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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - why the hell do first party nintendo games stay expensive for so long?

Mummelmann on 20 November 2010
sethnintendo said:
Mummelmann said:
sethnintendo said:
Smidlee said:
Mummelmann said:

Nintendo games are expensive and always have been. Deal with it.

That's true. Nintendo always tries to keep their prices for games as high as possible which helps made Ps1 to succeed.


Least I don't have to throw down an extra 10 dollars per game this generation compared to 360/PS3.  PS1 was successful for a few other reason besides price (However, price definitely did help, aka PS3 not dominating because of high initial price).

Actually, here in Norway, Wii games cost more than PS360 games and DS games cost more than PSP games. Some games cost the same at launch (like Black Ops on all platforms) but the PS360 ones are marked down after a while and the Nintendo counterpart remains priced highly. I also remember the N64/Playstation era when a PS game cost around 500NOK and a Nintendo game cost around 800-850 NOK (No, I'm not kidding). In the end, this could possibly hurt revenue imo, its better to sell two copies with a ten dollar profit than one copy with fifteen (or zero copies). This is simple business; lower price equals higher demand, higher demand equals higher product volume and sales and thus higher profits even with a price slightly marked down.

In the end though, I don't really care since I have yet to purchase a single Nintendo game this generation. And, besides, I pay the least for any game at any rate since I play on my PC.


That is interesting.  I sometimes fall into the secluded mind thinking everything is same worldwide yet it is always different.  Funny how WIi games are always $50 USA and 360/PS3 are $60 yet elsewhere worldwide prices are different.  Price standards can't be established worldwide even with currency differences.  I remember people from South America / Eastern Europe naming outrageous prices for games for current and previous generations.  No wonder piracy is so high if it cost an arm and leg to buy a game in some markets.

I asked a retailer about it a couple of years ago, apparently it has something to do with distribution channels for Nintendo games here so the process ends up somehow more expensive before it hits retail.



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Pyro as Bill on 20 November 2010

Expensive????

Taking inflation into account, they're underpriced. CoD, Kart, NSMB, Brawl, Wii Sports/Resort, Wii Fit are all underpriced. It's the other shit that doesn't sell on replayability (ie a GAME) being overpriced that makes Nintendo look expensive.

Nintendo can sell 10-20 Mill a game because it's such good value for money and will last 5-20 years before an upgraded version releases.

Nintendo should be prostituting their IPs with yearly sequels to get a real return or release every 5 years and keep the original price.



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mike_intellivision on 22 November 2010

Maybe the question should be why do other developers stick to their prices longer -- especially on Nintendo consoles which typically have slow-burn/building/evergreen sales?  (Rather than why does Nintendo not lower its prices?)

I typically get Nintendo games sooner because I know the price is NOT going to go down if I wait. 

 

Mike from Morgantown



      


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Naum on 22 November 2010
Mummelmann said:
sethnintendo said:
Smidlee said:
Mummelmann said:

Nintendo games are expensive and always have been. Deal with it.

That's true. Nintendo always tries to keep their prices for games as high as possible which helps made Ps1 to succeed.


Least I don't have to throw down an extra 10 dollars per game this generation compared to 360/PS3.  PS1 was successful for a few other reason besides price (However, price definitely did help, aka PS3 not dominating because of high initial price).

Actually, here in Norway, Wii games cost more than PS360 games and DS games cost more than PSP games. Some games cost the same at launch (like Black Ops on all platforms) but the PS360 ones are marked down after a while and the Nintendo counterpart remains priced highly. I also remember the N64/Playstation era when a PS game cost around 500NOK and a Nintendo game cost around 800-850 NOK (No, I'm not kidding). In the end, this could possibly hurt revenue imo, its better to sell two copies with a ten dollar profit than one copy with fifteen (or zero copies). This is simple business; lower price equals higher demand, higher demand equals higher product volume and sales and thus higher profits even with a price slightly marked down.

In the end though, I don't really care since I have yet to purchase a single Nintendo game this generation. And, besides, I pay the least for any game at any rate since I play on my PC.


Seriously? damn you need to come over here to Sweden, here Wii games costs everything from 100-150 SeK less then PS3/360 games



If it isn't turnbased it isn't worth playing   (mostly)

And shepherds we shall be,

For Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti. -----The Boondock Saints

Mummelmann on 22 November 2010
Naum said:
Mummelmann said:
sethnintendo said:
Smidlee said:
Mummelmann said:

Nintendo games are expensive and always have been. Deal with it.

That's true. Nintendo always tries to keep their prices for games as high as possible which helps made Ps1 to succeed.


Least I don't have to throw down an extra 10 dollars per game this generation compared to 360/PS3.  PS1 was successful for a few other reason besides price (However, price definitely did help, aka PS3 not dominating because of high initial price).

Actually, here in Norway, Wii games cost more than PS360 games and DS games cost more than PSP games. Some games cost the same at launch (like Black Ops on all platforms) but the PS360 ones are marked down after a while and the Nintendo counterpart remains priced highly. I also remember the N64/Playstation era when a PS game cost around 500NOK and a Nintendo game cost around 800-850 NOK (No, I'm not kidding). In the end, this could possibly hurt revenue imo, its better to sell two copies with a ten dollar profit than one copy with fifteen (or zero copies). This is simple business; lower price equals higher demand, higher demand equals higher product volume and sales and thus higher profits even with a price slightly marked down.

In the end though, I don't really care since I have yet to purchase a single Nintendo game this generation. And, besides, I pay the least for any game at any rate since I play on my PC.


Seriously? damn you need to come over here to Sweden, here Wii games costs everything from 100-150 SeK less then PS3/360 games

That's not a half bad idea, actually. The border is only two hours drive aways and games don't cost me any toll or VAT crossing back, only electronics devices and other goods over the permitted quantity do. There's also a lot to save on currency exchange!



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Jumpin on 26 November 2010

Because people will play full price for them. It's not like the latest Call of Duty, Halo, or NHL game which immediately devalues the last one. Also, as soon as Nintendo starts lowering prices, you'll have people who will just hold off to buy them when they come down in price, and then might forget about them, or find something else they want instead. The fact that Nintendo doesn't lower the price guarantees the consumer is paying the correct price.

They're like Disney films, they won't go down in price.



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

TripleMMM on 26 November 2010

Everybody said what I wanted to say, but anyway:

You think that's expensive??? Try buying a game here in the caribbean, especially here in Curacao, the price for a new Wii game is TWICE(yes, approximitly one hundred dollars) as much then they are in the states in our currency(gulders). And until they don't sell like hotcakes anymore(wich takes considerable amount of time), then the shop owners actually drops their prices to what they should've been, around the same price(although slighty higher) as they are on the states shore.

I bet Cheebee can back me up on this, right man?



 And proud member of the Mega Mario Movement!
benao87 on 26 November 2010
Gnac said:

They're so expensive because you don't have to unlock half of the game's content via DLC.

*hipthrust*


Lol

@TripleMMM Same here, Wii games cost around 90~100 USD, and even though the price of the dollar keeps falling, games prices don't (I reckon this situation is similar in the rest of South America). Thats why most, if not all, of my games and consoles are bought when a relative or friend goes to the US.

OT: Don't know, maybe because people thinck they still worth full price. I just bought SSBB, and do not regret it. 



Complete comic

Roar_Of_War on 26 November 2010
animefobber said:

@Galaki

u got another example? i don't think the TP one holds up really well

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000FQBPCQ/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1288937884&sr=1-1&condition=used


Erm, excuse me...

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000FQ9QVI/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1290791185&sr=1-1&condition=used



Cheebee on 26 November 2010
TripleMMM said:

Everybody said what I wanted to say, but anyway:

You think that's expensive??? Try buying a game here in the caribbean, especially here in Curacao, the price for a new Wii game is TWICE(yes, approximitly one hundred dollars) as much then they are in the states in our currency(gulders). And until they don't sell like hotcakes anymore(wich takes considerable amount of time), then the shop owners actually drops their prices to what they should've been, around the same price(although slighty higher) as they are on the states shore.

I bet Cheebee can back me up on this, right man?

Yes. Yes I can. I've been looking around here a bit, and those prices are horrible. And here I was thinking European prices were bad. :/



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