Nintendo Shares Surge On Revolution Anticipation

Japanese shares in game firm Nintendo have surged in what was apparently anticipation over the 2006 release of the Revolution console alongside knowledge of the DS' continued strong performance in Japan. According to a report by the Bloomberg News agency, Nintendo shares gained 6.4 percent to 16,090 yen ($139.40) at the 3 p.m. close of trading on the Osaka Securities Exchange. The recently reported CNet News interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, in which the Nintendo VP commented that the Revolution "will cost less than $300" was noted as a particular possible trigger for the change, since that figure will likely be equal or less than the costs for Sony's and Microsoft's next-gen machines. In addition, a pre-Thanksgiving debut for the console in the U.S., discussed by Satoru Iwata in another recent interview, was also cited as positive for Nintendo. Also positively received were analyst comments that Nintendo's success with the DS outside Japan, thanks to breakthrough titles such as Nintendogs, has further stabilized their position in the handheld market, where Sony's PSP is a relatively new contender. Bloomberg additionally reported that Tsutomu Enoki, a spokesman at Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters, did not elaborate further, commenting: "We have not disclosed any specifics on the price", and that the Revolution would debut "some time in 2006.''