EA expects Wii to retail for $170

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, executive VP and COO of EA's worldwide studios, David Gardner, has revealed that the publisher believes the console will retail for around US $170 in North America.

In an interview to be published later this week, Gardner said: "I've heard in Japan that the price is about $170, but I don't know if the price has been set in Europe yet."

Gardner went on to discuss the key differences between Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's new console, saying he was confident that the Wii will find its niche in the market as consumers' 'second' console.

"Nintendo has come up with a very clever strategy," Gardner said.

"They've made a choice which is great for the consumer. Now we're going to have a choice whereby consumers can buy a Wii, plus one other console."

Nintendo has so far declined to reveal exact details of a release date or price point for the Wii. However, the company has previously confirmed that the console will retail for less than US $250, and will launch before the end of this year - with shipments estimated to total 6 million by the end of March 2007.