Nintendo publicly stated that the Wii will be cheaper than the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 debuted at $299 and $399, respectively, for the Core and Premium systems. In comparison, Sony's recently released pricing information puts the PlayStation 3 at $499 for the 20GB model, and at $599 for the 60GB model.
Historically speaking, Nintendo hasn't been cagey with its console-pricing strategy. Nintendo's magic number has been $199 over its past four console launches. Nintendo offered bundles that increased the price point, but $199 is where everything usually starts.
Nintendo could significantly undercut the competition by lowering the price to $149; some even speculate that Nintendo could introduce the Wii at blowout price of $99. However, even if priced at $199, the Wii would only cost half as much as a full Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3. Judging from the past, we're guessing that Nintendo will ship the Wii with a $199 price tag.