Word's on the street that GameStop has allegedly stopped stocking the 8GB model of the Nintendo Wii U gaming console at some of its store. That's not all. The model will be recalled on June 18, fueling speculation that the 32GB model of the Wii U could get a price cut soon.
The news is courtesy of Kotaku which cites trusted sources. Moreover, Nintendo could make the official announcement for the Wii U price cut at the upcoming E3.
According to Kotaku's "reliable retail source" a few GameStop chains "will no longer be selling the 8GB Wii U as of June 18, exactly one week after Nintendo's big E3 kick-off event."
The source also let on that GameStop contacted some of its stores with the following message:
"Nintendo Wii U Basic Recall - Two Week Preparation On Tuesday, 6/18, all stories will need to return all new/unopened Wii U Basic (020359). .. Stores that have 10 or more in stock will receive shipping cartons from the [distribution center]. .. All other stores will need to save shipping cartons for this recall."
At this juncture, it is not known why Nintendo will possibly recall the unit. Chances are that a hardware defect in the console may be the reason; however, speculations are rife that the alleged recall could be owing to a new SKU (8GB bundle with some extras) or price drop.
This basically means that if the 8GB variant (which is cheaper than the 32GB one) is recalled, then the 32GB model could see a price drop from $350. It could possibly retail at $300, the price point of the 8GB unit.
Considering that a price slash helped boost the sale of Nintendo 3DS, the company is hoping that the same may happen with the Wii U, which was released in Nov. 2012.
Kotaku contacted GameStop officials for confirmation but they are yet to revert. On the other hand, Nintendo told the site that it did not comment on "business practices with retailers."
