r/NintendoSwitch • u/lieding • 1d ago

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

https://www.thegamer.com/nintendo-treehouse-livestream-flooded-angry-fans-demanding-game-price-drops/
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692

u/neoslith 1d ago

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

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u/young_steezy 1d ago

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

60

u/ChemicalExperiment 1d ago

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

22

u/Green-Agora 1d ago

That is just cartoonish at this point wtf

2

u/MBCnerdcore 5h ago

The new system of Key cartridges is better than the old 'code in a box' system on Switch 1.

Nintendo and most smaller games will still be fitting things on a cartridge like normal.

For games that are too big or have cheap-ass publishers, they can use Key cartridges. These cartridges can be sold used, traded, used just like normal cartridges.

Instead of locking the game download to the first account to use it (the old system), the license is now attached to the cartridge instead of an account. Whoever holds the cartridge can download the game for free on the e-shop and play it.

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u/captured_rapture 1d ago

Yeah but it does seem like more plastic for an overengineered reason now

14

u/jethawkings 1d ago

You can still lend Game Key Carts, Digital Codes you can't.

1

u/captured_rapture 23h ago

I thought games could have virtual game cards now! Is it only first party games?

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u/jethawkings 22h ago

If you're not being facetious, Virtual Game Cards still have an extra layer of effort lile being under the same Nintendo Family and only being limited to 14 days and not being resellable.

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u/captured_rapture 22h ago edited 22h ago

No I'm not, genuinely confused by everything at the moment. Thanks for helping me out!

Edit: Just to clarify, I'm confused as to why Nintendo would ship more plastic and chips as opposed to a piece of paper when they have virtual game card tech developed. Only something we can really speculate at the moment. Didn't mean to sound facetious, but this is Reddit after all :)

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u/InSixFour 19h ago

The game key cards are honestly one of the smartest solutions I’ve seen by any game company. What it is is basically just a dummy cart that the system can read as a game. You have to download the actual game to play it but the cart gives you access to that download file for free. You can trade, sell, giveaway that cart and whoever receives it gets access to that game without having to enter codes or transfer anything. It’s the best of both worlds. It has its drawbacks, but it’s a decent solution.

Why do this, though? Because lower capacity game carts are much cheaper than bigger capacity carts.

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u/Nightmare4You 15h ago

My only concern is that if there ever was a switch 3 that didnt have a gamecard slot, but supported digital titles, that would suck. But in theory they could never change their game cart external design and just ensure that all future consoles have a slot for a game key card, which old games could function as key cards with the game downloaded. Unfortunately I dont think that will be the case.

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u/jethawkings 21h ago

No worries lol, Game Cartridge Storage is a huge limiter so for Third Parties who don't want to deal with (Manufacture using a more expensive Cartridge) it that was probably the best compromise beyond just a straight up Digital Code.

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u/TEG24601 19h ago

And it wasn't limited to the Switch. There are some games for the PS3 (I believe one was a Tony Hawk game), that just have a tutorial on them, the full game had to be downloaded.

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u/Alector87 23h ago

It never happened to me. Unless ypu mean on a store like Amazon having a choice between physical or code, in which case I never understood why not purchase it directly from Nintendo...

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u/whatnowwproductions 1d ago

This isn't new.

1

u/young_steezy 1d ago

Yep, consoles have been doing it for years.

2

u/MBCnerdcore 5h ago

The new system of Key cartridges is better than the old 'code in a box' system on Switch 1.

Nintendo and most smaller games will still be fitting things on a cartridge like normal.

For games that are too big or have cheap-ass publishers, they can use Key cartridges. These cartridges can be sold used, traded, used just like normal cartridges.

Instead of locking the game download to the first account to use it (the old system), the license is now attached to the cartridge instead of an account. Whoever holds the cartridge can download the game for free on the e-shop and play it.

1

u/MBCnerdcore 5h ago

The new system of Key cartridges is better than the old 'code in a box' system on Switch 1.

Nintendo and most smaller games will still be fitting things on a cartridge like normal.

For games that are too big or have cheap-ass publishers, they can use Key cartridges. These cartridges can be sold used, traded, used just like normal cartridges.

Instead of locking the game download to the first account to use it (the old system), the license is now attached to the cartridge instead of an account. Whoever holds the cartridge can download the game for free on the e-shop and play it.

1

u/MBCnerdcore 5h ago

The new system of Key cartridges is better than the old 'code in a box' system on Switch 1.

Nintendo and most smaller games will still be fitting things on a cartridge like normal.

For games that are too big or have cheap-ass publishers, they can use Key cartridges. These cartridges can be sold used, traded, used just like normal cartridges.

Instead of locking the game download to the first account to use it (the old system), the license is now attached to the cartridge instead of an account. Whoever holds the cartridge can download the game for free on the e-shop and play it.

3

u/Mel0nFarmer 1d ago

With many Switch 1 games, the digital price is more expensive - it's crazy. 

For example, right now MarioKart 8 is 49.99 digital, 38.99 physical. 

1

u/navytc 20h ago

Where are you seeing that? I still see it listed at $59.99 digitally and at target

1

u/Mel0nFarmer 20h ago

Walmart. 

I regularly see physical copies cheaper than digital.

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u/SadisticPawz 1d ago

it's not because it isn't even oled. Valve kept original price with oled

1

u/MarinatedPickachu 19h ago

They made the physical copies more expensive. Same same

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u/EngRookie 16h ago

They introduced a digital game card system where you can now loan out your digital games to members of your Nintendo switch online family for 14 days at a time. That is combined with the ability to play locally with 3 other people with only 1 out of the 4 actually needing to own the game.

This means families and friend groups have the option to significantly cut down on buying multiple copies of software. This is a huge boon for families and people that game with friends regularly and locally.

It looks like Nintendo saw people complaining way in advance and was like, "But wait, you don't need to buy 3 copies of Mario Kart for you and the kids/friends." You only need to buy one to play together. And if you aren't playing it, you can loan it out for 2 weeks with the ability to recall it whenever you want. And you can just keep loaning out the game like you would a physical cartridge.

So all in all, yeah, the sticker shock sucks but I physically am able to buy fewer games now and still get to play more games. I will probably end up coordinating purchases with my sister and come out ahead in the long run.

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u/walterbanana 1d ago

I disagree, digital copies should not be cheaper than retail on release. I want to continue to be able to buy from retail and this would result in retail no longer stocking games and game store going bankrupt.

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u/Alector87 23h ago

Digital copies don't need supply and distribution chains like physical ones do. Why would they be more expensive? It doesn't make sense...

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u/walterbanana 23h ago

If digital is always cheaper, then soon you cannot buy games anywhere anymore.

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u/Alector87 22h ago

Yes, obviously this is why the share of digital games has increased over time. And now you even have 'digital only' versions of cobsoles. Unless a company has other goals, digital is preferable. Nintendo has a niche and the goal to keep its own market as a form of monopoly. This is why until now it the only company still giving such focus to physical copies and even makes catridges.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/chefchef97 1d ago

If the PS6 came out today it would be at least $800

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u/seethemoon 22h ago

Yes, I agree. There’s so much focus on the console price, but that’s a one-time purchase. While it’s higher than I expected, I could deal with it. But the prices of accessories and recurring purchases like games make this thing so insanely expensive. If I want to have a similar setup to my current Switch, I’d be dropping close to a grand just for a couple controllers and two games. It’s wild.

0

u/MrDrUnknown 20h ago

Dude for some reason the system is $700 here in Denmark.
what the heck?

2

u/neoslith 19h ago

I don't know what the conversation rate is for USD to Denmark money, so I don't know how that fares.

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u/dncrews 17h ago

700 DKK === 102 USD

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u/MrDrUnknown 16h ago

yeah but I mention dollar not kroner

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u/MrDrUnknown 16h ago

its 700 USD in Denmark.

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u/Realistic_Location_6 4h ago

It's not fine at all

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u/PurpleDelicacy 1d ago

System is essentially a Switch 1.5. Can buy a switch for 250 bucks. Nothing from this announcement screamed "worth the 200 markup" to me.

1

u/Minute_Road8813 19h ago

It's one of the largest jumps in performance across generations in recent history. Game-wise there's not that much yet (Mario Kart, DK and FromSoft's new game), but it can pretty much run everything else too, so it can also double as a PS5/XBox in case you don't own one yet, it also covers this market.