"Digital is the future." - Dudes on the internet.

I am probably not the only one who is being taken by surprise by the sudden surge in demand for physical games. If you've watched the Mario Kart World Direct yesterday and observed its aftermath, you got to read things like:

"Doesn't justify its $80 price tag."
"€90? Just no."

The only people who would say that are the ones who intend to buy the physical version of Mario Kart World, because anyone who doesn't mind to get a digital copy of MKW will buy the hardware bundle that comes with the game, making the game cost effectively $50 in the USA and only €40 in Europe.

Aren't Physical and Digital prices the same in USA, unlike the other regions? We only have been given one price for MK in the USA and that's $80.

We've been here, but you may have been ignoring us.

I will say that I think the demand for physical games is probably correlated to the nation's resale market. For example, both Japan and the US have a robust resale market, so the demand for physical games is probably higher in these places.

The bundle with MKW costs $500 in comparison to a standalone Switch 2 for $450.

If you can get one before they sell out and Nintendo stops making them sure. Regardless for Switch games that are available both physically and digitally over 60% of sales are physical. Nintendo platforms have always had higher physical demand, nothing dramatic here but I understand this thread is to downplay those making price complaints lol.

""Doesn't justify its $80 price tag."
"€90? Just no."

The only people who would say that are the ones who intend to buy the physical version of Mario Kart World"

That someone can't call out bad pricing of something they never intended to buy is stupid. If the next NBA game is $100 I, along with the rest of the internet, would be calling them out on their BS pricing, even though I don't give a damn about basketball.

Do we really need another thread of you defending Nintendo's pricing? Your old one isn't locked lol.

Shouldn't be a challenge, because Nintendo wants Switch 2 to sell well.

"The exact language from Nintendo says the bundle is a “Limited-time production through Fall 2025 (available while supplies last).”
That means the bundle will stop being produced before the end of 2025...."

Nintendo might not keep it in a bundle.
Currently they are saying its a "limited edition" offering to encourage people to be first adopters of the Switch2.
After that its 80$, unless they plan to keep bundles going for longer (but then why word stuff the way they have?).

Also it looks like 70% or so, of preorders are for the bundle, as its the main game for the system so far.
like why even buy the Switch 2 at launch without a must play game? That is so far, Mario Kart.

Rol, (i) the MKWorld bundle will only be available through Fall 2025, so the price of the game is $80USD after this year, (ii) there is only an increase demand in physical games *on the internet*. Official sales data shows that consumers are continuing to gradually shift over the digital (on Nintendo systems, at least). So, this “dramatic resurgence in demand for physical games” truly does not exist.

Thread 2 out of ?? of series "Damage Control"

I mean, perhaps these aren't the same people. Crazy thought, right?

Personally, $90 is just highway robbery, and I've lived through the 90s and the wildly inflated Nintendo game prices.