As far as I remember, Nintendo always did that, selling each console at profit, however small that may be, starting from NES, to Super NES, N64, Gamecube and now Wii (and I guess, soon WiiU).
So Nintendo was the only manufacturer who did not apply the "razorblade" model of the other console makers, which is understandable since they were and are a videogame company only and thus never had any other branches which could have been able to subsidize their console business in the beginning (unlike for example Microsoft).
I think the first console Nintendo made that actually sold at a loss is the current 3DS handheld and that may be after the very fast initial price cut after the slow reception on the market.
So Nintendo was the only manufacturer who did not apply the "razorblade" model of the other console makers, which is understandable since they were and are a videogame company only and thus never had any other branches which could have been able to subsidize their console business in the beginning (unlike for example Microsoft).
I think the first console Nintendo made that actually sold at a loss is the current 3DS handheld and that may be after the very fast initial price cut after the slow reception on the market.