| TheMisterManGuy said: Imagine this scenario. You're a Kyoto-based gaming corporation coming off of a massive success with your home/portable hybrid console with detachable controllers. A lot of hype is surrounding it's successor and so far everything is going well. The hardware is impressive, the games are impressive, even the price of the system is fairly affordable given the power. Everything is going well so far... Except for one problem. The biggest launch title you have, a Kart racer staring an Italian plumber, costs $80. And people don't find out about this until after your big presentation. And given that you haven't really said or shown anything so far to justify this high price tag, people are outraged. Demand on streams to "DROP THE PRICE", accusing you of being "greedy" and "anti-consumer". So your complete and utter failure to properly communicate pricing info to potential customers has now created a massive PR nightmare, and is dampening the hype of your new system. |
I don't think explaining it is going to help. While some people have legitimate concerns - there are many people going through financial struggles right now, and Nintendo is generally who they look for when seeking the cheapest prices, and rather than lowering the price, they're keeping up with inflation.
However, I feel that most of the outrage (like in everything) is motivated by stupidity. And by stupidity, I mean jumping on the bandwagon of being negative and disruptive for the sake of being negative and disruptive, and patting people on the back for being negative and disruptive.
Asshole me would call out the latter group, while encouraging the others to "just save for it if you want it". But if I was running Nintendo, I wouldn't be an asshole :)
Rather, I'd aim to get a lower-budget model "Switch TV" out as soon as possible. If possible, have a concept of it ready to announce by the end of May, so no one bites the bullet on a regular Switch unit. I'd also stop highlighting the prices on the top tier software, and focus on the prices of the mid and low tier software to raise awareness that it's there, and get the discussion focused on that. I might even add an incentive program, perhaps an expansion of the Platinum Coin model that allows them to be traded for gold coins on all tiers of Nintendo online (this could even include quests such as lending out games using the new Switch Virtual Game Card program, or connections using local multiplayer with consoles within the Switch ecosystem, or expanding friend lists with any users in that ecosystem) - perhaps even allowing for people to basically have Nintendo online pay for itself.
What I wouldn't do is compromise on the prices of existing units. I think that's always a mistake for companies to react that way, and historical data shows it with the Switch (successful with no compromise), the Gamecube (still bombed despite compromise), despite the 3DS "re-launch" which showed growth after a price cut + holiday season + system selling software - which, while the price drop almost certainly did contribute to growth (I'd bet it did), that it's not necessary, and it wouldn't necessarily work. But, what I do think, is that the console itself is appealing enough that people will want it - IMO, Gamecube and Wii U weren't very appealing consoles, the 3DS also suffered from anti-3D panic just before launch - but, apart from the bottom of the clamshell biting into the top screen, I thought 3DS was otherwise great hardware for 2011.
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
