GameStop Expects 'Key' Nintendo Game This Year, CEO Wants PS3 and Wii Price Cuts

Sparking a wave of internet-wide speculation, GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo has told CNBC that the retailer expects "a Nintendo key property" to release this year.

"They haven't given us any insight, but they have told us to reserve [shelf] space," he added. After E3 2008, Nintendo revealed that the teams behind the Zelda and Mario games were "hard at work" on new titles. While Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS in March, so far all's quiet on the Mario front.

DeMatteo also offered his opinion on console prices. He criticised Sony's $399 PlayStation 3, saying "That price point is clearly an issue in this economy." Responding to rumours of a $50 cut, he said "I don't know that $50 gets you that much."

Even the high-selling Wii might benefit from a reduction, DeMatteo believes. "I think [demand for] the Wii could slow down to the extent that Nintendo may want to cut the price"--affordable as falling component prices have increased the Wii's profit margins.

DeMatteo touched on Sony's recent PlayStation 2 price cut, saying "To be honest, it really wasn't worth doing." He explains, "If they'd done it earlier, publishers probably would have kept making games for the PS2, but once they've stopped, they've stopped."