Column: The Fryer, Vol. 2

All your videogame news are belong to us.
9/18/2008 6:30 PM | 1 Comments | Page 2 of 3

Nintendo tries to ease Wii supply concerns with price increase

In an unprecedented move, Nintendo today announced the first-ever price increase for a piece of videogame hardware. The company's popular Wii system will start selling for a price of $400, a $150 increase, on Sunday.

At a press conference today, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime explained that the move was designed to help haggard holiday shoppers. "We have heard the cries of parents who are tired of spending hours of their precious time searching stores and Web sites for our incredibly popular system," he said. "The increased price should bring system supplies more in line with demand, and thus make them easier to find on store shelves during the coming holiday months."

When pressed by the assembled journalists, Fils-Aime admitted that there was also a bit of a marketing advantage to the price increase. "With the Xbox 360 Arcade now available at the bargain basement price of $200, we felt it was the perfect time to reposition the Wii as a high-end system that's worth a little extra investment. I think you'll agree that $400 is a steal for access to a holiday lineup including great games like Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors, Littlest Pet Shop and Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine."

Industry analyst Michael Pachter praised the move, saying in a statement that the price increase will "only increase the profits Nintendo has been making on its hardware since the 2006 release of the system."

When asked why Nintendo couldn't simply produce more systems to ease the shortages, Fils-Aime offered a curt "No comment."

King Features excited about first Sally Forth Expo

Don't be surprised if the streets of downtown look a bit like the newspaper comic pages next month. Thousands of Sally Forth fans, many dressed as their favorite characters, are expected to descend on the Days Inn on Main Street for the first annual Sally Forth Expo (SFX) three weeks from today.

King Features spokesperson Jane Smithson said her company drew inspiration from the Penny Arcade Expo, which recently attracted over 58,000 fans to the Seattle Convention Center. "The adventures of Sally, Ted and little Hillary are seen by millions of people in 900 newspapers worldwide every day," Smithson said. "If some little Internet comic can attract so many people, we figured a convention devoted to Sally Forth would be an even bigger hit!"

Sally Forth Writer Francesco Marciuliano thinks the expo, like the strip, will resonate with a wide and largely underserved segment of the American public. "When you look at the comics page, what do you see? Overweight orange cats? Religious cavemen? Military officers with anger management problems? In Sally Forth, white, American, middle-class, middle-aged mothers finally have someone they can relate to. I think these people will turn out in huge numbers for this exciting expo."

Planners said the three-day expo will include panels on everything from "Faye: A Cautionary Example for Your Daughter" to "How to Deal With a 'Ralph' in Your Office," and participatory events like a Ted look-alike contest. The expo will close with a blowout concert featuring the smooth sounds of Kenny G.