JAPAN: DS gets price cut

In its first strategic reposition ahead of the arrival of the 3DS some time later this year, Nintendo has cut the price of its entire DS range in Japan.

From June 19th the super-sized DSI XL will see its price drop from YEN 20,00 (150) to YEN 18,000 (132). The DSi will drop from YEN 18,900 (140) to YEN 15,000 (110).

In addition, the platform holder has confirmed that it will no longer issue guidance prices for the DS Lite. The expectation is that retailers will significantly reduce the current YEN 16,800 (125) asking price.

Nintendo is also releasing three new colours for its current top-of-the-range DSi XL – yellow, blue and green. These will sell alongside the existing wine red, dark brown and natural white.

Though the XL has been well received, it was always going to struggle to match the market impact of previous revisions such as the DS Lite or DSi. The launch of these colours appears on the surface to be an attempt to tap into the DS’ naturally younger demographic.

Image credit: Kotaku