Nintendo Wii Price Cut Coming September 27

It seems as though every console price cut is preceded by a wave of online leaks before an official announcement is made.

Nintendo is no different.

A "Toys R Us" advertisement seems to be confirming that the price of console forerunner Nintendo Wii will be cut to $199.

The price change of the Wii would come just weeks after both Sony and Microsoft announced price cuts on their consoles bringing each to around $299 for comparable models.

However, it seems as though Microsoft's price edge with a $199 Xbox 360 Arcade will soon be met with a $199 Nintendo Wii effective September 27.

Nintendo could easily do without a price drop as consumers appear to still be enthralled with the motion controlled system which should now remain the cheapest console.

Alas, I still do not foresee any increase in sales for the Wii with the minor price reduction.

What a Xbox 360 Price Cut Means to the Playstation 3

With rumor, speculation, and fancy Target advertisements floating around it seems as though Microsoft will soon make an announcement about a prince cut of the Xbox 360.

Conventional wisdom is suggesting that the cut will yield a $50 drop on both the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite versions of the console bringing the new total to $249.99 and $299.99 respectively.

This comes just one week after Sony announced the new $299.99 price tag for the 80 GB Playstation 3 and $399.99 for the 160 GB bundle with a copy of "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune."

If the immanent cut price does in fact occur, it would bring the 120 GB Xbox 360 Elite and 80 GB Playstation 3 in direct competition at a $299.99 price match.

Which is the better deal?

The obvious comparison is missing 40 GB of storage on the Playstation 3. However, the same point-counter-point arguments will likely arise in comparing the functionality of the two consoles.

Most notably, the Xbox 360 Elite bundle comes compete with a headset, HDMI cable, Halo 3, Fable 2, and a free trial to Netfilx. However, Elite owners will still need to purchase a $100 attachment for wireless internet access whereas all versions of the Playstation 3 have built-in wireless.

Regardless, the Playstation 3 price cut will be the bigger announcement since this will be the closest the expensive console has ever come to matching Microsoft's console.

Some may ask: what about the Nintendo Wii? The simple and obvious answer is that you will not see a price cut on the Wii any time soon. Why should they?

The Wii is just the front runner in the current console war and consumers are perfectly happy paying $250 for one. The Xbox 360 Pro will soon match that figure, but gamers buying the Nintendo Wii are interested in the hardcore gaming that the Xbox 360 promises.

Those hopeful for a $199 or $149 Wii will have to wait.