Nintendo Beefs Up Wii Bundle, Adds U.S. Black Console

Nintendo isn't cutting the price of its Wii console, but it's beefing up the $200 offering -- and adding a black console to the selection alongside the traditional white. Wii has always sold bundled with Wii Sports, but now Nintendo will also package it with Wii Sports Resort and the MotionPlus accessory created to enhance the sensing abilities of the Wii remote. "By including even more of our top-quality hardware and software in the basic Wii system package, we’re extending that commitment to entertainment and value," says Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Nintendo may face a challenge for Wii when Sony and Microsoft release motion control solutions later this year. Some analysts, like Wedbush's Michael Pachter, see the possibility for fall console price cuts, led by Microsoft's Xbox 360. However, despite supply constraints in recent months and no major software launches, Nintendo's Wii still averaged 110,000 new systems sold per week during the first quarter of the year, suggesting there's no need for the company to reduce the console's price just yet. "Now more than ever, consumers can count on Nintendo to deliver inclusive fun and advanced motion controls at a mass-market price," says Fils-Aime. The enhanced packages, and the black Wii hardware, will be available at retail in North America starting May 9. Black Wii consoles have been on shelves in Japan since August 2009.