Nintendo just dropped a midnight bomb. The new suggested retail price of the GBA is now $79.95 in the USA! The official word inside...
Nintendo Announces Global Price Drop for Game Boy Advance
The World's Best Video Game System Just Got Better
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2002--Nintendo today
announced a global price drop for its best-selling, hand-held video
game wonder Game Boy(R) Advance, effective February 1, 2002.
In the U.S., the new suggested retail price is $79.95,
representing a 20-percent decrease. This simultaneous global price
drop is the result of production efficiencies and decreased component
costs.
The U.S. video game industry generated a record-breaking $9.4
billion in 2001, and Game Boy Advance was responsible for more than 20
percent of total hardware units sold. Since its release in June 2001,
Game Boy Advance has sold nearly 5 million hardware units in North
America. To stay ahead of the game, Nintendo remains on track to ship
23.5 million Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color units to retail
outlets worldwide during its current fiscal year, ending March 2002.
"The new price point truly positions Game Boy Advance as a video
game system for the mass market," says Peter Main, executive vice
president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "Coupled with
an explosive amount of incredible software scheduled for the year,
Game Boy Advance is positioned to become the best-selling video game
hardware system of all time."
This year will see the release of more than 200 games for Game Boy
Advance, including Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2(TM),
launching on February 11th. Nintendo will also introduce innovative
new game play formats to take advantage of the new Nintendo
GameCube(TM)Game Boy Advance cable. The first games to feature this
game play synergy are Sonic Advance(TM)from THQ for Game Boy Advance
and Sonic(TM) Adventure 2: Battle from Sega for NINTENDO GAMECUBE,
both launching in February. Using this new device, players can
transfer data between the two systems, giving gamers a brand new level
of game play never before experienced.
"The enormous success of Game Boy Advance has made publishing
games for the system a clear triumph for us," says Brian Farrell,
President and CEO, THQ Inc. "With this price drop our products will
now reach even more consumers."
As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of
interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan,
manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home
video game systems. The systems include Game Boy, Nintendo(R) 64, Game
Boy Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM). Since the release of its first
home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.4
billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such
as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching such franchises as
Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of
America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for
Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.
For more information about Game Boy Advance or other Nintendo
products, visit the company's Web sites, www.nintendo.com or
www.gameboyadvance.com.