No Wii price drop for the holidays (except maybe for Canada)

by JC Fletcher { Oct 12th 2007 at 11:15AM }

If you were Nintendo, and you were just now starting to match the supply of your hit console to the ravenous demand (meaning that you were still selling as many as you could produce), what would you do to ensure bigger console sales this holiday season? Would you drop the price of the console that is selling out worldwide?

Neither would Nintendo. The rumors of a price drop turned out to be bunk, or even bunkum if you prefer. George Harrison told Reuters that "We'll stay at $249 for the foreseeable future. We are still selling everything we can make."

The situation may be slightly different up in Canada, where the Wii seems to be dropping in price to $269 because of the rising Canadian dollar. We have yet to see confirmation on that, so into the rumor bin it goes.

Tags: canada, pricedrop

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Andrew M @ Oct 12th 2007 11:41AM

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10080745&catid=24713

It's official for a week anyways...Future Shop is showing a price of $269 for the Wii...I will keep looking around to see if I find any other places

Patrick Fisher @ Oct 12th 2007 11:46AM

Wal-Mart is down to $269.83, and I know this only because I work there.

Jonathan Tran @ Oct 12th 2007 11:47AM

It's funny that Canada is still being charged more, even though right now their dollar is worth more than the American dollar.

Meanwhile the US dollar has plummeted, so if anything, the Wii has gotten an indirect price drop, at least in total real market value.

Wolfrider @ Oct 12th 2007 12:22PM

We're not getting a price drop, we're getting gouged less. The dollar is above par which means the Wii should cost a MOST 249 in Canada as well. (though it should cost a little under that if you're using proper exchange rates).

It isn't just Nintendo though, consumers are getting nailed everywhere. The Canadian government needs to swoop in and put the clamps to these guys.

vidGuy @ Oct 12th 2007 12:52PM

USD hasn't dropped much in comparison to the YEN. The Wii would still cost about USD$212 (no Wii Sports) imported today, same as at launch.

But yeah, there's no need to drop the Wii's price. When the real 360 package hits $249, then we'll see a price drop, maybe only in the US since that's MS's real market.

thekraken @ Oct 12th 2007 2:04PM

Yeah, HMV in Canada also has it at 269.99. If you live in Kelowna, we have 9 left!

Matt @ Oct 12th 2007 2:14PM

Things cost more for a variety of reasons in Canada, a few being: economies of scale (we still have 10x less poplation, and as the old adage goes "volume, volume, volume"), and just plane old scale. Canada's a much bigger country, with much more space between major transportation hubs/cities; ergo it costs more to ship things around. Nevermind the fact that the Canadian dollar was down at $.85 as recently as January.

Creinius @ Oct 12th 2007 5:36PM

Can someone explain to me about the higher price at $269 compared to $249. Unless these systems are being manufactured in the U.S. it should cost just as much to ship it to a Canadian port and then maybe a few dollars because of other reasons (ie smaller population or something) but come on $20?! I don't know it justs seems like the $279 would have been there even if the Canadian dollar was .99. Anyways if anyone has a good reason please tell me.