The $199.99 Wii is real, Nintendo plans brief Consumer Sampling Tour to promote it

All of the rumors and whispers were right, Nintendo is cutting the price on the Wii. Starting September 27, 2009, a Wii will cost you $199.99 as opposed to $249.99. That means it’s the same price as the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle. It took both Microsoft and Sony cutting prices on the Xbox 360 and PS3 to finally get Nintendo to take the plunge. It isn’t as dazzling as the recent $100 price cuts on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but $50 is still a lot of money. You could buy an additional game with the money you’re saving. (Two, if you buy the games used!)

The $199.99 bundle is identical to the $249.99 one available now, but let’s still quick review what you get. You get a Wii console, with all of the necessary wires and cords. You also get one Wii Remote and one Nunchuk. Finally, you get Wii Sports, a sports compilation with bowling, tennis, boxing, baseball and golf games. A good deal for $250, a great deal for $200.

In order to also help promote the new, cheaper console and build goodwill among buyers before the crucial winter holiday buying season, Nintendo is holding a brief Consumer Sampling Tour. If you live in Long Beach, Philadelphia or New York, you can stop by one of Nintendo’s October events and experience some major Nintendo releases, like Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus, New Super Mario Bros. Wii Punch Out!!, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and assorted WiiWare and DSiWare.

The tour starts at Long Beach at the Long Beach Comic Con, at the Long Beach Convention Center, from October 2-4, 2009. From there, it heads to VGXPO in Philadephia, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where it’ll set up camp from October 9-11, 2009. Finally, the tour ends in New York at the Big Apple Comic Con at Pier 94, where it will show off Nintendo’s products from October 16-18, 2009.

So, what do you all think? Is a $50 price cut enough to make you run out and buy a Wii? Personally, I think the cut will help make the Wii one of the most wanted Christmas presents of 2009. Especially if stores create some sort of makeshift Wii and New Super Mario Bros. Wii bundle.

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