Wii consoles will sell for 250 U.S. dollars on Nov. 19 on the U.S. market. It will be the first time Nintendo has debuted a console in the U.S.. The sale price is much less than the 499 dollars that Sony charges forPlayStation and the 399 dollars Microsoft asks for its most expensive Xbox 360 machine.

"We will make a profit on the entire Wii proposition out of the box, hardware and software," Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime said Thursday.

While its rivals strive to release sophisticated high-definition graphics on powerful, high speed machines, Nintendo aims to expand its overall pool of gamers by offering an innovative controller -- described as a magic wand --and accessible, easy-to-play games.

Nintendo, once the game industry leader and renowned for the Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers and Pokemon game franchises, is hoping to recreate more success with its Game Boy Advance and DS hand-held game machines.

It also will offer a "nunchuk," which plugs into the controller and enables two-handed play.

Nintendo Australia is reportedly expected to announce the local Wii release date and pricing shortly. Enditem

(Agencies)