So this is based on pure speculation. The DS and 3DS had carts as well, why were prices lower back then? Doesn't make sense and this just comes op now because the DS and 3DS were considered handhelds while the Switch is seen as more of a home console and thus is "actual competition" to Sony and Microsoft.

Switch games are not more expensive than PS4 / Xbone games so the point is moot anyway. Bomberman was priced high because the franchise usually sells in small numbers and they want a profit. Nintendo themselves have said they want good relationships with retailers and so they'll make sure prices at retail stay high.

I'm sure carts make manufacturing more expensive... by $1 or so.

The prices of Vita-versions are often lower than the prices of the PS4-version of the same games despite the cartridge.

Too bad they canceled the Vita-version of RiME, would have been interesting how they would price it compared to the Switch version.

Um what? Sony was FAR from the first CD based system. It was about the umpteenth console to do it. Turbo CD was in 1988. They did not "innovate" with CD Rom pn PS1. Shitload of systems used it before PS1.

We all know Sony makes 95% of all Vita revenue with memory cards.

I'm sure the cartridges are expensive and the prices scale up because there has to be a margin for everyone along the line, cartridge manufacturer, developer, publisher, wholesaler and retailer. If a cartridge costs between $3-6 to manufacture including retail packaging compared to 50c for a dvd or bluray then it is a factor.

I think we are all happy to pay £50 approx for an amazing Nintendo exclusive game like Zelda or Mario Odyssey but £50 for a game that is available on many formats and might only be £2 on android and once bought will work with all your future android devices, same with ios or steam. Cartridges also prevent heavy discounting which you see on other formats. I honestly wonder if multi-format games on Switch will be viable at retail, they weren't on wii u. Often wii u games were very poor sellers due to weak technical performance and delayed launch and were then heavily discounted but were at least made cheaply for retail being optical discs. I can see the majority of third party Switch games being digital only fairly quickly to remain competitive in price and unlike the Vita which has proprietory memory cards at least with Switch it's relatively cheap to buy a 128GB card. However doing so will damage retail channels. Nintendo need to push for selling digital codes in retail packs which lowers the price below even optical discs. Give them a nice plastic case like cartridge Switch games but half the thickness with a large banner on the front stating 'Digital' and 'Internet connection and ?GB storage required' or words to that effect.

I do wonder if this will become the go to excuse for third parties on the Switch.

On the other hand, there has been some positive feedback from the LEGO dev [source]

That would have been interesting to see how RiME would have handled that.

If this is infact true, I'll be totally fine with it. While a Blu-ray disc is much cheaper, the blu-ray drive is much more expensive than a cartridge drive. Even though this isn't good, I'll go with this rather than a $350 Switch.

This is speculation. Pretty sure the company Nintendo partnered with worked with them so keep costs way down. The cost for a Blu Ray pressed is 2 dollars. A MASK Rom costs $2.50. So this is not a huge leap over Blu Ray cost. More expensive yes,but not by much. Again people seem to think Carts of 1996 and it's issues apply to ones made in 2017. For the most part not the case anymore.

Saw a similar point being made in regards to price difference on reddit, and the reply was to consider that there may be thousands of places manufacturing blu-rays for every one place making NS cartridges, thus making it more difficult to keep prices lower or something...

Read above your post. I gave you the exact cost. Nintendo is working with Macronix,same as 3DS and DS. Blu Ray os 2 dollars. MASK ROM cost a whopping 2.50.