Legend11 said:
I take it you don't remember the costs of cartridges at their height? Also you bash Microsoft and Sony for their controller costs, why not Nintendo since it cost $20 for the Nunchuk and $40 for the Remote? Does Nintendo get a free pass from you or do you just like to bash the others, so which is it? Oh and where do you live that it cost $50 per month for online gaming? And why single out Microsoft and Sony for that when Sony's is free and Microsoft's is $50 per year, maybe you're thinking of Xbox Live and just don't know what you're talking about? |
I do remember cartridge costs and it was one of the main reasons the N64 struggled against the Playstation; the games started at a higher price, took longer to hit a budget price and at their budget price were more expensive than budget Playstation games. The game cost thing is one of the main problems I see Microsoft facing with the XBox 360 mainly because the XBox 360 has been on the market for 2 years without much of a budget game library (inspite of having a library of developed games which would be well suited to that purpose)
As for the controller comment, I did mention " ... many things about the Wii are uncharacteristically expensive ..." which was refering to the cost of the controllers. In the mindset of the consumer I don't think this is nearly the issue as the XBox 360 and PS3 controllers are because the Wiimote is "Shiny new technology" whereas the XBox 360 and PS3 controllers are essentially the same as the $30 wavebird, and the Nunchuck is optional; it doesn't matter if the reality is that the XBox and PS3 controllers are similarly technically advanced as the Wiimote in many ways or that you will need to buy at least one nunchuck if you want to play certain multiplayer games as long as the customers maintain these beliefs.
The online thing was mainly a mistake, I did mean $50 per year ... I do realize that it is free with the PS3 but the point was that people were being charged for what was once free.
Essentially, my point was directed at Sony and Microsoft mainly because they have pushed the price increase far further than Nintendo has; consider that at launch a PS2 and extra controller would have cost you $320 where it would cost you $310 on the Wii, and a XBox and 3 controllers would be $390 (they had $30 controllers) whereas the Wii would be $430 ( the PS3 for a similar setup would be $550/$60 or $650/$750 and the XBox 360 would be $350/$450 or $450/$550)
Edit: There are also things that Nintendo did correctly with the Wii to help minimize people's objections to the price, Wii Sports and Wii Play. By packaging the Wii with Wii Sports and selling Wii Play with a Wiimote Nintendo has essentially made the most common initial purchase Wii, Wii Sports+ Wii Play, 2 Wiimotes and 2 Nunchucks at $330 which people will see as being compariable to a $500 XBox 360 or $600+ PS3 bundle. Wii Sports and Wii Play may not be the best games (or largest) in the world but this doesn't prevent people from seeing extra value from their price.
Edit 2: Personally, I would have taken bundling to the next level, remade Punch Out in 2D and made a Wiimote/Nunchuck+Punch Out bundle for $75 and also produced a Nunchuck focused (puzzle) game and sold it with a Nunchuck for $30.
