Nintendo to Launch DSi in April for $179?

Although this is certainly in the realm of rumor for now since Nintendo has yet to make any official announcement, IGN has cited three independent sources close to Nintendo who claim that Nintendo of America has been telling its partners that it will ship the DSi handheld in North America in early April, "most likely on April 4." These same insiders claim the DSi will sell for $179.99, which would be $50 more than the current DS Lite. 

In the Japanese marketplace, where the DS Lite has arguably peaked, the new DSi has been selling quite well. Nintendo likely has more room to grow the already huge DS installed base in North America, however, and the launch of the DSi here could therefore be put off longer. In fact, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata recently stated that the DS market is far from saturated, especially in foreign markets. This, of course, also presents an interesting marketing situation for Nintendo of America. The company will need to communicate the differences between the DS and DSi to make it clear to American consumers which to purchase and why.

If IGN's sources are correct, we would guess that the upcoming Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, starting on March 23, would be the ideal time for Nintendo to officially announce the DSi's April launch.