Nintendo Revolution to go on sale for $99?

Lately, there’s been a fair amount of speculation on all things Revolution-related, such as whether these leaked technical specifications are the real deal. Next up seems to be the Revolution’s price: will it really be as low as $99? Recent rumors surfacing on the internet seem to suggest that this is quite possible.

The argument in favor of this price point is that the Revolution will be the least powerful of the three consoles, and will require game developers to significantly modify games in order to achieve cross-platform playability due to the Revolution’s unique controller and reduced power.

However, since Nintendo is largely reliant on exclusive titles, their choice to go for “lightweight” hardware may work to their advantage by making the console easier to develop for.

But could it sell for $99?

Examining recent comments made by Nintendo president Saturo Iwata seems to indicate that this is possible. In an interview with television network G4, Iwata conceded that Nintendo’s next generation console would be less powerful, saying,

“If you are just going to compare the spec sheets and spec numbers, Revolution may not have an equal or higher number as the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.”

He went on to say that he wished to expand the gaming population with the launch of the Revolution, attracting non-gamers to the world of gaming by way of its intuitive new controller, and, it would seem, a lower price tag. Iwata stated that

“Revolution’s price must be affordable for non-gamers”

and indicated that even gamers who bought the PS3 and Xbox 360 would likely purchase the Revolution - a feat not likely to be achievable unless the Revolution is priced significantly lower than Microsoft and Sony’s next-generation offerings.

Iwata, however, stopped short of giving a price point for the Revolution in his interview, leaving gamers and Nintendo fans to speculate on the possibility of a significantly cheaper next-generation console.

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