Official: Nintendo Wii drops to $200

Nintendo has just announced a price cut for its Wii console in both the US and Japan, following weeks of speculation.

As previous rumors have suggested, the U.S. price (effective from September 27) has been dropped to $200, from $250. In Japan, the console’s price will fall from 25,000 yen ($273) to 20,000 yen ($218). Europe, meanwhile, will have to wait a bit longer for its own price cut.

The Wii has famously managed to maintain its original price since it launched in late-2006. Almost three years on, and with Sony and Microsoft pushing their own prices down on the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively, the Kyoto giant has finally had to follow suit. It’s not that Wii sales have exactly dropped, but the competition is building up steam, according to recent sales figures.

Either way, it’s win-win for consumers in the U.S. and Japan. Anybody tempted to pick a Wii up now?

[Via Joystiq]