Many in the games industry (and the gaming community) really want Nintendo to lower the price on the Wii U console to boost sales – but that may be easier said than done, considering the company is losing money on each one already.
The latest earnings report from the company indicates that Wii U hardware sales are a major factor in its most recent ¥36.4 billion yen ($387 million) operating loss. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated that the company will “strive to regain Nintendo-like profits” in the months ahead, with a slew of new software for both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime noted back in November that “as soon as we get the consumer to buy one piece of software, then that entire transaction becomes profit positive.”
This follows reports of major retailers dropping the more basic 8 GB model of the Wii U in favor of the deluxe 32 GB edition, which sells for $349.99 in the United States. A price drop isn’t looking likely, but Nintendo may be looking at a repackaging of sorts, one that could include bundled games to help entice would-be system owners.
Source: GamesIndustry International
