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Wii price drop confirmed: $199 starting this weekend
The rumors were true, and Nintendo's knight in shining armor is finally about to see its first-ever price drop. For nearly three years now, the console has sold briskly at $249.99, but beginning on September 27th at Best Buy (and everywhere else, naturally), the happy-go-lucky machine will be offered for just $199.99. Interestingly, it appears that suits at BB expect Nintendo to make an official announcement on the drop this Friday, yet retail stores won't begin selling at the discounted rate until Sunday. Something tells us that won't go over well, but we guess we've but a few days left 'til we find out exactly how the Big N plans to play this.[Thanks, Anonymous]Update: Thanks to yet another anonymous source, we've even more proof that a $199.99 Wii is coming. A crystal clear Toys 'R Us flyer confirms the price after the break, though what's curious is the confirmation that the new price won't go into effect until Sunday, September 27th. It should be interesting to see if Nintendo really announces a price drop two days before retailers actually axe the MSRP, but with this free t-shirt that you get from TRU, we'd suggest just holding off. We mean, it's a Nintendo t-shirt!
Nintendo confirms $199 Wii for September 27?
It might sound confusing at first, but it all makes sense, we promise. The folks at Nintendojo were apparently on a retailer conference call where Nintendo "confirmed" the new $199 Wii price, which will supposedly go into effect on Sunday September 27. Only problem is that we have to take Nintendojo's word for it -- not that we have any reason not to, but for now we'll have to just call this an "unconfirmed confirmation" until Nintendo can summon the courage to fess up to the $50 price cut to a couple of corroborating sources. It's not like those multiple flyer price leaks are knocking anybody off the trail, but we usually to hear these things from the horse's mouth -- or at least from a retailer's shelf -- before we go into all-out celebration mode. [Via GoNintendo]
$199 Nintendo Wii spotted in Best Buy ad?
First there was an alleged Toys R Us ad, and now we've caught wind of what's claimed to be a Best Buy spot showing the Nintendo Wii getting that long-desired $50 price drop, down just below the two Benjamin mark. Easily Photoshopped image? You betcha, so we'll just have to play wait-and-see as the evidence seems to mount up -- it's been a long time coming, after all, we wouldn't be that surprised given the oncoming holiday season and the recent downward trend in demand.
Palm Pre rumored to be dropping to $150 on September 8th
We've already seen the Palm Pre dip below its $199 list price during a few limited, occasionally inadvertent sales, but it looks like it could soon be dropping well under the $200 mark for a slightly longer period of time -- at least if a purportedly legit leaked document is to be believed. According to PreCentral, the doc comes from someone working at a Sprint "indirect partner retail dealer," and quite clearly indicates that "indirect partners" will be able to sell the Pre for $149.99 (after a mail-in rebate) between September 8th and October 31st, 2009. Presumably, Sprint itself would also be offering the Pre for the same price during that time and, if the HTC Hero's $179.99 price tag on Sprint is any indication, there seems to be at least a decent chance that the price drop could eventually become a permanent one. Either way, we won't have to wait too long to see how this one pans out.
NPD expects PS3 sales to jump 40-60% post-price cut
It doesn't take a whole lot of analysis to figure out that a $100 price cut will result in a boost in sales, but market research group NPD seems to think that the PS3's new $299 price point could have a particularly big impact on Sony's numbers once next month's sales are tallied up. While it's obviously not a sure thing, NPD expects sales of the PS3 to jump between 40% and 60% over the course of September, noting that "the USD 299 price point is important to getting to a point where the next segment of price-conscious consumers can jump into the market and it most certainly will re-energise sales of the platform." It's also quick to point out, however, that those sales might not be enough for Sony to take the lead in US console sales for the month, adding that "other systems might too take a price cut," and that "content is still the key motivator of a hardware purchase decision." Update: Joystiq offers a clarification from the original quote that, historically, price cuts tend to lead to a 40 to 60 percent increase in sales over the previous, higher priced month. The group is not specifically predicting PS3's sales, just pointing out what's happened in the past -- it's a subtle but important difference. [Via gamesindustry.biz]
Xbox 360 Elite in white package in the wild, Pro SKU missing on back-of-box chart
Can't say we're all that surprised given other sightings, but one anonymous tipster has sent us pics from a local Walmart of the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite in a shiny white package with a back-of-box chart that neglects to mention the Pro models, essentially striking it from the records. It's still scanning at $399 for now, but having seen multiple retailers' print flyers -- including Walmart's own -- quoting $299, the computers very well may be updating just after some official Microsoft announcement, which wouldn't surprise us at all if it happen sometime this week, just ahead of the PS3 Slim launch. Peruse the pics in higher-res format below. Update: As several readers have pointed out, the back-of-box chart shows the Elite as having standard, presumably non-HD cables only, and there's no mention of bundled HDMI cables anywhere. Also of note is the wording for Xbox Live has changed from "Silver Membership" to "Free." Before you go thinking the premium Gold membership is going away, however, there's a superscript '4,' and if it's like the older box, it leads to a longer explanation on the Xbox Live's tiered plans -- not to mention there's an ad for buying into XBL Gold just under the chart. %Gallery-70770%
Look out, Slim: Xbox 360 Elite showing $299 in new Walmart ad
It was all but inevitable that Microsoft was going to hit back at the PS3 Slim with its own $299 120GB console, and while we're still waiting on official confirmation Microsoft, this purported Walmart ad clipping sure seems to know where the Xbox 360 Elite is headed. Watch out, folks, the video games aisle at your local big box retailer is about to get spicy. [Thanks, Randall]
EA, Ubisoft execs applaud PS3 price cut, also like things that are good
Well, this one doesn't exactly come out of left field, but it looks like gaming industry execs are starting to sing a decidedly different tune now that Sony has finally cut the price of the PS3. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft bigwig Yves Guillemot said that "it's exceptional news, actually," adding that "I think the machine is a great machine, with the Blu-ray." EA Games president Frank Gibeau was also apparently more than happy to back up that praise, saying that, "I think it's awesome," and that "it's an old line, but it still rings true for us: 'We make the ammunition for the hardware wars.' So the lowest priced hardware possible is a good thing for us." Still noticeably mum on the matter, however, is Activision's CEO, who once threatened to pick up his ball and go home if Sony didn't drop its prices. [Via Joystiq]
Did Microsoft delay its price drop announcement to avoid Sony's Slim Storm 2009?
You may have seen a post or three (or eleventy) over the past few days about Sony's newer, skinnier, cheaper PS3 Slim. Microsoft apparently did, and that might be partly why it chose to delay its own re-pricing announcement, a move it was apparently set to reveal yesterday at GamesCom -- but opted not to. Big Redmond is said to be killing off the Xbox 360 Pro and replacing it with the Elite at the $299 price point, a move it will want to make quickly because, for the first time, it's now the most expensive gaming console on store shelves. Whether the supposed delay was to let the dust settle on Sony's big news or was just to clear out some additional Pro inventory remains to be seen, but either way MS had better get a move on -- and maybe think about knocking an extra couple bucks off for good measure.[Via 1UP; thanks, jeremy23j]
Sony finally hacks $100 from 'old' PlayStation 3 price, starting today
After begging, pleading and imploring Sony for months on end to lower the barrier to entry on its PlayStation 3 console, the company has at long last relented. Starting today (supposedly, anyway), all existing PS3 consoles will retail for $100 less than they did yesterday, though it looks as if most e-tailers have yet to ratchet their tags down to reflect the change. Of course, you could wait just a few more days and snag a PS3 Slim for the low, low price of $299, but the question is -- will you? Do tell in comments below.
European retailer hacks €100 from PlayStation 3 in run-up to gamescom
If you know anything about European retailer Fnac, you know it's not the go-to place for bargains. However, it's this very outlet that's now selling an 80GB PlayStation 3 bundle (which includes the console, a single controller and inFamous) for €100 less than its "everyday low price" as of yesterday. Of course, one major French retailer slashing the price on a system that's long overdue for a break isn't reason in and of itself reason to believe anything's on the horizon, but pair this up with everything else we've heard over the past few weeks, and we'd say all the vague omens are pointing to a leaner, cheaper and altogether more dashing PS3 on August 18th. In our magical fantasy land, anyway. Update: Our friends at Engadget Spanish just let us know that there's been a price drop in Spain as well. Getting warmer... [Thanks, Nelson]
Xbox 360 Elite replacing Pro at $299 price point August 30th?
We've already had a pretty clear indication that the Xbox 360 Elite would be replacing the current middle-of-the-road Pro model as Microsoft winnows its SKU options down to two, and a new Meijer ad obtained by Kotaku has now further backed up rumors of the switchover, and seemingly confirmed that that, as expected, the Elite will also be occupying the Pro's $299 price point. Of course, all of this is still far from official, but the ad does also peg the date for the price drop as August 30th, so it seems likely we'll hear something from Microsoft before then -- perhaps at a conveniently timed major gaming conference.[Via Daily Tech]
Sony's PlayStation 3 Slim to debut August 18th at Cologne gamescom?
Whoa, Nelly! No sooner than we hear that Sony is informing Japanese retailers that the 80GB PS3 model won't be shipping any longer after August 8th, along comes this to stoke the raging rumor fires once more. In a one-two punch that just can't be coincidental, Sony has also hacked $50 off of its 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle from Amazon. But really, it's the report from RTLinfo that has us most excited. According to it, the Sony elite are informing European retailers of an impending €100 price slashing on the 80GB console, which will dovetail nicely into the sudden and not-at-all unexpected debut of the PS3 Slim at the gamescom expo in Cologne, Germany. Reportedly, the willowy unit -- which shouldn't differ much in terms of specifications and features -- will be properly introduced to the world during Sony's pre-event press conference on August 18th. Obviously we've no way to confirm or deny just yet, but given everything else that has transpired over the past few months, we'd say an official reveal is definitely due. What say you, rumormongers?Read - Sony PS3 Slim to be revealed at gamescom [Thanks, Dominic]Read - 160GB PS3 price cut [Via GamesIndustry]
Verizon: Touch Diamond, Touch Pro now $99 with contract
Looks like Verizon's up to something (and we're not talking about Sholes). A quick trip over to VZW's site has confirmed that $99 -- and a two-year contract -- will land you just about any smartphone that they offer (one notable exception being the Samsung Saga), including HTC's Touch Pro and Touch Diamond. Could this mean that the new Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2 are soon to rear their pretty little heads? We'd be down with that.
Palm Pre drops to $99 at LetsTalk online store, for a limited time
It's a limited time offer, and the handset is currently out of stock -- you'll have to wait a few days for delivery -- but cutesy online phone retailer LetsTalk is offering the Pre for a mere $99 after a $100 rebate and a $100 instant discount. This sort of price flexibility bodes well for the truly budget conscious eying this phone, though as demonstrated time and time again: you're saving a lot more in the long run with a cheap plan than a cheap phone, something that's been a lock since day one with the Pre. [Via SlashGear]
PS3 manufacturing costs down 70 percent? Strange, it doesn't feel that way
We understand that Sony has a long way to go in making up the losses it's incurred by selling the PS3 at a loss -- even if it was commanding the highest price in the industry the whole while -- but if this latest word on manufacturing costs is correct, we'd say Sony has some room to get the console under that dastardly $400 mark. During an overseas call with investors over Sony's Q1 financials, Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony's CFO and Executive VP, apparently stated that manufacturing costs for the PS3 are down 70 percent, which is right "on schedule." While there's no official cost published by Sony, those in the know estimate the console originally cost around $800 to produce, and should be down to roughly $240 at this point. Maybe a holiday price cut is in the cards? Boy, we sure hope so. Either that, or he's already spouting off the PS3 Slim's production cost, which is a win for everybody. [Via Joystiq]
Palm Pre drops to $99 at Best Buy (update: "error is being corrected," says Best Buy)
Interesting -- just a couple days after Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a conference that "it's too early to tell" if the Pre's a hit while talking about Android, the latest Best Buy ad shows Palm's baby on sale for just $99 on a two-year contract. That ought to spike some sales, but we'll see if its just a one-week special or a permanent drop before we start trying to read any tea leaves here -- anyone running out to grab one?Update: Best Buy marketing manager John Bernier has chimed in via his Twitter account to say that the Pre is $199 and that the "error is being corrected." It'll be interesting to see if any lucky customers managed to nab the device for less than a Benjamin.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read - Hesse's comments Read - $99 Pre at Best Buy
Dell Adamo gets $500 price drop, whole new lease on life
After no small amount of external pressure, Dell has finally managed to do some major damage on the Adamo's number one drawback: the price. The starting mark for the 1.2GHz machine has been slashed from $1,999 to $1,499, while the high-end model with SSD and a 1.4GHz processor is down to $2,299. Still not in the same general galaxy as most consumer-aimed Dell products, but quite a lot closer to the realm of possibility.[Via LogicBUY]
Intel's 34nm SSDs go official, no 320GB model in sight
Ugh, seriously Intel? While we've been waiting for 34nm-based SSDs for what feels like ages now, it's not so much the new process technology that had our interest piqued. Instead, it was the hope of a 320GB model from the outfit. Today, Intel got official with a new pair of 34nm SSDs, though neither of 'em are any larger than the previous 50nm X25-M (2.5-inch) and X18-M (1.8-inch). In fact, the new units even boast the same model names. The newcomers arrive in 80GB and 160GB sizes, and while actual hard drive benchmarking tools are apt to show a marginal increase in performance, even Intel admits that most folks won't see "noticeable gains" in real-world use. So, what's the point of popping out 34nm SSDs that are silver instead of black? Lower prices, or so the company says. If the market reacts to the cost savings that are being passed forward, you can expect the 80GB model to run $225, while the 160GB edition gets marked at $440, both in quantities of 1,000. Call us spoiled, but we're still longing for more.[Thanks, Joseph]
Verizon drops BlackBerry Storm price to $99.99 on contract
With all signs (and by "all," we mean "all") pointing to a new Storm joining Verizon Wireless' lineup in the not-too-distant future, it's just about the perfect time to start discounting the current model in hopes of working that inventory down before the inevitable launch of numero dos. Starting today, VZW customers can snap up the SurePress-equipped Storm 9530 for $99.99 on contract, which is a full Benjamin less than it has been since debuting last November. If you're looking for a word of advice on the situation, here's ours: hold out for the next revision -- you'll thank us later.[Thanks, Cara]
