," said Fils-Aime in a statement to CNN. "We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games."
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In his statement, Fils-Aime did not address the possible reason for the price cuts. However, the June 30 fiscal first quarter report for the company revealed that revenue is down 50 percent from last year, CNN has reported.
The report also stated that the company fell hugely short of projected sales for the 3DS, by a whopping 39 million units.
Nintendo was also forced to lower its sales predictions in Japan by a massive 82 percent.
The 3DS has only been on the market for five months, but CNN reports that the company is fighting to compete with the new PlayStation handheld console that will hit the market before the end of the year. The new PlayStation device will reportedly cost $249, offering 80 games to consumers.
As an added incentive, Nintendo will add free games to their lower-priced device. The Nintendo eShop will offer 20 free games for download, 10 from the NES Virtual Console and the remaining 10 from Game Boy Advance Console.
Any users who register with the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program before August 11 on the eShop can receive the free games, including the brands flagship “Super Mario Bros.”
