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Nintendo is hoping to address its recent problems with a price cut for the Wii U videogame console, a new cheaper handheld and a bevy of new games.

The Japanese videogame giant said it will drop the price of its most expensive Wii U to $300 from $350 on Sept. 20, bowing to market pressure following disappointing sales. Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, said in an interview at the company's Silicon Valley offices that customer's preferences for the Wii U's more expensive Deluxe version led it to lower the price on that model first.

"We see the issue for what it is," he said. "We look to address it and address it as strongly as we can."

The company declined to comment about any new pricing plans for the "basic" lower-cost version of the Wii U, which offers less storage and doesn't come with a game in the box. It currently costs $300.

Nintendo is also planning to expand its lineup of handheld consoles by releasing the 2DS, a videogame device that can play mobile titles but do so without a 3D image, a key selling point of the 3DS device that went on sale about two years ago.

The 2DS, which comes with blue or red back casings, is radically different from the other mobile devices Nintendo makes. It eschews the clamshell style design with screens on each side that can shut like a book for a single piece of plastic affixed with two screens stacked above one another on one side. Like its cousin, the device will still have a 3D camera in the back, Nintendo says, primarily to play augmented reality videogames.

Fils-Aime said Nintendo realized there was interest in an entry-level product without 3D images, after it warned they could adversely affect children under the age of six if they used that setting on the 3DS handheld.

"From a Nintendo perspective it's about analyzing the marketplace," he said of the moves.

The 2DS will launch Oct. 12 for $130, nearly 24% lower than the cheapest 3DS, which costs $170.

Nintendo's moves come at a critical time. Its Wii U videogame console, launched last year as a successor to its popular Wii, has failed to gain traction in the marketplace. In the April to June quarter, Nintendo reported it sold 160,000 units of the device, vastly lower than competitors and even its own Wii, which was first released in 2006.

Further, Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. are poised to capitalize on Nintendo's stumbles, releasing new videogame consoles of their own in November with flashier visuals, more advanced cameras and an array of new titles to attract gamers.

Fils-Aime says Nintendo is aware of the competitive market, and understands why it has so far struggled. To him, and the company, the dearth of new games, particularly in the beginning of the months, kept the device from attracting new customers.

He said Nintendo hadn't anticipated some games would be delayed, but new titles from popular franchises such as "Super Mario Bros." and "Donkey Kong," should help turn the tide.

"It's about the software and cadence of software that motivates consumers," he said. "Given where we are with Wii U, our plan is strong pace of software."

Indeed, Nintendo has shown it can turn around a struggling launch. The 3DS too underperformed expectations after its launch, driving Nintendo to cut its price by as much as 40% after five months on the market. That, along with a slate of new games, made a difference, Nintendo said, and now the device has sold more than 30 million units.

Fils-Aime also said he is not concerned by recent projections from market researchers at PwC, who have said the worldwide console game market is expected to grow at a pace of 4.2% to $25.98 billion this year; in 2014, sales are expected to rise another 6.4% to $27.62 billion. That's far slower than the 28% growth the industry saw in 2007 after the last batch of videogame consoles were released.

There are still plenty of people who haven't yet played videogames that Nintendo can entice, he said when discussing the numbers. He added products such as Apple's iPhone and devices powered by Google Android operating system have helped to introduce customers to games in general. When they look for a more advanced or in-depth experience, he said, Nintendo can provide them.

"We are constantly thinking about how do we get consumers who have not yet played videogames to play their first one," he said.

Nintendo on Wednesday also confirmed launch dates for a bevy of new titles it showed off earlier this year, including games such as "Super Mario 3D World," a followup to the popular game "Super Mario 3D Land" that was widely credited with helping increase sales for the 3DS during the holiday shopping season two years ago. Most of the eight games made by the company will be released between September and November with prices ranging from $40 to $60.