NINTENDO DROPS PRICE OF BEST-SELLING GAME BOY ADVANCE SP TO $79.99!
Companion Marketing Campaign Urges Players to ''Start Mayhem''
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 1, 2004 - The hottest video game system in history is getting the best price in the universe. Starting Sept. 2, Nintendo's record-breaking Game Boy® Advance SP will sell at an all-time low manufacturer's suggested retail price of just $79.99, a full $20 less than its current price. The reduction significantly expands the potential audience of an already-dominant consumer electronics device to a wider range of consumers.
At the same time, Nintendo also paves the way for more "Mayhem" - the watchword of the new "Start Mayhem" Game Boy Advance SP marketing campaign that debuts with the new price point, showcasing different personalities for each of the GBA SP colors.
"This new price point makes Game Boy Advance SP affordable for the vast majority of the mass market, and gives people a 'gotta-have' gift to automatically put at the top of their holiday gift lists," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo has always owned the portable video game market, and this further strengthens our leadership position."
Game Boy Advance SP, which is front-lit and sports a clam-shell design, has sold more than 20 million units worldwide, and will continue its dominance this fall with an impressive lineup of games. Before the end of the year, Nintendo will launch titles like Pokémon® FireRed, Pokémon® LeafGreen, F-Zero® GP Legend, Mario Pinball LandTM, KirbyTM & The Amazing Mirror, Donkey Kong® Country 2, Final Fantasy® I & II: Dawn of Souls and Classic NES® Series 2, which features old-school games like Metroid®, Castlevania®, Dr. Mario® and Zelda IITM: The Adventure of Link®. Added to this will be more than 50 titles hitting the market from Nintendo licensees.
In addition, Game Boy Advance SP continues to expand its range, with the Game Boy® Wireless Adapter that comes packaged with Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen, as well as Game Boy® Advance Video, novel video paks that let users watch cartoons right on their Game Boy Advance units.
The "Start Mayhem" campaign features CGI-animated Game Boy Advance SP units brought to life in a variety of fun situations. Each color unit demonstrates a different personality. The campaign kicks off with videos featuring the Flame and Onyx systems. To view the videos, log onto www.startmayhem.com starting Sept. 2.
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® Advance and Nintendo GameCubeTM 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 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as MarioTM and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, ZeldaTM and Pokémon®. 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 site at www.nintendo.com.