Nintendo Explains Why Digital Games Aren't Any Cheaper

[Andy Shandy]

Oh, cut the crap, Nintendo, you just want to make as much money as possible.

When everyone else is doing it, fair enough, but at least just be straight up about it.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

So translation; we are charging retail price because we know you're going to buy it anyway, so we might as well as get the most cash out of you as possible. That and we'll be pushed even further to the back of gamestop if we make it cheaper.

So colour me shocked that the company that people praise as 'being different' act just like the other guys... except for putting out a competitive console this gen. I went for the low hanging fruit, so sue me.

 

[spartandude]

Thank god i have a really bad cold right now other wise all i would be able to smell is BULLSHIT!

 

[chikusho]

A practice that's well researched, tested and proven to work if pulled off correctly?

Yeah! 'cause charging retail price for digital content is working out great for EA Origin.

So... You're using an unsuccessful execution of a pricing strategy in order to, what.. disprove the successful ones?

So translation; we are charging retail price because we know you're going to buy it anyway, so we might as well as get the most cash out of you as possible. That and we'll be pushed even further to the back of gamestop if we make it cheaper.

More like: We are charging retail price because if the games were cheaper they would be perceived as less valuable, which would hurt the product and/or our brand.

 

[somonels]

Well, he's technically correct, he does not want to shift the sandpit the VG industry has built their neighbourhood on. To put it simply it would benefit no one in the industry to pull such a move.

Digital versions cost the same as retail versions because..... well, we like money

I would accept answers such as

It helps us maintain resonably low retail prices and we need the retail market to continue existing and hopefully grow, because there are people who either won't or can't make use of the internet.

Their market expansion would take place in areas and people are more likely that have access to useable internet connection than being able to pay ~40% more for a boxed copy for a single game that already has an entry hardware costs many times more.

Digital is NOT online-only, just online until you download it.

 

[bdcjacko]

Why do people get outraged the games cost money?

 

[SilverUchiha]

Wow. I don't get why EA can't get along with Nintendo when they seem to share the same fucking logic when it comes to pricing, digital content, etc. Only difference is Nintendo's games are generally good whereas EA is generally shit.

All kidding aside (not really), this logic is kind of bullshit. Digital copies can only be bought and played and that's it. With no resale value or anything, the price should already be cheaper. Let's also not forget that there's no added costs for shipping, packaging, or manufacturing. And I'm sure there's some kind of cost in sharing profits with distributors like GameStop. So, yeah, there's no justification why the price should be EXACTLY the same. If Nintendo wants to charge higher than the usual digital amount we would have expected, fine. Full price? No. That's an EA move that no one really appreciated (or still appreciates, idk if Origin still pulls that bullshit) and I'm not buying their lame excuse.

Furthermore, if Mario, Zelda and all of it has such high value, then why are you charging so little for the old games on NES and SNES on the virtual console? Those are games many Nintendo fans love to the point of preferring some of those over the newer games being released. Clearly their more valued and should be charged to reflect that, right? But they aren't They cost roughly what you'd expect them too (maybe a tinge more). So, yeah, not buying it.

EDIT: And Nintendo wonders why they aren't making WiiU sales. If their games were cheaper digitally, it would probably convince people to go in that direction and buy through them. At least it would also balance out the cost of the system everyone seems so happy to ***** about despite it being the cheapest console of the lot.

 

[bug_of_war]

You know game devs, it's not bad to say, "we want profit". I understand that and accept that, I'm sure others do to. So please just be brave and say, "You already showed you're willing to pay 60 - 100 dollars + petrol/bus money/exercise to get the game, so pricing isn't all that bad".

 

[Battenberg]

Oh there's so many things wrong with this "logic". I mean there's probably nothing that people haven't already said here (reduced company costs for manufacture, digital games often being MORE expensive than retail, can't share digital copies in the same way etc) but it's still flabbergasting to see Nintendo try and pull such thin wool over everyone's eyes, I would have thought they'd at least make a small effort to find a plausible explanation.

As far as I'm concerned there's nothing here that doesn't come across as "we want bigger profit margins for less work" although I may be biased as I much prefer having hard copies of games to having downloads.

 

[Synthetica]

"[Digital games aren't cheaper] because we want consumers to value software as highly as possible and because we have been trying to heighten the value of our software whenever we produce it,"

Translation: we're trying to find out how far we can go.
I get you need to make money Nintendo, just stop dancing around it. "No, we're not trying to make money, we're keeping up the value of our product"

 

[2xDouble]

Short version: Because you'll pay it.

Honestly, what were you people expecting? That's how any free/capitalist market works: products will sell for whatever the consumer is willing to pay, regardless of actual value or overhead cost.

 

[zumbledum]

thats some beautifully crafted bullshit right there. if Nintendo goes to the wall atleast this fucker can become a politician.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Bullshit.

They'd make more money off of digital sales due to not having to give retailers, shippers and packaging companies a slice of the pie.

How the hell do they think Steam works so well? Nintendo could easily make their digital games cheaper. A better answer would have been, "we wouldn't want to see anyone involved in making the physical version of the game lose their jobs."

 

[Saltyk]

"Well the content is the same, it doesnt matter that we dont have to pay production, shipping, or franchise costs, we are still going to charge you the same...because its worth it...The fact that we make a LOT more money that way is aside the point honest! Also, thats just rain running down your back...just rain..."

I knew nintendo was run by idiots, but did they honestly expect anyone to not see through their bullshit? Fanboys excluded of course.

It's not like the rest of the gaming industry literally has the same stance when it comes to digital copies being the same price as physical.

This isn't Nintendo being idiots. It's them literally following the crowd.

And it's just as bullshit in those cases. There is no good reason that they can't reduce the price just a little. Five dollars less for a digital copy would be nice. Then, I have to decide if getting the physical copy, case, and manual is worth the extra money. If I would rather make the drive or allow it to download. In that case, there would be a minor debate to be had.

I'm pretty sure Sony does the same thing, and I rarely buy games off PSN, unless they are only available on PSN. If Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, EA, or anyone else wants people to use digital distribution, they should offer incentives to make it worth doing.

So, yes, it is Nintendo being idiots. Because everyone is being idiots in this case. Just because the crowd is doing something, doesn't make it smart.

 

[Saelune]

Is Activision mind controlling Iwata? I love Nintendo, but when I went to Gamestop to buy Pikmin 3, they were out, so they offered me a download code...for the same exact price. I said no an bought it from Amazon. If Im paying full, Im getting full.