Following Nintendo's DSi price drop last month, comes news that the handheld's sales, somewhat predictably, have rocketed skywards. With Nintendo shaving a whopping £30 off the console's £149.99 RRP - bringing it down to a much more reasonable £119.99, the console can now be found for as little as £115 at online retailers such as Game and Play.com, which is bound to have had an affect on the console's uptake.
Now £30 cheaper!
What initially seems to be a pre-emptive price cut, to fuel interest in the DSi before the 3DS hits the stores (which, in the last set of rumours, was suggested to be as early as this December) has reaped huge rewards for Nintendo, who have reported a 40% increase in sales every week since the price drop first came into effect. Rob Saunders, Nintendo's head of communications, says: "Since the adjustment in sales price has been passed onto consumers, each of the previous three weeks have seen DSi sales increase by over forty percent week-on-week." With a new Nintendo console potentially merely months away, the DSi's success may initially seem surprising, but of course, many of Nintendo's largest demographic may simply not be all that fussed about getting the latest and greatest hardware as soon as it's out.
At least part of the rocket in sales could also be attributed to the high-profile, prime-time TV advertising campaign - although the lure of being able to pick up the console for £30 cheaper than a few weeks ago may have persuaded many who previously thought it was 'too expensive'. As only the DSi line was cut - and the DS Lite and DSi XL consoles remain at their original prices - it is impossible to tell if these suffered similar sales decreases, as people may have been persuaded to go for a DSi over the others, due to its now more attractive price.
One of Nintendo's past high-profile adverts, featuring Girl's Aloud.
