While Nintendo is no stranger to price cuts, a markdown of $80 on the 3DS was unprecedented for them in such a short time span. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has expressed concern that the sudden drop could have an ill effect on Wii U momentum, in the sense that early adopters that felt burned by the 3DS reduction may hold off.

To remedy this, Nintendo is making strides to ensure that early adopters are treated well, as it outlined in its Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors program.

Our decision of the price markdown this time has a side effect that, at the launch of the Wii U, people may feel that the price might drop in the near future if they wait. Nevertheless, we have decided to cut down the price of the Nintendo 3DS as we consider it as a necessary decision now. What we will be able to do to recover the consumers’ trust before the launch of the Wii U is very important to us.

A price on the Wii U will be announced sometime after March in 2012.

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