Report: Wii < 250 euros

August 24th, 2006, 01:33 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo fans across the globe were eagerly checking reports from the Games Conference in Leipzig, Germany, in hopes of an announcement of the release date and price of the Wii. Sadly for them, nothing was announced.

The next-gen console's details have been heavily shrouded since its announcement at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2005, with only vague hints to help gamers know how much to save up and when to expect the system.

Though no concrete pricing was announced, one more clue did surface. The Wii will be priced at less than 250 euros in Europe, reports Reuters. The news service quotes Nintendo Germany's general manager Bernd Fakesch as saying, "The price [of the Wii] has not been decided yet, but I expect it to be...less than 250 euros."

Going by the current exchange rate, that figure puts the console at less than $320 in Europe. Nintendo has previously stated that the console would retail for less than $250 in the US and less than 25,000 yen (roughly $215) in Japan. Recent unconfirmed reports have the console costing as low as $170 in both the US and Japan.

The European estimate doesn't mean Nintendo is trying to pull one over on the region--gaming merchandise typically retails for higher prices in the area, mostly due to higher taxes being included in the price. For example, online retailers are selling the premium Xbox 360 pack, which retails for $399 in the US, for the equivalent of $520.

Nintendo has said final details of the Wii would be released in September.

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