DSi prices inflate as Japan launch approaches
October 26, 2008 by Mike
Nintendo’s DSi launch may be limited to Japan come November 1st, but from the looks of things, fans from all over seem to be bent on getting one too. How so? Because the handheld appears to be in short supply, causing prices to fly through the roof.
The new Nintendo handheld comes in two colors
According to Spencer over at Siliconera, retailers like Softmap and Yodabashi Camera refrained from taking online reservations, compelling people to go through middlemen that ask for as much as a whopping 35,500 yen (or $382).
Import stores that accept preorders are asking for pretty much the same price. DS Fanboy revealed that the importers offer DSi handhelds costing from $272 to $318. Nintendo intended that the DSi be priced at $180, so we’re looking at an increase of over 40%. The gray market has indeed taken over.
Here are the following prices gathered by DS Fanboy:
- YesAsia.com: $299.99
- Play-Asia.com: $299.99
- Model-Gadget.com: $272.29
- Gadget-Asia.com: $318.30 (free shipping)
The question now: would the North American or European launch of the DSi cause the same price upsurge? More importantly, would YOU be willing to pay over $300 for a DS Lite that can’t play GBA games and is equipped with a mediocre camera?
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[...] the DSi’s inflated price isn’t making things easier for Nintendo—not that the game maker can do anything about it, [...]