Revolution to be cheapest next-gen console, says Fils-Aime

Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime has said that he expects the Revolution to be the cheapest next-generation console available when it hits shop shelves next year.

"Value has been a key card for us this generation and we'll continue to play it," Fils-Aime told CNN Money.

"Do I expect us to be at a lower price point than our competition? Yes I do. Have we determined a price yet? No we haven't."

Nintendo has tried to woo consumers by undercutting its competitors before - the GameCube launched for USD 100 less than the PS2 and Xbox. But despite the cheaper price point, Nintendo's console failed to outsell its rivals.

"I think there were some lessons we learned with the GameCube that we need to apply to the Revolution," Fils-Aime said.

"First, we've got make sure that the titles in the first six months are strong and can drive sales. We've also got to make sure the console is attractive visually. And we've got to deliver on the right consumer needs."

"With GameCube, at the time, portability was thought to be a big factor - that's why it has a handle. Obviously, that wasn't the case."

Fils-Aime reaffirmed that Nintendo will not follow in Sony and Microsoft's footsteps and develop high definition games, which he claims would have "almost interminably long" loading times.

"What we'll offer in terms of gameplay and approachability will more than make up for the lack of HD," Fils-Aime said.

When it came to the question of possible price cuts for the GameCube, GBA and Nintendo DS, Fils-Aime simply stated: "Nothing's planned right now."

He did hint that a new version of the DS could be on the way, however: "As soon as [the DS] was launched, we started looking at ways to tweak it visually."