Arstechnica wrote:Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has decided to let slip the company's plans to take on Sony and Microsoft in the pricing department. Without getting too specific, Satoru Iwata said that the Nintendo Revolution will debut for less than US$300, which will make it cheaper than the PlayStation 3 or even the Xbox 360 Core System.
There had been rumors previously that Nintendo was heading for "bargain" territory with their new console, but they were wild. Some speculated a cost as low as $99, although that seems ridiculous given how much they charge for things such as the DS ($129) and the Micro ($99). Given Satoru Iwata's comments (trans.), it now looks like a $250 price, or perhaps even a $199 price is likely.
The Revolution will be cheaper in part because Nintendo is
stepping away from HD support. The company is betting on low initial HDTV adoption over the next few years; less than a quarter of American homes will have HDTV by the time the Revolution launches. But consumers aren't the only people Nintendo wants to tempt with frugality. Game developers should also be able to crank out games for less cost, which in theory should mean that we end up paying less for the games. Everyone wins. (Earlier this month we reported on the
likely hardware configuration in the Revolution.)
Much of the Revolution's success is hinged, however, on
its controller. Pegged as innovative, gimmicky, or a
crap magnet, the controversial controller looks to be the newest thing coming to gaming in 2006, and it has people talking.
3... 2... 1... Speculate!
Just when the Revolution will launch is unclear. I would be very surprised to see it launch before E3 2006, which is next May. Between now and then, there is only one major consumer electronics show (CES), but that is only a week away—too close for a even a surprise product unveiling. There have been rumors in the last week emanating from Dutch and Russian gaming "blogs" that the Revolution has "gone gold" and is ready for manufacturing, but there has been no corroboration, and no juicy details to give any credence to the rumor. We're still expecting a launch ramp-up throughout much of 2006 that will culminate in a release before the Thanksgiving holiday. Admittedly, I am less convinced of this than in the past, because even with a smaller price tag, the Revolution will have much greater success in a pre-PS3 world launch-wise. With the PS3 North American launch looking like a fall arrival, Nintendo's window is closing. Hurry Mario, jump through!
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know, the piper's calling you to join him