Nintendo - We hope consumers understand Wii price rise is for reasons "beyond our control"

Nintendo has told VG247 it hopes consumers will "understand" that it has to raise the trade price of Wii in order to combat depreciation in the pound.

The company confirmed today it's raising the price of the machine by between £18-20, but insisted that any knock-on effect to consumers will be the fault of retailers.

Here's what we asked, here's what Nintendo said.

VG247 - Won't this force retailers to raise the price of the British Wii?

Nintendo UK: That's entirely up to retailers. it is illegal for ANY manufacturer to set or fix retail prices. Retail price is ALWAYS set by the retailer. It is up to them what they then price Wii at following the increase in trade price.

Do you expect the move to result in a decline in demand?

Clearly, we hope that consumers will continue to enjoy the entertainment benefits of Wii. We have made this move reluctantly, and hope that consumers and retailers understand that the reasons are beyond our control.

How do you expect retailers to react to the move?

We have made this move reluctantly, and hope that retailers understand that the reasons are beyond our control.

There's no word yet on when any price hike will come into place.