There have been many reactions to Switch 2’s recent reveal, One synonymous is a complaint about Nintendo’s high price range. The base console reaches $449.99, and with the Mario Kart World Pack Inversion reaching another $50, the Switch 2 will be diminished in history as Nintendo’s most expensive console release.
That said, console prices are just the tip of the iceberg. Some fans are price tagging from $70 to $80 for Switch 2 games. The original Switch may launch $70 titles like Teen of the Kingdom, but the base price for most Switch 2 games has increased significantly.
One consistent point is that the game is priced at a clear $60 price for generations, and it may be time for that to change. Nintendo itself describes the new era as “variable pricing.” The price of each game depends on the individual value Nintendo gives it.
But why should we follow these seemingly specific guidelines for what the game deserves to be priced? Michael Dous, the publishing director of Bardoulgate 3 at Larian Studios, pointed out by industry influential figures.Pivoting traditional industry norms on pricing can be a liberating experience for developers.
In modern times of gaming and global markets, it’s strange that much of the financial position behind a game appears to rest on its $60 price tag. According to Douse “It’s very liberating, you don’t have to worry about the shelves, instead worry about the audience you can talk to very easily.”
For example, if the game priced at $70, the studio declares that it has $70 worth of content. This could mean a balance between the different elements from the quality of the gameplay to hitting the proposed time. But it all sums up in the fact that you are paying for at least $70 worth of fun.
However, avoiding pricing “according to retail norms” means that you can communicate with gamers the exact value of the content you provide. For example, games like Helldivers 2 set a binary $40 price tag to tell you that the game is a bit below the full AAA experience.
More importantly, the advantage of pricing games in this way opens the door to ethical implementation of features like microtransactions, where admission fees exist, but not as expensive as they dissuade players from spending a little extra on cosmetics and bonuses.
Benefits of variable pricing
Nintendo’s new variable pricing system appears to support some of these ideals. But the important thing to remember is that Nintendo suggests that gamers want to buy games like Mario Kart World, which is around $80.
For this reason, In the Switch 2 era, there is a possibility that more people will complain about high prices. According to Douse, “If the game feels too expensive, they won’t buy it, so sales reflect this.”
He further argues that “it’s better to say that companies are cautious about rising prices.” That is, just as Kingdom Tears was a test for Nintendo’s new $70 game, Mario Kurt World claims it’s another $80 test. So, if sales are insufficient, Nintendo could lead to polishing prices.
Furthermore, there were doubts as to whether physical media would ultimately cost more than digital media. The first hint suggesting that Switch 2 cartridges are higher than any digital version: Many people worry that the digital ecosystem will ultimately eliminate physical media.
As Douse argues in another reply to this concern, it means that “companies absorb the costs of physical media.” So, in the end, Nintendo is biting a bullet for the cost of the game cartridge.
I am extremely enthusiastic in the US with the Nintendo Switch 2 Boycotts Impact Switch 2 Console Sales Sales. However, whether this means that Nintendo’s prices will remain high means that they will continue to fall by the time the Switch 2 is released.
