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Wal-Mart isn’t waiting around for August 12. Despite Nintendo’s official date for the Nintendo 3DS price drop being this Friday, one of America’s largest retailers is jumping the gun, slashing in-store prices of the portable to $169.99 now.

Curiously, Wal-Mart has yet to do this for its online store, and has apparently made no official announcement to this effect. Still, we’ve heard from several IGN readers that they’ve been able to pick up a system from their local shop. Apparently not all stores have implemented the new price.

This has a number of implications, the most obvious being that consumers buying the system today are still technically eligible for Nintendo’s “ambassador program”. By signing online before August 12, these fans, who already bought a 3DS at discount, will be able to receive the 20 free NES and GBA titles that are being distributed throughout the rest of the year.

There are potential implications for Nintendo as well. Hardware agreements can require the publisher to compensate retailers for price cuts to maintain sales margins. (Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just acknowledged this point in his latest investor Q&A.) Will Nintendo have to pay Wal-Mart for the discount in addition to giving away free games?

We’ve reached out to Nintendo for comment on the situation, particularly to find out if it sanctioned Wal-Mart’s premature price drop. Technically retailers In the meantime, let us know if you have any luck getting a cheap 3DS!

Posted in Brewology, NDS | No Comments » Tags: , ,

Due to our strict silk pants-only policy, the PSP Go (and, really, any other handheld) has been a hard sell — sure, the $250 asking price isn’t helping, but that may be changing in the near future. A dutiful tipster sent us the above image from his AAFES-based store of employment, indicating a $50 North American price drop to $200 for the digital-only handheld. Oddly, Sony has kept mum on the possibility, not even offering a “We don’t comment on rumor and speculation” to our repeated attempts at contact.

Our friends in other retailers have yet to uncover any news of the price drop, but Sony’s silence gives us the impression something’s up. Perhaps you have something to share? Don’t hesitate to drop us a line!

[Source: Joystiq]

I think it is about time for this, $250 is much to steep for an old handheld that does not support a physical format. Digital Distribution may be the future, but the world is not quite ready yet. Though this is still a rumor so do not take it to heart!

Though the good news is that Amazon is currently selling the PSP Go for $199.00 anyway.

Posted in Brewology, PSP | 4 Comments » Tags: , ,

iSuppli has tore apart the a fully loaded AppleTV to reveal that it costs Apple just less than $64 in parts. Considering it retails for $99 its quite a steep markup. Take a look at the parts below.

Posted in Apple, Brewology | No Comments » Tags: , ,