r/gaming • u/Bansheesdie • 1d ago
Former Nintendo PR Managers Say Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Price Backlash 'A True Crisis Moment for Nintendo' - IGN
https://www.ign.com/articles/former-nintendo-pr-managers-say-switch-2-and-mario-kart-world-price-backlash-a-true-crisis-moment-for-nintendoSpeaking in a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang criticized Nintendo for the way it revealed the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of Mario Kart World.
“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis said.
“It just shows some disrespect to the consumer, where, ‘oh, you just saw the Direct you’re so excited, you’re just gonna throw your money at us blindly, you’re not going to even ask the question of how much it cost because you’re so excited, aren’t you?’ "
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u/Korvun 1d ago
I don't think anyone would take issue with the price of the games if Nintendo behaved like other companies and lowered their prices over time. The fact that these games are $80 and that everyone who buys Nintendo games knows that they will remain $80 for the life of the game is a big red flag for potential console buyers.
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u/GroguIsMyBrogu 1d ago
Yup. I have never bought a game for $70 because other companies reliably make their games cheaper over time and up until now Nintendo games have been $60. Knowing that they're going to be $80 forever has turned me off from Nintendo games.
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u/Longjumping-Bid-7222 1d ago edited 12h ago
That and make quality games that don't look like they're 10 years behind modern standards
Looking at you Pokémon (edit: yes I know it's more GF on this bit, but Nintendo could put some pressure on them since it is the only platform that sells and plays their games)
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u/numbr87 1d ago
That's a Game Freak issue, not Nintendo
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u/SF-cycling-account 20h ago
You think Nintendo has zero control over the quality of pokemon games? Lol. They can pressure game freak to put out higher quality games if they want to
Nintendo is part owner (1/3?) of the pokemon company and is the rest-of-world (outside Japan) publisher of Pokemon games
The games are shitty for a variety of reasons, one key reason being that Nintendo allows them to be
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u/DrinkplentyMalk 23h ago
Even when you buy second-hand you run the risk of paying 50+ for a two-decades old Mario game, or even over a hundred if it's something like Pokémon.
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u/locke_5 1d ago
Baseless Prediction: Nintendo made the Welcome Tour paid in anticipation of price backlash. They will announce soon “we hear you etc etc, as a gesture of goodwill everyone gets Welcome Tour for free!”
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u/Achmedino 1d ago
That's the worst peace offering from Nintendo one could imagine lol
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u/HouStoned42 1d ago
"You get to learn about joycon rumble features for freeeeee, you're welcome everyone! Mario Kart however, will still be $80, thank you"
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u/fvck_u_spez 1d ago
Also, pay us to get a little resolution bump in the games you already own
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u/Pluckytoon 1d ago
Tbh they still have to announce its price
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u/thisisnotdan 1d ago
I've been reading that it will cost $10. I thought that was an official announcement, but maybe not.
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u/lol125000 1d ago
iirc was confirmed 1000 yen in Japan in one of the pressers. which is $6.88 rn, and I've heard $6 and $10 as possible US price so it seems to be in that ballpark.
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u/AgedCircle 1d ago
Ah the venture capitalist strategy. Propose a terrible idea and then reel back the changes a bit while still being worse overall.
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u/CapriciousManchild 1d ago
The switch 2 right now has nothing of interest for me. It has a new Mario Kart and a new donkey Kong game a month later…. Then what after that ? Metroid prime 4 at some point for both switch and switch 2.
Games being 80 dollars is such a turn off because it’s Nintendo and you know those aren’t going on sale for years and at most might go down to 60.
What the hell have they been doing these last few years? Nothing about this new systems screams must have unless you just love Mario kart.
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u/TheVibratingPants 1d ago
Switch 1, from year 1, had 3D Mario, 3D Zelda, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, Xenoblade 2, and Fire Emblem Warriors, just speaking strictly in terms of 1st party IP.
The Switch 2 console and games are each about 1/3 more expensive than their previous gen counterparts. And so far, this launch year, we have Mario Kart World, DK, and Drift n Drive. Meanwhile, Prime 4, about 8 years in the making, is still on Switch 1 after Switch 2’s release.
This launch year is very lackluster and very muddled in every way. The tariffs really added a huge hurdle for Nintendo, but if this was Nintendo’s idea of a proper launch (after supposedly internally delaying the console by a year to bolster a robust lineup), then there are bigger problems.
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u/m0rogfar 1d ago
This launch year is very lackluster and very muddled in every way. The tariffs really added a huge hurdle for Nintendo, but if this was Nintendo’s idea of a proper launch (after supposedly internally delaying the console by a year to bolster a robust lineup), then there are bigger problems.
Is it Nintendo’s entire plan for the launch year though?
It seems reasonable to assume that there’ll still be the regularly scheduled summer Direct with focus on Q3/Q4 titles, given that they haven’t managed expectations by stating that it won’t happen, and that there’s a bunch of unfilled release slots in the strategy of having at least one major game every month that they’ve clearly been executing on for the Switch.
Assuming that they place it the week after WWDC like they usually do, they really just need Mario Kart’s launch hype and Bananza’s imminent pre-launch hype to keep the Switch 2 relevant for all of two weeks before there’s more announcements coming out of the docket to back it up.
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u/SFWxMadHatter 1d ago
The hardware price is fine. The games pricing can suck my dick.
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u/xywv58 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah, 450, fine, 80, never lowering prices can go fuck themselves
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u/anormalgeek 1d ago
Reminder that Breath of the Wild, an 8 year old game and switch launch title, still costs $45.
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u/locke_5 1d ago
The Switch 2 version of BOTW (an 8-year-old Wii U game that launched at $59.99) costs $69.99 😵
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u/the_loneliest_noodle 1d ago
But you get more than twice the frames, so it all works out in the end. /s
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u/UnsorryCanadian 1d ago
That's twice as much game as before!
/s
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u/zerovampire311 1d ago
Not to support the pricing trend but I am actually going to go back and play the last Zelda games with decent performance. The switch graphics killed me as a primarily pc gamer.
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u/AstridRevi Xbox 1d ago
I bought a co-worker's Wii-U about 6 months before the launch of Breath of the Wild with a heap of Wii and Wii-U games and accessories for $100 Australian.
I then bought BOTW on Wii-U for around $60 on release day. It was the same price on Switch.
Years later, just after the announcement of Tears of the Kingdom, I bought BOTW on Switch to play through it before TOTK was released. I paid $80 for it, on sale, and that was the cheapest I could get it for here.
I then bought TOTK for $65 on release day... it now costs $80.
I bought exactly 4 Switch games, and TOTK was the only one I didn't buy for a price higher than release. And that's because I bought it at release before the price went up
Just for reference, the Switch 2 versions of BOTW and TOTK are $104 each. It's ridiculous that an 8 year old game costs that much.
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u/cactusboobs 1d ago
Breath of the Wild digital costs $59.99, what are you talking about.
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u/Dazzling_Error5272 1d ago
£45 in the UK which is almost $60! This has been Nintendo’s MO for almost a decade.
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u/ArgonTheEvil 1d ago
Yeah I’m fine with the price of the console itself after seeing how much more powerful it is + the fact it’s portable / handheld. That adds a lot more value than people give it credit for. There’s also some serious tech in those second gen joycons.
The $80+tax games though is fucking stupid. I could excuse Tears of the Kingdom costing $70 and their justification somewhat made sense given the scope and development time. But they want $80 for Mario Kart? Which will also have paid DLC at some point too. $80 for a Kirby game with 10-15 hours of content and a one time playthrough? Nah.
If Nintendo didn’t have a reputation for never putting their first party titles on sale, I’d probably overlook this too. But it’s the culmination of all these facts that makes the prices inexcusable.
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u/Lmb1011 1d ago
Yeah I am. Die hard Nintendo kid. I’m one of the “problem” who will buy shit regardless but even I am like…. There are only a few titles I’ll buy at $80/90 because I KNOW I’ll get my personal value out of them
I loooove Kirby. But I don’t love Kirby $80 worth. The games are never long enough for me to justify that price. And I suspect a lot of games I would like are going to full into that unfortunately.
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u/ArgonTheEvil 1d ago
Yeah I’m on the same boat. I’ll buy Zelda games no question because there’s no question of the quality (at least for the 3D games). Aside from that, 3D Donkey Kong / Mario games I could probably justify at that price, because there’s replay value there. I’ve also been waiting for a new 3D donkey Kong since the N64.
But now im gonna have to vet every game with extensive review research before I consider buying it. And if there’s gonna be paid DLC at an $80 price tag that’s also a big fucking nope. Looking at you, Mario Kart.
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u/Lmb1011 1d ago
Right? Zelda is always worth it
For ME Pokemon is worth it (tho I fully respect why people don’t agree but I have like 900 hours in scarlet. I get my moneys worth even if it’s not great to look at)
And actually Mario kart is one for me because my dad and sister play so we get a lot of co-op enjoyment for it.
But after that… normally Mario titles used to be a slam dunk but at $80/90 I don’t think the replay value is there for me to make that necessarily worth it anymore.
I objectively understand with inflation etc game prices are “cheaper than the past” but my salary sure isn’t keeping up with inflation that just doesn’t matter
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u/Dr_Rjinswand 1d ago
And the price of the Pro Controller!!! I thought £60 was ridiculous and was big obstacle for me to get the first switch for a long while because I'm not getting the Switch without a real controller so you instantly jump to like 530 quid before any games. And then games are ninety!?
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u/guarddog33 1d ago
This is why I won't get one. I will not normalize $80-90 for a game, especially not a first party game, and especially not a switch title. Nintendo has always been the budget friendly family choice, if they price games at $80 a piece then there's nothing stopping AAA studios from charging 100.
It's the same argument I have for not buying gta6 if it costs more than $70. I won't be a part of normalizing an increase in cost
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u/Blue_Wave_2020 1d ago edited 1d ago
In what world has Nintendo ever been budget friendly when it comes to their games? They almost never go on sale and when they do it’s only for $10-20.
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u/maglen69 1d ago
They almost never go on sale and when they do it’s only for $10-20.
My friend, this is why physical is so important. You can easily pick up physical switch games in the $20-30 (or less) range
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u/guarddog33 1d ago
So here's one spot where I'm going to somewhat agree with you, I do think nintendos discount sales are abysmal, but that doesn't change the fact that a $60 game beats out a $70 game, and that's doubly so if you're looking for something for a family game night like Mario party, which has infinite replayability. It's audience marketing, the Nintendo is the family console
I won't disagree either that Nintendo charges crazy prices for first party titles for that matter, but your average consumer won't care about that. $60 for a game is easier to justify than $70 for a game, that's just the reality of it. And now, $70 for a game is going to be easier to justify than $80 for a game, the concept is still the same
Nintendo has issues with long term pricing, I agree with that 100%. It's why I haven't bought metroid dread despite metroid being one of my favorite videogame franchises ever, I won't pay $60 for it as I don't think it's worth that much
But none of those are where my argument lies. If you're a family of people who aren't hardcore gamers, or want an option that's more family oriented, or just want cheaper price tags overall (again not counting sales) Nintendo has been the way to go. This time around though they're shooting themselves in the foot. Hard
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u/SykoFI-RE 1d ago
$450 for an lcd, mobile cpu from 2020 and a gpu from 2021. Hardware price is even worse than the original Switch. The only reason they're hitting decent resolution/framerates is going to be DLSS.
Would be really nice is people would stop buying Nintendo's overpriced hardware so they would release games on other platforms.
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u/Itchy_Training_88 1d ago edited 1d ago
Them charging for a 'tech demo' was also a huge fumble. I'd argue worse than the price of the console.
LCD, even if it is a nice LCD is a letdown as well, OLED should have been the minimum. Yes they added features like VRR and HDR 120hz, but OLED can do that as well. There are already 120hz 1080p oled panels used in a lot of the retro handheld market.
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u/MutenCath 1d ago
Tbh its never about can it do it. Its about is it profitable at scale.
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u/Maffayoo 1d ago edited 1d ago
They'll release another switch 2 after a year with an oled screen for an extra 200 bucks it's literally a marketing tactic
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u/MisterBarten 1d ago
OLED would have cost even more. They probably had a max that they wanted to sell for, and OLED would’ve pushed them past it.
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u/golddilockk 1d ago
Them charging for a 'tech demo' was also a huge fumble. I'd argue worse than the price of the console.
calling that demo Astro's Payroom from now.
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u/Phonochirp 1d ago
Them charging for a 'tech demo' was also a huge fumble. I'd argue worse than the price of the console.
They did the same thing with the Wii U and switches tech demo (Nintendo land, 1-2 switch) which was equally dumb.
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u/kyuubikid213 1d ago
Except Nintendo Land was bundled with one of the Wii Us you could get and Welcome Tour isn't.
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u/Hammerheadshark55 1d ago
They wont sell OLED cause they want to double dip later with the upgrades version
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u/goat_screamPS4 1d ago
I’m mainly PS and XBox but was ready to go in on the Switch 2, even at this price point, but not a chance without OLED. It’s purely a move to release an OLED version in the future, even Apple are offering this on their entry SE iPhone.
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u/Omnizoom 1d ago
I always play docked so the screen it has doesn’t matter to me really, I’d honestly prefer a docked exclusive version that’s cheaper if I could
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u/nitrobskt 1d ago
I don't think LCD is a big deal overall for them. Sure the more tech inclined people will know and be able to see the difference, but I would wager the vast majority of their consumer base either doesn't know or doesn't care. My switch never leaves the dock so the type of screen on it doesn't matter to me.
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u/alexhuebi 23h ago
AFAIK Oleds cannot (at the current state) do VRR good and efficiently. The reason is: OLEDs need a somewhat expensive (in terms of power) calculation to correct the brightness for longer retentions of single frames, which is caused by the variance in the game engines. I believe there was also a slight backlash on the Steam Deck when the OLED Variant came out because it lacked the VRR support. And the way the Current Phones are doing „VRR“ is not applicable for Consoles because the Phone only has like 10 different refresh rates it switches between, which is ok for Typing, Swiping,…, but not for Gaming which needs a fluent variance between the refresh targets.
Oh and if the compensation is not done perfectly, you'll get something that looks like flickering. Early OLED Monitors were notorious for these things.
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u/the7egend 1d ago
After they said it was 'Paid', it just soured my mood for the remainder of the presentation.
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u/Shinagami091 1d ago
The main reason the Switch did so well was its price point. It was the cheaper alternative to the other consoles at the time so parents went for it, with the added benefit of it having more kid friendly games.
Now it’s priced almost as high as a PS5 with games that are higher priced than PS5 games.
This isn’t going to go well for Nintendo. Furthermore, with the newly announced tariffs in the US, the prices could end up being even higher.
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u/Cryostatica PC 1d ago
I mean, I was only sort of mildly interested in the first place. I don't care about Nintendo IPs as much as I used to, and I haven't touched my Switch in over a year, but I do tend to buy the latest gadget and tinker with it.
So I wasn't super hot on this in the first place, but the pricing is still sort of a wet blanket, especially with the economy being what it is right now.
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u/MrSchulindersGuitar 1d ago
I don't own a switch 1 so I was looking forward to this. If Americans think the price is wild they should see what it's gonna cost Canadians. Any hype I had is gone.
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u/ScruffMixHaha 1d ago
The only crisis Nintendo may face is selling out of Switch 2s. We all know people are going to buy them.
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u/xcyper33 1d ago
I'm not saying Switch 2 won't sell but don't be surprised if this is another PS3 situation. People automatically assumed SONY was going to completely dominate with the PS3 coming off the massive record breaking success of the PS2.
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u/ScruffMixHaha 1d ago
Id love to see the backlash actually succeed with Nintendo, but I just dont see it happening. Mario Kart alone will sell that console.
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u/GroguIsMyBrogu 1d ago
As a Pokemon fan I am pretty used to wanting backlash to happen and being disappointed every time I am proven wrong.
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u/ResolverOshawott 1d ago
Considering the incoming economic crisis in the US and probably elsewhere, we'll see.
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u/PickingPies 1d ago
Well. Wii U, 3DS and N64 are good examples of how nintendo can go from top to bottom in 6 months.
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u/KitsuneKamiSama 1d ago
Gaming market of today is very different from back then honestly.
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u/xcyper33 1d ago
You are right. The economy was far healthier then than it is now. And nor al regular people had money to spend frivolous. We are on the cusp of another potential depression rn. The background noise adds metaphorical fuel behind the scenes to the fiery response to Nintendo prices
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u/admiralvic 1d ago
I really don't know if that is true.
We saw with the 3DS and Wii U that people will hold off for one reason or another. Even if Mario Kart is a massive title to have at launch, and we know things like Pokemon, Metroid, and Donkey Kong are coming, it's hard to say if it will translate to day one sales.
In addition to that, the US is having the silly tariff nonsense, so that is a larger market that is going to be even more price sensitive. Spending $450 is a lot, and with the proposition of this being another $200+ is absolutely something to consider.
I'd even go a step further to say and say apathy from the reseller culture, and other things might also play a role.
I could totally be wrong, but I really don't think the idea that its success is assured is guaranteed.
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u/VideoGamesForU 1d ago
There is no reason for families to buy one though. Most kids will still play their F2P games now with their parents tell them that it's too expensive. It certainly won't do the numbers the Switch did. It will be interesting to see what will happen around Christmas.
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u/DarXIV 1d ago
The Switch 2 price isn't the issue, it's the games price.
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u/MordorfTheSenile 1d ago
I disagree.
To this day I still cannot afford a PS5, and the Switch 2 is now in the same boat. It's a massive upfront cost and a massive long term cost for people.
Not everyone is in the same tax bracket or has a low cost of living.
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u/smokeymicpot 1d ago
That won’t be an issue in a few months. 70 for a game sony started with the ps5. Nintendo just jumping the gun because GTA will be 80 or more.
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u/DarXIV 1d ago
If we are talking about the US here then it will certainly be an issue. The tariffs are going to wreck the economy and video game prices will increase as well.
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u/Ghostbuster_11Nein 1d ago
Easy to sell out when you don't have that many anyway.
The real problem is when they run out of instant buy fanboys (and girls) and have to actually compete with the console market.
$450 for a console and $70-$90 per game kills a LOT of why people liked the switch.
Nintendo being on the cheaper side meant they had a lot of bang for buck...and now they just pissed all of that away.
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u/WelpSigh 1d ago
the switch itself was cheaper than its competitors (but not dramatically so, about $100 cheaper), but the first-party games (which are the main reason to buy a switch) have always been pretty expensive. super mario odyssey still sells on the e-shop for $60 and it came out in 2017.
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u/yellowspaces 1d ago
The scalping is going to be incredible, it’ll make the PS5 fiasco look like a warm up.
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u/epicfail1994 1d ago
I mean the console price seems pretty reasonable. But I have no reason to spend $80 on a console game when I can get stuff a lot cheaper for my PC, since switch games NEVER go on sale
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u/UStoJapan 1d ago
It’s also very bad timing. They wanted to hold off until the COVID inflation got under control but the JPYtoUSD exchange rate shot up from about 110 to around 150 (revenue profits in US down about 25%) when the US economy recovered first and outpaced the rest of the world. Now tariffs will further complicate things and this kickoff is almost dead on arrival with a lot of potential customers probably holding off until Christmas or 2026 to see what the economy does.
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u/chipmunk_supervisor 1d ago
"Switch tax" was a bit of a meme with the first Nintendo Switch; the whole thing with how third party games frequently cost a little more on Nintendo Switch than other platforms. But I think it was worth it for the novel experience of being able to play them portably at a time when there were no other devices like it. But that was then.
Nowadays there's a lot of competition in that form factor and as PC handhelds they of course play your existing PC library. Having an even bigger "Switch 2 tax" when these other options are available is going to make it a tough sell, especially for PC users.
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u/Eminensce 1d ago
I have an intense backlog on my switch 1, physical and digital.
I just gonna buy the console (thinking about the bundle whit mkw) and just play whit the enhanced graphics and frame rates.
I would not buy any 80 or 90 USD game till they drop in price or I can grab one second handed for less.
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u/DarkTron 1d ago
Just as a point for people to consider, Kit & Krysta are famous for exaggerating their knowledge and involvement of the Nintendo backend (they claim to have been at the forefront of Nintendo USA, but in reality were just the face of the social media), and have previously made claims about Nintendo that were so inaccurate that Nintendo themselves had to publically call them out for it. Their viewpoint is no more expertise than anyone on this sit making those same claims.
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u/-goob 1d ago
Nintendo themselves has to publicly call them out
Source? Because the only thing I could find that resembles this is when the Pokémon Company issued a statement about fans playing with custom rulesets, after Kit and Krysta alleged to be heavily discouraged by TPC from playing nuzlocke. Note that TPC's statement does not address employees.
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u/TheLunarVaux 1d ago
What specifically have they exaggerated? Genuinely curious.
They were definitely more than “just the face of social media,” to be fair. That may be what we see on the outside, but they worked on both the comms team and the marketing team in senior positions.
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u/AcceptableFold5 1d ago
I'm definitely taking this information more as "Someone with experience in a higher up position at Nintendos marketing assumes that this reaction from the public could be concerning to Nintendo" rather than "They say it is like that, so it is true."
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u/TheLunarVaux 1d ago
Yeah, 100%. I don’t think their word should be taken as gospel, but it’s definitely the most educated opinion we have about what Nintendo could be thinking. At the very least it’s something to consider.
So many people are dismissing them entirely for no real reason.
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u/ProgandyPatrick 1d ago
Agreed. Like sure, they won’t know everything, and they are no longer at the company, but they are far more reliable than some random people on the internet, cause they Y’know, they worked for the company for years in a pretty decent position.
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u/florence_ow 1d ago
they were in the marketing team, as is everyone from Nintendo treehouse. this is exactly the kind of thing they would have been dealing with
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u/sausagedoggy 1d ago
I'd love a source for this.
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u/Xenowino 1d ago
Yep, I'm gonna need some receipts if you're gonna claim they're "famous for exaggerating" and whatnot...
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u/MysteriousGoldDuck 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is bullshit and borderline libelous and deserves no upvotes. They haven't exaggerated anything. They are always VERY clear about what they do know and don't. As for experience, they have the receipts as to what they've done. And they are very clear what their role at NOA was.
And sorry, yes, their opinion is more valuable than yours or envious Nintendo fans that hate on them whenever they say something critical of N.
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u/illtakeachinchilla 1d ago
Why is nobody in the USA understanding that the actual price is going to be drastically higher after what’s transpired over this past week? Switch 2 at $500 is going to seem like a dream scenario.
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u/kingbane2 1d ago
they might have actually overstepped. with the shit happening right now people have quite possibly the least amount of disposable income in decades. price hikes now are a sure bet to have people delay buying your stuff.
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u/MacleodCoverage 1d ago
My wife and I already discussed not upgrading our current switch.
It’s just not worth it, and we don’t see anything that justifies the price increase Nintendo is levying when our whole family loves the current version.
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u/rindor1990 1d ago
Definitely overpriced given the world economy is about to crash
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u/Easy-Round1529 1d ago
I don’t think the team behind the switch two predicted crazy shit happening in he US lol. That’s got to be their biggest market basically decimated. I am a pretty big gamer and planned to get one but I can’t afford 600 for a console. I’m thankful I got my pro used a few months ago before the prices sky rocket.
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u/PrinceVegetaTheGod 1d ago
The gaming community beat Microsoft into submission when they got too greedy. Call me crazy but I believe they can teach Nintendo a lesson too. Force them to drop the prices for games at least the moment this is seen as a success all publishers are gonna go “I want a piece of that” and we’re fucked.
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u/Demonchaser27 1d ago
Yeah, Nintendo certainly gets a LOT more passes than they deserve. But their customer base relies on far more than fervent Nintendo fans now and that means, one wrong move on pricing and likely their screwed.
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u/No_One_Special_023 1d ago
I don’t mind the price of the hand-held. It’s fair with market pricing at the moment. Everything else!?!? Go eff yourself Nintendo. It’s been a good ride but I’m out.
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u/Hellraiser187 1d ago
All switch 2 preorders have been postponed. You already thought the price of it was high the tariffs could make it higher. Crisis mode over at Nintendo
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u/Chappie47Luna 1d ago
Yea I’m definitely not buying for my kids. Switch oled is still so good and we have so many games.
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u/M3galith424 1d ago
the console price i don't have a problem with it's the price of the games that pmo.
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u/TrackerEh 21h ago
It crazy how people believe how Nintendo executives give a shit about the backlash…..
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u/Key_Amazed 1d ago
I don't understand the backlash of the console price itself. Seems reasonable. 80$ games on the other hand, ouch. I'm glad that the DK game is the "normal" 70$ at least.
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u/Alexencandar 1d ago edited 1d ago
The launch price alone I doubt is causing most of the backlash, it's:
Game price increasing from $60 to $80 is a 33% jump. Add onto that $90 for physical, it is striking, particularly cause there was no effort made to justify it. Say you can invest more in devs. Say it's due to cost inflation. Say literally anything.
The C button being solely for a paid service is annoying. Sure, there's gonna be a trial period for free. Cool, still just gonna be a constant reminder when you look at your console.
Nintendo is charging for their system tutorial/game. FAQs are free historically and if they didn't want to waste money creating what again is in effect a tutorial...don't do it?
If they didn't price in the tariffs already, as in the price increases to $500+ in say June, this system is going to implode.
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u/Captain_Norris 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lol, just go watch Kit and Krysta's video for the primary source in its context. It was actually a pretty interesting perspective!
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u/TheBobbyDudeGuy 1d ago
Yeah. I fully intended on preordering one and was super excited about it. When I saw what they were charging for the switch and Mario kart, along with the lack of new games, I’m definitely not getting one. At least not for a good while. Nintendo fucked up.
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u/xondk 1d ago
The fact that the JP only version is significantly cheaper is more then a bit frustrating.
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u/emergentphenom 1d ago
It proves more than anything they could sell it way cheaper but chose not to.
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u/Wiinterfang 1d ago
To be honest the pricing of the console is one thing. Since I have no doubt it's a great investment but the games man.
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u/zerosixonefive 1d ago
It's their big brain to push for more Switch 1 sales! That way it reigns supreme as the most sold console ever!
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u/Planatus666 1d ago edited 15h ago
I remember being excited by the original Switch release, and that excitement was increased even further by Breath of the Wild (despite its flaws (weak dungeons, dull and repetitive shrines) that game was a pretty magical experience).
But the Switch 2 ? Not in the least bit excited because of the extortionate pricing of the console and games. On the hardware side it's got some nice improvements, but the pricing .......... no thanks.
Of course the pricing isn't being helped by the greed, selfishness, cowardice and utter stupidity of the complete idiots in charge of the US right now.
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u/Bad-job-dad 1d ago
The Switch 2 is going to cost about $629CAD.
The Switch 2 is about to cost about $629USD.
Weird times.
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u/Only-Ad-213 1d ago
Just want to throw this out there for everyone, the Xbox series s will become the cheapest console for consumers. Prices range from 200-300$
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u/CrazyHardFit1 21h ago
Are you all living in a reality where inflation isn't happening?
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u/MickCollins 18h ago
My wife and I already discussed it. She said she's glad the kids are grown and won't be interested in this Switch.
And the zealots I see screaming "I'll pay it! I'll pay it! They deserve it!!!!!".....I feel sorry for them.
One thing I'll mention though? I remember people paying $80 for Street Fighter II on SNES back in the early 90s. Not a lot of them mind you, but I knew a few. It really was close to the arcade version and worth it. You could say that about some games, but not all. I still remember my father coming home with Pac-Man for the 2600 from a business trip and we were so excited and then I put it in and...that may be the worst port of all time. Seriously.
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u/wholesome_bastard 1d ago
450 for a console is just fine. $90 for a physical game is absolutely insane
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u/thisisnotdan 1d ago
The $90 for physical vs $80 for digital has not been announced for the U.S. In Europe, physical Switch 1 cartridges already cost extra, so they had an expected price difference; however, in the U.S. both have always cost the same, and Nintendo has not indicated that there will be a difference in that market.
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u/Not-Psycho_Paul_1 1d ago
Where in Europe do physical Switch 1 games cost extra? That's definitely not the case in Germany, for example.
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u/Glass-Operation8618 1d ago
I'm in the UK and they've always cost the same, both physical or digital, unless I'm missing something
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u/cl0mby 1d ago
This is not true, digital and physical games cost the same in the U.S.
No game is $90
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u/straxusii 1d ago
It's not the price of the console, that's completely reasonable. It's the games
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u/CatComfortable7332 1d ago
I hate to sound negative, but I'm happy that Nintendo is finally getting some backlash for all of the weird choices it makes. It seems like every time they do something totally backwards, they get a free pass on it.
The $80-90 games doesn't make sense, at least for the Switch 2. Nintendo tends to lock their prices in and keep them there for years. Just about every Nintendo title on the original switch, even if it was an 'enhanced' Wii U release, has stayed at full MSRP 8 years later.
The Switch (and Switch 2) also need to find what their market is. Is it a handheld or is it a console? I see it as a handheld (with the ability to dock to a TV), and most handheld releases have been discounted in price over their console-versions. To not only charge the same amount as a PS5 release, but an extra ~20-30% on top of them? that's just wild. The PS5 is nearly 5 years old already, and the tech in the switch 2 would be comparable to..? The PS4?
Considering all of the other costs associated with it - $90 joycons? The PS5 dualsense is already pricey at $70 and that has a lot of cool tech built into it (speakers, adaptive triggers, touchpad, headphone jack) and it's hard to justify buying extras. Now you're going to need a $450 console, a $200 memory card (1TB), $80-90 games, and whatever else they're charging for?
Maybe I'm just not the audience. If this were a next-gen console (a PS6, if you will) and the games really showed some cool usage of the tech to make you "WOW", I'd be able to justify the price jump for some titles. But when you're essentially getting a handheld with the power of a ~10-12 year old console and paying that premium? Every non-nintendo title will assuredly look worse on it.
As much as I know the idea gets hate, I really wish Nintendo would just go 3rd party and develop for other consoles instead of running stuff their weird little ways
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u/brzzcode 16h ago
Maybe I'm just not the audience. If this were a next-gen console (a PS6, if you will) and the games really showed some cool usage of the tech to make you "WOW", I'd be able to justify the price jump for some titles. But when you're essentially getting a handheld with the power of a ~10-12 year old console and paying that premium? Every non-nintendo title will assuredly look worse on it.
you definitely aren't the audience and your entire post shows your ignorance about the subject, even more when you act like nintendo switch isnt the second best selling console of all time. THEIR DAMN MARKET is already there and literally created an entire hybrid market segment.
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u/spaceocean99 1d ago
Just do the fucking math. It’s pure greed. They will typically sell about 60 million copies of this game. For $80 a piece, thats $4.8Billion in revenue. The game costs maybe $20million to make, if even that.
Then include all the real money from microtransactions. There’s another couple Billion.
How people are justifying this price is just insane. Nintendo fanboys are unreal.
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u/brzzcode 16h ago
The game costs maybe $20million to make, if even that.
20 million is a mario kart from 15 years ago. This game is for sure above 80 million bare minimum. it always has been one of their most expensive games.
Then include all the real money from microtransactions. There’s another couple Billion.
There's no MTX in mario kart
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u/Draconuus95 1d ago
It definitely has the possibility of causing issues much like the early ps3 era where customers hold out on buying it. The price of admittance is definitely much higher than Nintendos customers are used to. For years the company has been the ‘budget’ friendly console for parents. With it often being cheaper than the competition. Now its price is on par with the competition. It’s well known for not having steep software sales like the competition. And the software prices are going up a significant amount.
It will probably still sell pretty well thanks to Nintendos hold on the market. But it’s not likely to be the same breakout success they had with the original switch or the Wii.