Nintendo pushes back on Wii, DS price cuts

Nintendo said Friday it is confident in consumer demand for its two consoles, thus making a price cut unnecessary at least during 2008.

Both Sony and Microsoft have already cut prices on their current consoles in an effort to keep sales up. Nintendo has so far continually rebuffed calls to similarly cut prices for its own systems.

"Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don't think we are going to need them," a company spokesperson said.

Things may be slightly different for the company than it is for its competitors, however. Where Sony and Microsoft's hardware has been able to meet demand with an adequate supply, Nintendo generally has not.

Furthering the company's case, both Nintendo consoles sit comfortably at the top of their respective market segments. Add to this a company flush with cash -- on Thursday it announced a doubling of its profits -- and it begins to sound more like a cogent argument to continue riding this wave of good fortune for as long as they possibly can.

Nintendo says it expects to see continued success with the Wii during the year, selling some 25 million consoles worldwide during 2008. Production will also increase from 1.8 to 2.4 million consoles monthly, which could put an end to the shortages.