Miyamotoo said:
No his point is wrong, smartphones generally have much higher value and incomparable much higher appealing on whole market thats why they are easily most popular tech device in world that every year sold hundreds of millions of phones/tablets that cost hundreds of dollars while consoles all consoles sell less 50m combined, while Switch is only gaming devaice and cant do almost anything except gaming. Also like people stated, most people buying phones through subscriptions while you can buy Switch only for cash. Value and cost of consoles didn't really changed much , while you cant say same same thing for smartphones, sales and price points of consoles last few gens proves that. It actually costed $130 less than Switch after price cut, we comparing $300 and $170 price points, that huge difference. Its true that Switch definatly has higher value because hybrid nature than 3DS, but we talking here about Japan market where people definitely buying Switch for handheld side primarly, and for plenty of people in Japan $300 is high price for handheld device. But thats a point, 3DS needed huge price cut only 6 months after launch in order to start selling while 1.5 later Switch still has launch price point, offcourse that in Japan $170 3DS will sell better than $300 Switch simple because $300 is high price to start like Nintendo handhelds usually selling in Japan and to sell like one device per person, but when Switch actually go down with price point of around $200 sales will explode and than Switch will start selling like device per person instead currents device per family. Much lower price point is only reason why 3DS is selling better than Switch curently, I mean $200 Switch would destroy 3DS sales even in Japan, but Nintendo isnt in hurry to make price cut for Switch because Switch is selling very well in any case and they making quite a profit at every sold Switch while they were making loss with every sold 3DS after price cut. |
He is not wrong. He brought a very good perspective to sales:
Although sales of the handhelds and consoles haven't really changed much, as you admit, sales of smartphones and cia., have. And that actually helped to virtually lower the price of game devices (in comparison).
With that, a price tag of 300$ has a much lower impact today than it had 10 years ago. And that's not irrelevant.
You are also forgetting something that changed last gen: consoles lowering their price tags to a minimum are becoming a thing of the past and because of that gamers already now that it's not really worth waiting for a lower price point.
The 3DS price cut wasn't just because it was 250$, the console had very little meaningful support coming soon or announced to make it worthwhile paying that price.
Switch didn't have that problem. Not even close.
PS4, since launch, has only lost 25% of it's orignal price (400 to 300) and that didn't stop them from selling 80+ million units.
If Switch goes that route, it won't reach that price of around 200$ anytime soon. And by then, who knows how the market will be.
"offcourse that in Japan $170 3DS will sell better than $300 Switch simple because $300 is high price to start like Nintendo handhelds usually selling in Japan"
You are assuming that because people mainly use it for playing on the go, that it means they see it as a handheld.
Nintendo, from the start, has been selling it as a home console on the go.
It's very much expectable for japanese consumers to see it as such and, therefore, thinking differently about the 300$ price point.
As i said, 3DS might have the price advantage, but Switch has it's own advantages.
And if i'm not mistaken, at this point in time, 3DS only had Mario and Mario Kart to sell the console. Switch has that, plus Zelda, Splatoon 2 and the TV gaming bonus.
Can the 130$ price difference really explain the sales gap? Given the hype and what's on the way, i don't think so.
