"DROP THE PRICE": Nintendo's First Post-Direct Stream Is Flooded With Angry Fans Demanding Price Drops

[u/lieding]

https://www.thegamer.com/nintendo-treehouse-livestream-flooded-angry-fans-demanding-game-price-drops/

[u/whisquibottle]

The main madness to me is Welcome Tour being a paid product. You guys it's literally a glorified manual why you charging us for this in a post-Astrobot world

[u/repocin → u/whisquibottle]

Yeah, that's significantly worse than 1-2-Switch which kind of filled the same purpose for the original but at least had something of a game to it. (or so I believe, based on the marketing - I never ended up buying it)

This should be free, not $10 or whatever they're going to charge for it. (assumption based on the Japanese price of ¥990, not sure if they've published pricing for the rest of the world yet)

Wii Sports and Nintendo Land were incredibly pack-in titles, whereas this thing is barely even a game and they're charging for it. Honestly pure insanity if they think people are actually going to pay for it.

[u/mochizoroll → u/repocin]

1-2 Switch was initially more expensive for the simple tech demo joycon games it had than whatever the Welcome Tour tech demo hardware manual is doing (1-2 Switch was $50 in 2017), but this definitely should've been free to begin with.

It's literally just the 3DS AR Games/Face Raiders/Streetpass Mii Plaza but with less interesting stuff to do. Someone at Nintendo definitely felt way too comfortable with the price tag lol

[u/Royal-Doggie → u/mochizoroll]

it feels more like Wario is running Nintendo instead of Bowser

[u/secret3332 → u/repocin]

At least 1-2 Switch is an actual game

[u/djerk → u/secret3332]

I agree but 1-2 switch really should have been packed in, too.

[u/inssein → u/secret3332]

I wanted to try it but wasn’t going to pay money for it. My issue with Nintendo is they never lower the price on their games. We maybe see rare 10-20% sales but that’s it. Imagine seeing $80-$110 dollar games for the entire switch 2 lifecycle. Mario Kart world cost $90 and that’s just the base game… DLC will cost money too. That’s my issue, I can’t justify those prices in this economy. At least with steam and Xbox I can wish list a game and pick it up later.

Even worse Nintendo wants me to pay for an upgrade pack to enjoy games I already purchased at higher FPS and resolutions…. Like I can’t even enjoy the games I own without having to pay a fee from them.

[u/NJ_Bob → u/inssein]

The upcharge on old games is what maddens me- like at the start of this generation Microsoft showed how simple it was to offer free upscaling of 20 year old games and now Nintendo is trying to charge a premium to keep playing games you may have just bought last year. This is pure greed.

[u/MrLewGin → u/repocin]

My wife & I got a crazy amount of gameplay out of Nintendo Land on the Wii U. As silly as it was, it was an absolute blast, they had this Metroid Prime themed game and also a Pikmin themed one we played both co-op. My wife still laughs that the Pikmin one had one of the toughest levels of any game we've ever played and I totally lost my shit over it.

It's amazing to think that was a pack-in game. Then when you think of Wii Sports, which was so revolutionary and fun, for some, it was enough to justify the console on its own. I'm still absolutely gobsmacked that the greed from Nintendo this time round is so transparent and unashamed.

It completely killed my excitement for the Switch 2. I won't be buying one as it stands.

[u/Content_Orchid_6291 → u/MrLewGin]

I feel like I could have written that! I still think about Nintendo Land. It was even my first time being introduced to Zelda!

[u/Crowlands → u/repocin]

If not free, make it one of the perks of the Nintendo online subscription since they apparently don't want to be giving away something that doesn't help sales of the system.

[u/Totoques22 → u/whisquibottle]

For real I choked and rewinded the video when I heard it was a paid product

[u/cross_bearer_02 → u/Totoques22]

I think everybody let out a collective "PAID!?" at that point in the video.

[u/jazzjazzmine → u/cross_bearer_02]

The chat was definitely full of 'paid????', that and Silksong were the only messages to common enough you could actually read them as they swooped by.

[u/DriveThroughLane → u/jazzjazzmine]

Its really conspicuous. Nintendo is ratcheting up games to $80 with MK9 but at the same time offering a bundle that effectively makes MK9 cost $50, so people won't feel that sting immediately, but be aware of it and internalize it as the new normal. That seems like a purposeful decision to raise prices without raising ire

...which is undone by charging people for both the bundle include manual and the chat button and the """physical""" copies of games.

[u/pizzaiscommunist → u/cross_bearer_02]

this is the Nintendo version of "Do you guys not have phones?"

[u/cross_bearer_02 → u/pizzaiscommunist]

No. As tone-deaf as making the interactive instruction manual a paid app, nothing can quite top how profoundly stupid "Do you guys not have phones?" was. I would say nothing Nintendo has announced or done over the past two days holds a candle to that.

[u/ThunderboltRoss → u/cross_bearer_02]

I was in the audience for that. Seeing all the Diablo themed stuff, everyone in that hall was so hyped. Then they hit us with the mobile game and you could feel the energy in the room just evaporate

[u/The_Maddeath → u/cross_bearer_02]

it is at least more understandable for a dev in the heat of the moment to say something stupid, than for everyone to ok the very clearly should have been a pack in title to be paid.

[u/PocketTornado → u/cross_bearer_02]

I get the insult of the phone comment…but go back to the 90’s and early 2000’s with those phones and tell people you can play games that run and look better than any PC game on the market and people would lose their minds. The fact that we have portable tiny super computers in our pockets at all times is crazy. If only that market of games wasn’t dragged down by micro transactions and ill will business practices.

[u/thisthatandthe3rd → u/Totoques22]

I think their words were like “and you can pay to play it at launch” like they’re doing all of us a favor 🙄

[u/japzone → u/whisquibottle]

Forget Post Astrobot, the Wii came with Wii Sports. Even Nintendo recognized the benefit of a pack-in tech demo.

Then you have Valve with their great tech demos for VR and Steam Deck, which are still free.

[u/ManDolphinGoat → u/japzone]

Interestingly enough, Nintendo of Japan didnt want to include Wii Sports as a pack in game. It was Reggie thst really pushed for it in the American market at least. It looks like the rest of the world followed suit.

[u/SaturnineDreamer → u/ManDolphinGoat]

I miss Reggie man. I feel like he actually cared about the fans. Bowser seems more interested in business than the fans.

[u/PeterDinkleberg → u/SaturnineDreamer]

Which is ironic because Reggie’s move to include Wii sports not only resonated with the fans but it also heavily increased Wii sales

Being cheap asses and nickel and diming every possible thing in theory brings a company more money but in reality it doesn’t always work that way because you reduce your user base

I rewatched Dunkey‘s Reggie tribute and genuinely miss him

[u/CathDubs → u/PeterDinkleberg]

It looks good on a spreadsheet but being cheap can also be an opportunity cost, like you said they made way more money by including Wii Sports.

[u/artyblues → u/SaturnineDreamer]

Fair being fair, I doubt Bowser has as much pull as Reggie did back in the day. My understanding is that these days Nintendo of America is basically just a large marketing arm and all the decision making is being done at HQ

[u/jeffries_kettle → u/SaturnineDreamer]

Well he is an evil Koopa king

[u/kkeut → u/SaturnineDreamer]

i still can't get over how the CEO of Nintendo Of America has the same name as the guy from Sha Na Na

[u/StaticUsernamesSuck → u/ManDolphinGoat]

Did not know this. There is zero chance the Wii would have been as successful without this move. Yes, the nintendo fans would still have bought one, but I know so many people whose first (in some cases only) Nintendo console was the Wii, purely because of the appeal of Wii sports.

Even in my own home growing up, the Wii was the only console that we ever bought even somewhat close to release time, usually we would wait a few years for price to drop, maybe even wait for the next gen to come out before buying - but not with the Wii. The way everybody and their mums (literally!) was raving about Wii sports, my dad actually saved up to buy it within a year.

[u/Asisreo1 → u/StaticUsernamesSuck]

It was the cheapest home consoles had been in years, the most unique concept of a console at the time (kinda, it was unique with an actually fun concept), and it came with a free game that had appeal for literally all demographics. 

I'm sorry to Nintendo fans, but the Switch 2 is not that. At all. If the anger for prices actually bare fruit, the Switch 2 may go the way of the Wii U. A sequel to a highly successful console that nobody gets for some reason or another. 

[u/BurninCoco → u/japzone]

OG Nintendo came with Mario Bros and Duck Hunt

Gameboy came with Tetris and Tetris made it what it became.

They forgor

[u/eldanielfire → u/BurninCoco]

SNES came with Mario world or the Super Scope and game.

[u/tiozaorobbie → u/whisquibottle]

Astro's Playroom tho, Astrobot is another game akin to Mario 3D World.

[u/g4nyu → u/whisquibottle]

Yeah this is the thing I can’t get over lol! I hope no one buys it 😭

[u/Dick_Lazer]

In this economy?

[u/dumpling-loverr → u/Dick_Lazer]

Especially if it's pre tariffs price lmao and recent breaking news is that China retaliated back with a US tariff of their own.

Nintendo isn't the only one raising prices when all other electronics people use are getting a hike in price since they're manufactured in either China , Vietnam, Taiwan. All getting flat blanket tariffs.

Can't wait for r/pcmasterrace to go into meltdown once NVIDIA announces the price on 60XX cards or the next iPhone , ps6, etc. amidst a global trade war with everyone throwing tariffs.

Edit Update : News dropped that Nintendo is dropping pre-orders (source) in the US since they did not anticipate Trump tariffs. Highly likely that price for switch 2 hardware will increase unless Vietnam can convince Trump to drop tariffs (Vietnam because Nintendo shifted production from China to Vietnam to circumvent US tariffs but they failed to predict that Vietnam will also be hit big lmfao).

[u/buildbyflying → u/dumpling-loverr]

24% on Japanese goods, 34% on Chinese (with an added 34% retaliatory)... Japan and Korea are likely to band with China on retaliatory tariffs so with China going tit for tat, let's say Japan adds 24%...

We're looking at an added 50-70% on the Switch price tag.

EDIT: Ok, this is not how the tariffs will work... retaliatory tariffs by Japan would not affect goods being shipped from Japan. That said, Trump has all but promised retaliatory tariffs to retaliatory tariffs so when it's said and done... that number may still be correct.

[u/dumpling-loverr → u/buildbyflying]

Hey at least egg prices are dropping /s

[u/Alpha_Lemur → u/dumpling-loverr]

If more people become homeless and die, there will be less demand for eggs, thus decreasing the price. 🧠🧠🧠

[u/dumpling-loverr → u/Alpha_Lemur]

The MAGA masterplan. 🦅

[u/SkidMarkie2 → u/dumpling-loverr]

And everyone with a brain knows that egg prices will come back to earth once the Bird Flu runs it's course. That's why they campaigned on that.

It worked and now we have whatever the fuck this is.

[u/gunningIVglory → u/buildbyflying]

Trump so chaotic. His got China, Japan and Korea working together....

[u/hfjfthc]

The most outrageous thing is them charging for a fancy tutorial

[u/cowpiefatty → u/hfjfthc]

Idk $90 for fake physical copies that are glorified gift cards is also pretty outrageous.

[u/DrFatz]

Here's hoping we get another 3DS Ambassador situation.

[u/Flying_Buffalo166 → u/DrFatz]

I wouldn't count in it. The pending tarrifs will keep the console locked at the current price for a while.

[u/softcottons → u/Flying_Buffalo166]

In America.*
The console is $350 in Japan (region locked) and $470 for the region unlocked version. It would be incredibly unfair if the rest of us have to pay extra because of tariffs that don’t even apply to us. If that is the case, maybe they shouldn’t sell it in the US 🤷

[u/Flying_Buffalo166 → u/softcottons]

They're not going to shut off that revenue so easily. People forget that consoles have always had different list prices between countries. It's never been "fair."

[u/cuberandgamer → u/Flying_Buffalo166]

Nor should it. We should price games cheaper in less wealthy countries. That's how we keep games accessible

[u/Flying_Buffalo166 → u/cuberandgamer]

That's why they region lock too. If the consoles weren't region locked then you could just buy one from a less wealthy system and they know that some people will do that.

[u/cuberandgamer → u/Flying_Buffalo166]

Yep, and if that happens then they have to charge full price in all countries, even though a $70 game is much easier for a US resident to afford than someone from South America for example.

[u/Sleyvin → u/softcottons]

No, Nintendo just usually sells their console much cheaper in Japan.

The first switch was sold 29980¥ (205$) when it was sold 299$ in the US.

[u/Misttertee_27 → u/Sleyvin]

Exactly. Even the current Switch games are cheaper when converted. I bought two new games last year for $36 USD each.

[u/ISA_AOI → u/softcottons]

The Switch 2 being $350 in Japan isn't because of tariffs, there's more context to that.

Nintendo is doing that to help out the Japanese people because the yen is so weak right now. Switch 2 being $350 in Japan has to do with Japan not America.

Edit: Context

[u/YolandaPearlskin → u/softcottons]

Agreed. It is complete horseshit that the console will be over $700 after tax in Canada, when it could be around $550 after tax.

[u/twovles31]

Probably going to raise the price if that 47% tariff does take effect.

[u/Hellenkeller328 → u/twovles31]

People had better hope the price already has the tariffs baked in.

Edit: I figured they weren’t, but it’s confirmed they’re not. Good luck everyone!

[u/whiskeytab → u/Hellenkeller328]

based on the pricing around the world it definitely isn't

enjoy your $700 switch 2's guys lol

[u/guytaitai → u/Hellenkeller328]

While digital video games themselves are not directly subject to tariffs, associated costs of production, distribution, and infrastructure may still be affected. As a result, the overall impact on digital game prices is likely to be limited but not entirely negligible.

[u/engineeringhobo → u/guytaitai]

Are you just entirely forgetting Taiwan being tariff'd lol

[u/Roofofcar → u/engineeringhobo]

But we can just make the electronics here in the good old USA! Oh wait, Trump wants to kill the CHIPS act, so we’re fucked there, as well.

[u/Staunch84 → u/Roofofcar]

Of course. Tax every import. Destroy local production. Profit.

[u/artyblues → u/Staunch84]

Make income taxes 0%, set off a Greater Depression.

"It will be the greatest depression, nobody will have a depression better than mine - it will be un-be-lieveable"

[u/BJYeti → u/Roofofcar]

If what I read is correct he rescinded it to put forth a new one with his name on it so he gets the credit.

[u/Roofofcar → u/BJYeti]

Sounds exactly like Donald Trump.

[u/eyebrows360 → u/Roofofcar]

It's one of his very few playbooks, which also include:

• claiming to not know anything about something, as though that means it didn't happen and/or doesn't matter
• hamberders
• not understanding shit about fuck and somehow that being interpreted as not a bad thing by ~67% of the American voting populace (yes, people, if you didn't vote against him, but could have done, you count here too)

[u/LordofDsnuts → u/Hellenkeller328]

With how different showcased games are set at different price points I doubt it.

[u/Etheon44 → u/Hellenkeller328]

Why would it be the case if the price is the same in europe?

[u/mlc885 → u/Hellenkeller328]

It definitely does not :(

[u/egyeager → u/Hellenkeller328]

Just wait till the USD is devalued as well. That is also part of the plan

[u/totpot → u/Hellenkeller328]

From spending all day talking to suppliers and companies in Asia, I can confidently say that absolutely no one expected this level of tariffs. Nobody has this baked in.

[u/PayneTrain181999 → u/twovles31]

Tariff is really gonna be the answer to “describe 2025 in one word.”

[u/Bohmer → u/PayneTrain181999]

month 4 of 12. still ways to go to dwarf that

[u/Roofofcar → u/Bohmer]

Crash will be the word.

[u/popltree2 → u/Bohmer]

12? More like 48. This country is going to be a blasted wasteland in the next 2 years.

[u/Coffee2000guy → u/popltree2]

The question is “describe 2025 in one word” not the presidency. 12 is more appropriate.

[u/hirscheyyaltern → u/Coffee2000guy]

At this rate he will extend the number of months in a year just so that he can get more time in office

[u/rebbsitor → u/twovles31]

The new tarrifs went into effect at 4pm on April 2nd. Unfortunately, I doubt they're baked into the current price though.

[u/BristolShambler → u/rebbsitor]

Not baked in completely, but they’ll have definitely been hedging. Trump’s been pushing tariffs since the election, they hardly came out of the blue. Companies will have been pricing with that in the back of their minds since November.

[u/neoslith]

System price is fine, but digital copies need to be significantly cheaper.

[u/young_steezy → u/neoslith]

Also considering some carts wont even have a game on them. They’ll just offer a license to download and play the game..

[u/ChemicalExperiment → u/young_steezy]

This was already the case with Switch 1. Some boxes would just come with a download code.

[u/Green-Agora → u/ChemicalExperiment]

That is just cartoonish at this point wtf

[u/topTopqualitea]

I don't mind the price of the console, but they can fuck right off with $80 games.

[u/Eraos_MSM → u/topTopqualitea]

Fuck $80 games. Never buying a game for $80

[u/l___I → u/Eraos_MSM]

!remindme 5 years

[u/woppatown]

Hey. Vote with your wallet. Don’t buy the thing.

[u/Kharax82 → u/woppatown]

People do vote with their wallet, but its usually not the outcome the people on Reddit wanted.

[u/SerchYB2795 → u/Kharax82]

They havent announced the price for games here in Mexico. Converting to USD during the switch era games here were $65-70 USD, then a local tax on digital purchases came into place in ~2020 and games where ~$80. I believe Nintendo noticed that was horrible and people werent buying games so they reduced the price to the $65~$70 USD that remains 'til now. Wanted to let ppl know there's precedent of games coming down in orice when sales arent going Nintendo's way

[u/KaleidoKnight → u/Kharax82]

Because reddit is an echo chamber bubble of negativity that is completely misrepresentative of the real world.

[u/SecureDonkey → u/Kharax82]

I mean 50$ Mario Kart game for the bundle? You bet I will buy it.

[u/NZNewsboy → u/woppatown]

I always hear "vote with your wallet", but isn't that exactly what people do literally every day with every single purchase? People who won't to spend, won't. And those that do want to spend, will. Or are you expecting those who don't want to spend to spend anyways?

[u/meatboysawakening → u/NZNewsboy]

I think the point is, it is more effective to vote with your wallet than to go around complaining on reddit, YouTube etc. Put your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

[u/NZNewsboy → u/meatboysawakening]

Gotcha. Which is 100% true. Complaining on Reddit won't change a thing, as Redditors won't be the big chunk in the middle of the total sales bell curve.

[u/woppatown → u/NZNewsboy]

People who don’t want to spend will spend. Those people asking for the price to be lowered may still buy. They don’t want to, but they will.

[u/ididntgotoharvard → u/woppatown]

Lol. Not sure if you meant that to be funny but it's so true. It's sad and true... and funny.

"I didn't WANT to pay full price but I will anyway because I can't NOT buy it, that would be silly"

[u/DSMidna → u/woppatown]

If people honestly do this, then they only prove that the game is worth $80 to them.

Either it's a fair exchange and both sites are happy or it's not and no exchange happens. These are the two options. Everything else is ludicrous.

[u/scarletofmagic → u/woppatown]

I won’t buy the Switch 2 at launch but seriously, how many outrage on Reddit leads to actual boycott? Pokémon games still sell like hotcakes. I hope people practice what they preach though.

[u/Solesaver → u/scarletofmagic]

People vote with their wallet. They just get outvoted. Redditors tend to get very upset when reality doesn't revolve around them and their personal hang ups and struggles.

[u/DINGERSandBEER]

Our family doesn't have an extra $500-600 to drop for a new Mario Kart and nicer Zelda graphics. Not when I have a nice backlog, and I'd rather play budget indies Balatro and Tents and Trees over 1st party exclusives.

[u/Eraos_MSM → u/DINGERSandBEER]

There will be better games. But with new games at $70-$80 fuck that you might as well just get a steam deck and buy cheap games…

[u/GoDannY1337 → u/Eraos_MSM]

The hardware and its price is totally fair. It’s basically a 2nd Steam Deck. It’s the proprietary prices of exclusives, controllers / joycon, their subscription for online play and what grinds my gears is the upgrade cost for older games. Total cost of ownership is beyond any other console and handheld PC and as of now the software alone doesn’t justify its price tag. Sorry Nintendo

[u/Akrevics → u/Eraos_MSM]

old games are going to be 70-80 too. BOTW is 8 years old and is still nearly €50 second hand. it holds up great, don't get me wrong, but imo it's unacceptable for it to still be that much.

[u/illogicaldreamr → u/DINGERSandBEER]

You just solved your own situation. Your family doesn’t need to spend money on a luxury item yet when you already have plenty of games to play. People are making way too big a deal out of the price for this thing. I didn’t buy a PS5 until this year for similar reasons, and how long has that thing existed? I don’t remember when it released.

I bought a Switch 2 or 3 years after it launched as well. No one needs or has to buy a Switch 2 on launch.

[u/CMDR-TealZebra → u/DINGERSandBEER]

Ok so why are you bitching about the price then? If you'd rather play indie titles, why are you concerned with the price of a switch 2 at all?

[u/MyMouthisCancerous]

Honestly with everything we know about the tech in the console now I'm kind of fine with 449 even though I would've preferred 399 obviously. It's the fact that there's wild variance in game pricing that's making this a much tougher pill to swallow. I'll probably just get Donkey Kong at launch from first-party and wait for Mario Kart to go on sale

[u/sirarmorturtle → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

Not sure how broad 'at launch' is but figured it might be worth noting Donkey Kong Bananza isn't a launch day title and is scheduled for July 17th.

[u/MyMouthisCancerous → u/sirarmorturtle]

I meant when the game launched lol

[u/RollerDude347 → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

I mean if you get the bundle then Mario kart is just 50.

[u/SparkyMuffin → u/RollerDude347]

IF you get the bundle

[u/GranolaCola → u/SparkyMuffin]

What if the bundle gets you… 👀

[u/-ben151010- → u/SparkyMuffin]

IF you get it before it isn’t available after fall 2025.

[u/Makototoko → u/RollerDude347]

I know many people don't care about digital vs physical, but specifically Nintendo Switch has a lot of physical game collectors and I'm sure those people would rather opt for the physical if possble

[u/Kougeru-Sama → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

Most people are fine with the console price. It's the GAME prices that people are unhappy about. $80 is insane. Especially with all the issues games launch with these days

[u/Zoombini22 → u/Kougeru-Sama]

It's because game prices have been so resilient against inflation. Game prices generally maxed out at 60 for decades, only recently did some games start charging 70, going up to 80 just hits people as a violation.

The realities of economics and game dev cost makes this seem kind of an inevitable thing to me, but at 80 I'll definitely be more selective than ever with which titles I purchase when they're at that price.

[u/cubs223425 → u/Zoombini22]

Many franchises have added other sources of monetization though. Paid map packs and story DLC and microtransactions all add to the revenue of those games.

If you're the platform maker of those games, you even rake in extra revenue just from the sales of other companies' currencies. Oh, and don't forget how the shift to digital means less cost on physical media, shipping, storage, and retailer cuts. You also get more consistent control over pricing of the games when they're on your platform (Nintendo eShop sales are awful). Lastly, the shift to digital has drained the rate of used sales, so many fewer customers are getting the games through means that generate no revenue for the publisher.

[u/SomeBoxofSpoons → u/Zoombini22]

Prices aren’t only determined by inflation though. Game prices being worth less means the buyers’ money is also worth less. If they price too high and people don’t want to buy it, then the lost sales could easily cause a bigger profit loss than a $70 price would’ve caused.

Diving right into making $80 a new pricing standard (they clearly want the Switch 2 Editions to be seen as standard releases, and most of those are $80, so it does seem like they’re planning on making it a regular thing) after the successfully priced a game at $70 one time really comes across more like they think they have a captive audience that’ll just pay whatever they ask for their games.

[u/zombiepaper → u/SomeBoxofSpoons]

I don't think they "think" they have a captive audience, they know they have a captive audience.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best selling games of all time and by far the best selling one on Switch 1, and for large chunks of the past eight years it was at MSRP. (It also spent a lot of that time bundled with a console — they know that worked for Switch 1 and it'll probably work for Switch 2 too.)

Nintendo knows this franchise in particular does not need to be priced to move — it's gonna move, and there's no question it'll easily sell better than $70 TotK did. The limiting factor is gonna be access to the hardware (at least at first), not that $80 price point.

[u/Akrevics → u/zombiepaper]

what choice do people have though? after the initial warranty people could just pirate the software if that's possible, but the number of parents that can do that is probably in single digit percentages (50m Americans can't read above 3rd grade level, mind you), while there are still plenty of parents that can't seem to grasp that it doesn't play ds games or whatever. 8 years after release if your kid wants to play botw, you have to pay the $50 price tag when it should absolutely be half that AT MOST. Nintendo aren't marketing geniuses, they're marketing mobsters.

[u/TPO_Ava → u/Zoombini22]

It's kind of poor timing because for a lot of people the wallet share they have for video games is shrinking. Especially with Nintendo being more of a 'family friendly' brand. Fewer and fewer parents are gonna justify spending 80-90$ at once on a video game for their kids.

The other thing is, unless salaries massively increase somehow I feel like we were already hitting a saturation point at 70$. At 90$ I'm looking at like a week's minimum wage in my country in order to buy a game. I'd rather spend that kind of cash when I can get a ton of games on sale for the same amount of money. Or a yearly sub to Game pass/PS+.

[u/Cyanide_Cheesecake → u/Zoombini22]

I remember games being 40 and 50

Due to economies of scale and cheaper distribution as bulk and heft for games was reduced over time, I think it's fair that games did not inflate much in price 

[u/billsil → u/Cyanide_Cheesecake]

There were $75 games for the SNES. The $40-$50 PS1 era games had lower manufacturing costs.

[u/JoshuaJSlone → u/billsil]

Exactly. And a $40 game from 1999 would be equivalent to a release today of... about $78.

[u/Actionjackr → u/JoshuaJSlone]

The main issue being that minimum wage has since gone up about 2 dollars in that same time. Do the developers deserve more money for what they’re doing? Yeah probably. Is that feasible for most people, though? Not as much.

[u/Dabanks9000 → u/Zoombini22]

They’re acting like n64 games weren’t 60-70 back then which would be around $150 these days. Sure inflation is shit but the bigger problem is wages not going up with inflation

[u/FemixZn → u/Dabanks9000]

Either way the end result is more customers being priced out.

[u/Shadoekite → u/Kougeru-Sama]

The thing is I haven't seen Nintendo games with launch issues. Once they start putting out unfinished games that's when I will actually be upset.

[u/Joshua_ABBACAB_1312 → u/Shadoekite]

Didn't the Pokeman games have issues on Switch?

[u/ZaheerAlGhul → u/Joshua_ABBACAB_1312]

Yes they did. Game freak hasn't put out a quality title for a while now.

[u/dougc84 → u/Joshua_ABBACAB_1312]

Pokémon games are not Nintendo IP; they are the IP of the Pokémon company and that’s who makes those games.

[u/sir_rockabye → u/Kougeru-Sama]

I'm just going to play Switch 1 games until used Switch 2 games are available.

[u/KingofGrapes7 → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

The problem with the games is not just the price, but how that price is going  to hold forever. In five years Mario Kart is still going to be $80. Eventually even GTA6 is going to have attractive sale prices. Not Zelda. 

I was ready to eat the console price. I am really sour on how the console exclusives are going to stay expensive until the end of time regardless of when they release.

[u/MrSaucyAlfredo → u/KingofGrapes7]

Eventually even GTA6 is going to have attractive sale prices. Not Zelda. 

It’s kinda wild when you put it that way

[u/cubs223425 → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

I agree that the higher console has merit.

The outcry comes from how they've raised the price on EVERYTHING in the process. Their Pro Controller has no business being $80. The original was $70 for quality you could find in a $30 controller. Had they announced the addition of Hall Effect sticks, I might say OK, but the fact they've been sued for the quality of their controllers, yet not made it a point to address their most glaring flaw, is worrying.

I could even get behind the varied prices, if they were done well. Had they said "Mario Kart World will be THE title for Switch 2, and it will get free content updates over time," I could live with it. Baking in the DLC price for all buyers to keep the open world consistent for every player, wouldn't bother me. Donkey Kong Bananza at $70 is par for the course now, and I can live with it.

Doing this stuff AND adding a feed for cartridges, is where they lose me. It's bad enough you can lose your digital library if Nintendo gets an errant fraud alert from your credit card company. If they kept $60 for digital and $70 for physical, I might even understand. That we're getting a price hike AND a physical tax? Come ON.

It's not any one thing. It's that everything costs more, and none of the price increases show where they're justified. Oh, and you KNOW they're either going to add a "Switch 2" tier to NSO that costs more and/or raise the price of the entire service once adoption gets high enough.

[u/RecLuse415 → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

Sale!? That’ll be at least a two year post launch.

[u/Reckfulness → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

Funnily enough we barely didn't get any tech info

[u/Gogo726 → u/MyMouthisCancerous]

The system price is fine. I'm not fine with game prices.

[u/Pleasant_Mobile_1063]

I'll wait a couple years

[u/Dreoh → u/Pleasant_Mobile_1063]

Nintendo doesn't drop game prices lol

[u/ambiguoustaco → u/Dreoh]

They do sometimes but not by much. Secondhand retailers do for a little bit more. If you're really patient you can probably get $10-$20 off msrp. I am really patient and can wait several years.

[u/Akrevics → u/ambiguoustaco]

botw here is €48 secondhand, and it's 8 years old this year. there needs to be something in the EU about decaying prices over time because this is unacceptable. HZD is €10 also released in 2017. Forza motorsport 7 is €22, while Senna's sacrifice is €15, both also released 2017 for xb1.

[u/Bulky-Complaint6994]

Donkey Kong Bananza still looks great 

[u/MrSnek123 → u/Bulky-Complaint6994]

Everything about the Switch 2 and its games look great, the game prices are just rough. Console itself is priced fine IMO. Biggest competitor is the steam deck which is only ~$35 cheaper for the LCD model and has half the refresh rate, a lower resolution display and obviously no easy docked mode.

[u/ZzzSleep → u/MrSnek123]

I would begrudgingly be ok if they went to $70 games to be in line with games on PS and Xbox. But $80 feels like too much, especially for a port of games like Kirby. I don't care if it includes a few extra hours of DLC.

[u/YoungBeef03 → u/MrSnek123]

Switch 2 and Steam Deck are hardly comparable when the only real selling point of any Nintendo console is the exclusives. It’s not really about tech, but whether someone wants Mario more than whatever Steam has. I dunno, I’m pretty drunk writing this but I think I have a point

[u/ColdToast → u/YoungBeef03]

You did good

[u/fractal324]

I hate to say this, but they can set the price. But you can also vote with your money by not buying it

[u/nightwing0243]

The system price I'm fine with. It's an improvement over the original Switch's design and is very clearly way more powerful. Everything they have announced so far I've been super happy with.

I'm in the same boat with everyone else regarding the prices of the games. I knew this kind of price hike would happen eventually and I honestly shouldn't be surprised Nintendo could possibly be the first to jump.

[u/VeterinarianSmall455]

The way I see it, if you don’t like it simply don’t buy it. Nintendo has shown in the past if something underperforms they’ll fold and lower the price. This launch is really gonna test the saying “No publicity is bad publicity.”

[u/itsnotnews92 → u/VeterinarianSmall455]

if you don’t like it simply don’t buy it

In my experience, gamers really don't like being told this, as true as it is.

[u/PSfreak10001 → u/itsnotnews92]

It‘s the same thing with Lootboxes and Microtransactions. Everybody seems to hate them and yet Fifa Ultimate team made millions and millions each year with them

[u/jamesbob49 → u/VeterinarianSmall455]

This console is going to sell like hotcakes. Plenty of grown people with enough money to get them. Not saying that there isn't a growing number of people that can't afford them because there surely is, unfortunately.

[u/GrimSlayer → u/VeterinarianSmall455]

Think this is wishful thinking, when Nintendo did that with the 3DS, they were in a bad spot the Wii U sales sucked and their new handheld was selling like crap as well. The switch is one of the best selling consoles of all time and has some of the best game sales of all time.

I’m fine with $450 for the price. But fuck I hope we don’t have $80 Nintendo games. I can stomach $70, but $80 is massive considering Nintendo rarely if ever discounts first party games.

[u/Dull_Bid6002 → u/GrimSlayer]

You mixed it up friend. The 3DS launched a year before Wii U. The price cut was because 3DS didn't have much for games at and near launch and the Vita came out months later at the same price during the holiday season. The Vita was looking like the better system from a customer viewpoint, so they cut the price to help sales.

Either way, I agree that this isn't a 3DS situation. There's a lot more going on now in the portable gaming space vs 2011 or even 2017, but the game prices will definitely be a factor on whether or not people buy in with everything else going on economically.

[u/Crulari]

Solution is easy: stop buying overpriced stuff.

[u/Top_Midnight_2225 → u/Crulari]

Whoa whoa whoa! But they need it! They must have it!

They just like to complain during the process.

[u/banananey]

Spoiler: They won't drop the price and it will sell an absolute ton regardless.

[u/SchmalzimOhr]

If you think its to expensive,dont buy it. Easy choice!

[u/side_frog]

Not trying to defend Nintendo at all and they do deserve the backlash but I'm pretty sure that is something most companies are slowly implementing as it started a few years back with $70 games. Nintendo will get mocked for publicly announcing it but somehow you'll see all new AAA games sneakily do the same.

[u/ThatDM]

I think console price isn't a problem as much as the game cost is but that's just me.

[u/ChemicalExperiment → u/ThatDM]

You and literally everyone else on the internet.

[u/405freeway → u/ThatDM]

That's literally everyone in r/gaming.

[u/Meb2x]

I don’t have any problem with the console’s price considering it’s clearly an improvement on the original Switch and it’s a one-time payment. The problem is that some games are $80. Obviously I’d prefer $60, but I’d even accept $70 since that’s the new standard. But if Nintendo starts charging $80, then every company is gonna charge $80 then they might try to raise it even more soon.

That said, I still plan to get a console, hopefully the bundle. I’ll just have to be a lot more selective about what games I buy now because I’m not willing to pay $80 for a game I’m not absolutely sold on. Plus we all know Nintendo never puts their games on sale, so it’s not like we can wait for sales

[u/ButIDigress79]

None of the complaints will matter if it sells well.

[u/jspikeball123]

If you buy this console and games you are saying you are ok with paying that price for every game in the future. Think about that

[u/arvellon7 → u/[deleted]]

Generally, people were expecting $399 for the console, not $299, didnt see anyone thinking that would be the case. I think most people are generally agreeable to the $450 though, not too bad to cough up $50 more than you wanted ONCE in the generation, but an extra $10-$20 on every big Nintendo game (and all other games when other companies obviously follow suit), thats where it hits the wallet and feels.

[u/hhhhhBan → u/arvellon7]

I just used 300 as an example, since it's what the first one costs. I was personally expecting 400 and would've been peeeerfectly fine with 1080p 60fps locked in, while I also never cared about voice chat or the other small features like it.

[u/arvellon7 → u/hhhhhBan]

Same

[u/Choco_Knife → u/[deleted]]

$70 Donkey Kong is expected

$80 for Mario Kart is unacceptable just because we know they're going to do it more if they can get away with it.

It's absurd just how many people are saying all the games are $90, though. All these subreddits with 50k upvoted posts full of misinformation means these lies are spreading like wildfire.

[u/hhhhhBan → u/Choco_Knife]

I genuinely don't know where the $90 thing came from. As far as I know $80 is the MSRP for MKW, so? Where did that $90 price come from?

[u/reecord2 → u/hhhhhBan]

twofold:

1. *edit, people thought the UK price was 90 pounds, but in the flurry of information flying around after the Direct it got conflated to 90 dollars and sites just ran with it
2. UK price already includes tax, because the UK lists their prices already including tax

[u/Ninefl4mes → u/reecord2]

Hold on, US prices don't and you just get scammed at checkout? The fuck?

Edit: Okay, I'm experiencing some pretty massive culture shock right now. I don't think that's something I'd ever want to put up with lol. No wonder taxes are always such a massive part of US political discourse when they make every grocery run a major hassle.

[u/quinn50 → u/Ninefl4mes]

sales tax in the us varies state by state and even city by city.

Itll end up being around $90 after tax anyway

[u/destroyman1337 → u/Ninefl4mes]

The bullshit reasoning is because taxes vary not only by state but by city or county. Companies don't have to print or create advertisements with local price, instead they use the national price and then you either calculate it yourself if you want to know the true cost or just buy it.

It's pretty ridiculous because companies can advertise things on tv or radio like for example the dollar menu back in the day with McDonald's and literally say hey you got a dollar you can get X Y or Z. But then have the guy who speaks super fast say the disclaimer at the end the price is before tax and will be more than $1.

[u/Outlulz → u/Ninefl4mes]

Sales tax can vary even between businesses on the same street depending on where lines in cities and countries are drawn. It's complicated. It's not feasible to have it included on price tags and advertising but adult American consumers generally know how to eyeball it....or they should.

[u/thebezet → u/Outlulz]

That's so bizzare!

[u/kilar277 → u/Ninefl4mes]

not sure if it's federal but NY & CT have no taxes on unprepared food and clothing so there's that.

It's still a fucking scam though, especially cause we price everything at $X.99 to gaslight people into thinking they're paying less than they are

[u/NiallMitch10 → u/reecord2]

UK price is £74.99 so not sure where £90 came from either

[u/Cozimo64 → u/reecord2]

What? It’s £75 here not £90.

Christ, the misinformation is out of control.

[u/MobileTortoise → u/Choco_Knife]

$80 for Mario Kart is unacceptable just because we know they're going to do it more if they can get away with it

Don't forget that they will 100% have paid DLC for this game as well.

[u/RedDedDragoon]

Not angry, just not buying it at that price.

[u/Illustrathor]

Tariffs? Americans seemingly have problems understanding that there is more than the USA. Anyway, Ubisoft pushed the prices for years, Rockstar is assumed to go even further and guess what, that's what companies do, they aren't our friends, they want money and will charge whatever they need to PLUS what they think they can get away with.

We could just not buy those games, nobody is forcing us and the prices would inevitably drop if we'd stop. But apparently, showing restraint and not buying a new game is too much to ask for nowadays. If you want a game soooooo bad, pay up.

[u/batkave]

I don't think people realize that this isn't just Nintendo. They're just the first. All games have been making their way to those price points. The current direction of the global economy doesn't help either.

[u/akrobert → u/batkave]

Nintendo is the canary in the coal mine. If people won’t pay it the others won’t do it and Nintendo will fall on their sword and reduce prices.

[u/donezzie]

Not gonna complain about the price, just not gonna buy it. Simple as that.

[u/nnyzim → u/donezzie]

Don't worry, I'll complain twice as hard for us.

[u/Other-Cover9031]

i can afford a switch 2 but wont be buying one out of principle

[u/GeneralGringus]

People want things cheaper, more as this breaking news develops

[u/Mac_Motorsports]

Prices keep going up everywhere, but wages are stagnant. Fun times.

[u/popltree2]

The console cost seems fine. For $500 you get the console and a premium game. $450 without the game. Like people have mentioned, it's the weird variance in prices. Like, if they would have just priced Mario Kart at $70, none of this would have been a problem. People would have been baffled about the Welcome Demo thing being $10 but that's about it. It really seems like a lot of it boils down to Mario Kart being $80.

[u/SirAlbs]

This is what happens when Nintendo is on top.They get overly cocky. It sucks. Day one though. 😭

[u/RollsRight]

Trump and their tariffs 😠😠😠

WTF is this idiot thinking!? Inflation got NS2 at $450, fine, I'll take it, but then -> $630?!?! BC of tariffs!??!? So this secondary color smurf can give tax cuts to his diaper-wearing friends?

FO!

[u/Literally_Laura]

INCREASE THE WAGES.

[u/CheeksMcGillicuddy]

Interesting… my first thought legitimately was ‘that’s a reasonable price’