TOKYO--Nintendo Co. (7974.OK) said Thursday its forthcoming Wii
U videogame machine will sell at a price largely in line with
expectations when it launches on Dec. 8.
The company will sell a 32 gigabyte premium set for 31,500 yen
($390) and a 8-gigabyte basic set for Y26,250 ($288).
The company's first new home console in six years and the
successor to the top-selling Wii console comes with a 6-inch touch
screen controller. The pricing has been closely watched amid
concerns that the components used to manufacture the machine could
push costs above what mainstream consumers are willing to pay.
Analysts had estimated that Nintendo would set the price of the
Wii U at between $250-$300 in the U.S., or Y25,000 to Y30,000 for
the Japanese market.
The company also confirmed the new machine will be available in
time for the important year-end shopping period, when the videogame
industry reaps a large portion of its sales. Nintendo had targeted
a launch date before the end of 2012.
Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at daisuke.wakabayashi@wsj.com
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