Have you been holding out on buying a DS? If
you're anything like me, you hate paying full price for a console (er, handheld?), especially when the console in
question was released during the previous calendar year. Well, the prayers of frugal shoppers and Nintendogs-loving
gamers everywhere may be answered by a $20 price drop on the handheld next week, quite possibly nine months to the day
after the launch of the DS (and right before the release of Nintendogs).
According to a reliable source on CheapAssGamer.com (also known as CAG), the Nintendo DS will drop from $149.99 to $129.99 (or $129.95) on or before August 21st. In addition, a $10 off $50 Nintendo purchase coupon may possibly be mailed out to preferred "R" Zone customers this coming week, which just might be applicable to hardware. (A big maybe…) Regardless of local promotions, however, should the MSRP be lowered nationwide, the reduced DS price should be available to everyone within a week, and not just at the major retailer where our source obtained this information. So if you have been dying to pick up a DS, just hold on a little while longer (or buy now and get that price match/correction if you're bold). Follow the link at the end of this post to read the details and examine a few more GameCube bundle rumors. [Note: registration is required to view the forums on CAG, but you can currently catch the gist of this DS deal on the CAG front page if that's what you prefer.]
The time is ripe for another price drop. I might just pick up a DS to play the latest Advance Wars, but it's tantalizing to imagine how Sony might respond with respect to PSP pricing and SKUs. Will they bundle a game, drop the "value pack" price, offer a standalone package, throw in a new color, or simply rely on that famous Kutaragi hubris to pull them through? We shall soon see.
8/16 Update: the price drop is a universal one and will actually occur this week, most likely by Thursday or Friday. [Thanks again, tubtub.] The TRU coupon mentioned above will work on the DS itself, and a special bundle will be on tap at TRU as well (though other retailers will probably follow suit). Read the same CAG thread below for details, or follow this link to the public archive for the main news.
8/16 Update #2: The price drop's officially been confirmed for 8/21. Read the news here.
[Thanks, tubtub]
