GAME doing half-price DSi deal

By Robert Purchese Published 20 February, 2009

When you trade in an old console.

GAME will offer the Nintendo DSi for half-price this April to anyone trading in an old console or handheld.

Xbox 360, PSP-3000, Wii and DS machines are accepted, and knock the subsequent asking price for the DSi down to GBP 74.99.

"Our customers are very excited about the launch of the DSi, and all of our stores are fully geared up to take pre-orders and help customers understand all of the innovative features of the new machine," GAME operations director Robert Quinn told GamesIndustry.biz.

"We're working closely with Nintendo to organise a huge launch, which is perfectly timed for the Easter holidays.

"As always, we'll have plenty of stock and some fantastic launch offers to give customers the best possible experience. We're already offering the DSi for half price if customers trade in one of their other consoles," he added.

The deal puts the handheld at a lower price point than many retailers sell the DS Lite for. At the standard price of GBP 149.99, however, the DSi costs more than the Arcade Xbox 360 unit.

The DSi launches here on 3rd April. The new handheld features bigger screens, a built-in microphone, on-board memory, an SD memory card slot, an extra brightness setting and other bits and bobs.

Those bits and bobs are discussed in depth in our appropriately in-depth hands-on impressions of the DSi.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • aliki #1 3 years ago

    So the £150 price is pretty much confirmed.

    Fuck off Nintendo.

  • jonsaan #2 3 years ago

    Oh, thankyou GAME. What a wonderful deal.

  • Dizzy #3 3 years ago

    ROFL.. as if anybody would trade in a 360 or a Wii. A DS or PSP yes...

  • jonsaan #4 3 years ago

    Oh look. A quick google and it appears that GAME sell preowned DS' for £89.99!!!

  • BadBoyBonner #5 3 years ago

    While I love the DS (still got original ugly crappy screen Silver Model as well as white DS lite from America the day it launched) I can;t help but feel this is a step too far for even me to stomach.

    I'd struggle to justify it at £99 for a new DS - with the other 2 going strong - would only really be buying it to upgrade the GF from the old DS when am not playing on them with her.

    But a DS costing more than an Xbox360? - That just seems wrong on many levels.

    And what price are they expecting to put a DS platform replacement at?

    I expect the DSi to be massively shunned (relative to the DS) which still means big business I guess - but the price is a joke.

    It looked old over 4 years ago - the Lite updated version was very welcome - this one not so much.

  • mcwildcard #6 3 years ago

    If you really looked carefully you could probably pick up a used PSP for about £50, so it'd be about £25 cheaper.
    Actually what am I saying, that's still fucking awful, the greed is beginning to infect those nice chaps at Ninty.

  • NotSoSlim #7 3 years ago

    People really need to start realising thet Nintendo are screwing consumers with the DSi bu tit will still sell

  • ryohazuki1983 #8 3 years ago

    Yep it will be 150quid, got an email from argos this morning about pre-ordering one.

    Nintendo really are taking the piss.

  • BadBoyBonner #9 3 years ago

    Makes iPhone start to seem like a bit of a bargain.

  • Pac #10 3 years ago

    @NotSoSlim

    "tit will still sell"

    Amen to that brother. More porn on the DS I say!

  • DaDon123456 #11 3 years ago

    I already got DS Phat and DS Lite, was gonna get DSi as an excuse for 3 way multiplayer, but £150?
    Come on, thats the price my local import shop was selling it for!

  • merkdot #12 3 years ago

    ....any DS?

    ah no, DS Lite. Not so good then.
    Edited by merkdot at 20/02/09 @ 14:56

  • Golgo #13 3 years ago

    Shame, I'd have lugged my DS Obese down to Game if I could've got rid of that.

  • IP #14 3 years ago

    "Makes iPhone start to seem like a bit of a bargain."

    More to the point, this positions the DSi at pretty much the same price-point as the low-end iPod touch (£165 RRP, and ten quid less through the likes of Amazon). Given that the iPod touch can make calls via Fring, has email/contacts/Safari, and has a load of decent games, the DSi suddenly looks somewhat pricey.

  • Toothball #15 3 years ago

    I'd buy one at that price, except I haven't fired up my DS in months. Right in the middle of Phoenix Wright 3 as well. Don't like trading in old consoles though.

  • Rirekon #16 3 years ago

    Pass, won't be picking up one of these for more than £120 tops or £50 trading in my DSLite.

  • carrotcake #17 3 years ago

    I've got a couple of DS Lites, so looks like one of those will be replaced by DSi. Can't wait.

    Uh, £150 to buy one doesn't sound too bad. Compared to buying a decent phone without a contract.

  • aliki #18 3 years ago

    The DS is a four year old platform. Will buy one for £80, but nothing more.

    @carrotcake, there are plenty of decent phones for under £100 without contract. What are you smoking?

  • penhalion #19 3 years ago

    Game waiting for pre-orders of this and coincidentally also have an immediate trade-in deal for half price. I suspect that demand for the DSi is a lot smaller than either Nintendo or games retailers expected.

  • smelly #20 3 years ago

    meh.. no-ones forcing you to buy one...

  • ps3owner #21 3 years ago

    NotSoSlim: "tit will still sell"
    DaDon123456: "...an excuse for 3 way..."

    I like where this is going, keep up the good work. But remember, this is a Nintendo threat, there may be 8 year olds around. £150... must be inflation then. pricey!!

    but the most important bit in this thread so far is this line:
    "Given that the iPod touch can make calls via Fring, has email/contacts/Safari, and has a load of decent games, the DSi suddenly looks somewhat pricey."



  • witchdrash #22 3 years ago

    The DSi has never exactly excited me, DS lite, which I already own, with a few new gimmicks and a region locked app store. Which we assume that Nintendo will actually put some decent stuff on.

    Think I'll stick with my DS.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #23 3 years ago

    How many of you hypocrites have wanked off over your trendy £200 phones or MP3 players?
    I think I'll stick to my Atari Lynx until everything is free.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #24 3 years ago

    "More to the point, this positions the DSi at pretty much the same price-point as the low-end iPod touch (£165 RRP, and ten quid less through the likes of Amazon). Given that the iPod touch can make calls via Fring, has email/contacts/Safari, and has a load of decent games, the DSi suddenly looks somewhat pricey. "

    Exactly as the other poster says, no one is forcing you to buy it, keep finding the excuses to go and get that ipod touch, Im sure you'll be in gaming heaven.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #25 3 years ago

    "Game waiting for pre-orders of this and coincidentally also have an immediate trade-in deal for half price. I suspect that demand for the DSi is a lot smaller than either Nintendo or games retailers expected"

    Nintendo have never been good at predicting demand have they.
    Remember when Pink DS phats were going on ebay for well over £150?

  • southpaw #26 3 years ago

    I notice it states PSP-3000 which means my 2000 is going to remain in the box for the rest of eternity

  • spookyzombie #27 3 years ago

    I was talking to a Gamestation manager today and he said their deal is going to be a DS plus £70 to bag a DSi.

  • Incarta #28 3 years ago

    Tempting deal...but no. I'm happy with my DS as it is. *goes back to playing Chronotrigger*

  • DiscoMike #29 3 years ago

    i was hoping to palm off my 1st gen chunky DS to GAME to get a DSi, but looking at the original GI.BIZ story, that aint going to happen.

  • johnlenham #30 3 years ago

    R4s and such dont work on them or am I mistaken? No sale.

  • Ryze #31 3 years ago

    No chance at that price.

  • FenderMaster #32 3 years ago

    haha!!

    no GBA slot, no flashcarts?

    no thank you!!

  • secombe #33 3 years ago

    This article wasn't clear on the DS thing, but the other one looks like a definite no-no on the DS Fat.

    Shame, I would have happily traded my original DS, still in perfect condition.

  • tardo #34 3 years ago

    I still just have a fat ds, which is in need of a replacement, as the screen is a bit old and tired now.

    But I'm not sure I want a DSi though. I want to want one, but as it doesn't have a gba slot, and I don't think I care about the camera(s), I'm not sure how much it appeals to me. I suppose I'd always still have my old ds to play gba games on. But maybe ds lite prices will go down a bit, and I can get one of them instead. Will wait and see.