Nintendo apologizes to early adopters for 3DS price cut

Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata has apologized to early adopters of his company's 3DS portable for dropping its price so soon after launch.
"In the past, there have been price drops for video game systems some time after their release in order to broaden the user base further," Iwata wrote in a letter posted to his company's Web site and translated  by Giant Bomb. "However, never before has Nintendo chosen to issue such a dramatic price drop less than 6 months after a system release."
According to Iwata, the price drop was due to the company's desire to reassure "software creators and those on the retail side that are not confident that the Nintendo 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad user base."
Last week, Nintendo announced that it would drop the price of its 3DS worldwide. In the U.S., consumers will find the portable, which allows users to play games in 3D without the need for special glasses, on sale for $169.99 starting on August 12. The 3DS launched with a price tag of $249.99.