Nintendo President: “Wii In Unhealthy Condition”

TOKYO – Nintendo admitted Thursday that its hit Wii video game console was going through its toughest time yet in the competitive Japanese market, but it said there was no plan to cut the price.

“The Wii is in the most unhealthy condition since it hit the Japanese market,” Nintendo Co. president Satoru Iwata said. “The current condition in the Japanese market is not the one we want.”

But a price war with rivals was not the answer as Nintendo is already the market leader, he said.

“A price cut in a difficult economy cannot really excite the market and drive up sales. As of now I really don’t think that a price cut is a good option for us,” he told a news conference.

Iwata said the Wii had flown off the shelves after its launch in 2006 thanks to the popularity of a few games. Nintendo has sold more than eight million Wii machines in Japan, but demand is now flagging.

“The speed with which people get tired of any new entertainment is faster in Japan than in overseas markets,” Iwata said.

Nintendo is banking on new games and software such as Wii Sports Resort that will go on sale in Japan in June — to energize sales of the console, he said.

[abs-cbnnews]

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