Nvidia cuts GPU prices to counter AMD, expands Shield's game support

• The GPU market is seeing a bit of a price war following the recent launch of AMD's (AMD +0.7%) aggressively-priced Hawaii GPUs. Nvidia (NVDA -1%) has cut the MSRP for graphics cards based on its GeForce GTX 780 GPU by $150 to $499, and for cards based on its GTX 770 GPU by $70 to $329.
• The cuts are meant to make the cards more competitive with AMD's new R9 290X ($549 MSRP, just launched to good reviews) and 280X ($299 MSRP). Nvidia discounted cheaper GPUs earlier this month.
• Separately, Nvidia has greatly expanded the number of Android games capable of working with the hardware controls found in its Shield Android handheld console, courtesy of default profiles that can be downloaded. Supported games include NBA Jam and Angry Birds titles. Nvidia is also rolling out a "Gamepad Mapper" option that lets users create custom hardware controls for touch-based Android titles.
• The moves should resolve the chicken-and-egg dilemma that has existed for Shield game support; time will tell whether it will also stoke broader interest in controller-based Android gaming (a clear goal of Nvidia's).