Nintendo GameCube Price Drops to $99!; New Hardware Price Spearheads Aggressive Holiday Campaign

Business Wire, Sept 24, 2003

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REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003

Just in time for the biggest video game thrills of the fall, Nintendo of America Inc. today announced a new MSRP of $99.99 for its Nintendo GameCube(TM) home game console, effective tomorrow, Sept. 25. This great new price opens an $80 price advantage over its two console competitors.

While the price of Nintendo GameCube hardware is falling, the variety and affordability of great software is soaring. Coupled with expansion of the Nintendo GameCube library to more than 320 games by the end of the year, the new MSRP of $99.99 and added exclusive offers will further boost momentum for the console throughout the holidays.

Mario Kart(R): Double Dash!!(TM), available Nov. 17 exclusively for Nintendo GameCube, is the most-anticipated game of the season. Nintendo has announced that customers who reserve a copy of the game in advance will receive a free bonus disc, loaded with game footage and gameplay previews for a wide array of upcoming hits.

In addition, Nintendo recently expanded the Player's Choice library offering discounted prices for a half dozen award winning games including Super Mario Sunshine(TM), Animal Crossing(TM) and Metroid(R) Prime.

"So far in 2003, Nintendo GameCube is the only home console showing an increase in unit sales compared to 2002," says George Harrison, senior vice president, marketing and corporate communications, Nintendo of America. "Every time a generation of technology has moved into the true mass market, Nintendo has prospered. This incredible new price and our great software offers are designed to accelerate that trend like never before."

"This is not only good for Nintendo, but great for consumers," says Lucky Evani, Toys 'R Us representative. "For $99, you can now buy video game technology that you couldn't have purchased for $99,000 just a few years ago."

The hot holiday titles from Nintendo will include Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nov. 17), Kirby(TM) Air Ride (Oct. 13), Mario Party(R) 5 (Nov. 11), 1080(TM) Avalanche (Dec. 1), and Pokemon Channel(TM) (Dec.1), as well as the highly anticipated Final Fantasy(R): Crystal Chronicles(TM) and Pokemon Colosseum(TM) in the first quarter of 2004. In addition, the Nintendo GameCube fall lineup is replete with top quality interactive thrills provided by independent publishers that appeal to every game taste, ranging from sports to action to role-playing titles.

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 and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.8 billion video games globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(TM), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). 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 Nintendo, visit the company's Web sites at either www.nintendo.com or press.nintendo.com. Please note press.nintendo.com is a password-protected site; to receive a password, please contact Tom Stratton at 206-505-8308.

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