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Eurogamer : Why Nintendo Switch games are ending up more expensive

Publishers and developers are free to set the price of their Nintendo Switch games, as Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé has already said, but based on conversations we've had from developers this week, it looks like companies making multiplatform games that are also coming out on Nintendo Switch are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Well, we've heard that the cost of manufacturing a Nintendo Switch game is higher than the cost of making a PS4, PC or Xbox One game, because the cartridges the Switch uses cost more to make than Blu-ray discs.

But why would a Nintendo Switch game cost more on the Nintendo eShop? Digital games, after all, are just a download. There's no need to factor in costly cart manufacture with an eShop game. Well, we've heard that Nintendo's policy is that Switch eShop games should cost the same as their physical versions, in a bid to keep bricks and mortar shops on-side. A shop such as GAME, for example, is unlikely to go all in on a Switch game if you can download it for half the price instead.

Eurogamer

This could become a serious issue soon.
 
I really don't think the cards are an extra 10, but okay. TG implying they need to charge that much more for cards is disingenuous at best, and at worst a lie.

The article makes in unclear whether Nintendo FORCES devs to make digital and physical fame price, but if so, that shit will have to stop. That's fucking outrageous. I have a feeling if this were an "enforced policy," someone would have said so. But Nintendo will certainly need to stop it with that stupid shit if that's the case.
 

LewieP

Member
I read the article.

They could have more simply said "Because Nintendo let them".

The pragmatic solution would be for Nintendo to adopt an (industry standard) policy of not allowing to charge more for an identical game compared to similar platforms.

Then for games which will have a print run too small to be economically viable, only do a digital release.

Like what Playstation and Xbox have done for years.

Edit: Before saying "the cards don't cost $X", please put some thought into the nature of mass/batch production, and how the reason game discs typically have a very low marginal cost is because of being produced on a large scale.
 

Thatanas

Member
So how much more exactly is a cardtridge compared to a blu-ray? Rime costs 10 dollars more, so is it really a couple of bucks at least?
 

vareon

Member
Yeah, Nintendo need to sort this out. They don't need to lose one more incentive for publishers to release their game on Switch (low margin).
 
Not sure what I expected from this topic, because this is all stuff that we more or less knew already. That being said, it does seem like an interesting conundrum.

I'm not sure if I can see it becoming a big issue though. Time will tell.
 

Atheerios

Member
We all know the reason Time costs more is because it was ported at the end of the game development. Cartdriges don't cost a lot more.
 

Effect

Member
Yet we don't see other games costing the same. At least in the US when it comes to digital and physical. Even if the physical cost a bit more it should not to the tune of $10 more or even more in various regions. There is increasing the price a few dollars more. Instead of $29.99 the game is $32.99 Then there is increasing the price $10+. No way in hell is Nintendo suggesting that, causing that, nor should anyone find that acceptable.

What I see, in the case of RIME, is a publisher trying to off load some of their development cost for how long that game was in development for the PS4 and trying to gouge Switch customers because the number of games is currently so low and likely will still be low by the time the game is released.
 

Zafir

Member
The issue is retail shops in EU and UK don't charge RRP but digital does. So we have this issue where Zelda is 60 quid digital and 50 quid in store. Unfortunately it's sold out in store so you're forced to pay the 60 quid which is a lot.
 

Falchion

Member
Maybe the Switch will be the first system to regularly have digital games reflect the lower price of distribution...... but I doubt it.
 

KAL2006

Banned
UK prices are a joke when it comes to digital as they charge full RRP which shops other than Game don't

PS4 luckily i don't mind as they have tons of sales quite early on for digital games
 

DaaMaadNess

Neo Member
If this happens continuously could be the best excuse for third parties to end their support to Switch. Obviously no one will buy a game on a plataform where is 10€/$ more expensive. I don't think that playing it handheld is a convincing enough excuse to buy it. Even less among casual players.
 

z0m3le

Banned
Drop the physical version of the game for Switch and give a digital only version for $30 then, since it's late anyways, they can even release a retail version sometime afterwards for when the cards are even cheaper.
 

tolkir

Member
The implication is that Nintendo are only allowing this in the event of including some sort of physical bonus item/trinket, even if the game card is the real cost.

yCdgOvE.jpg
 
So from what I'm reading ITT so far, no, Nintendo does not enforce "digital price must be the same as physical," therefore the article is actually misleading, since that's what it seems to imply.
 

jonno394

Member
If the cart costs a s few $ more to produce then the publishers can either Swallow the few dollars costs and accept you're margins are lower on Switch releases, or hike the prices.

It's not as simple as "it costs $2 more to make a switch cart so retail should only be a few dollars more". To recoup those $2, taking in to account I assume that retailers and Nintendo probably take a % value of the rrp not a set figure, the publisher probably needs to increase it by several dollars more to get those $2 back.

Looking at Puyo Puyo Tetris, I do wonder if NOA and NOE are operating under different guidelines, and that itself is fucking ridiculous if they are.
 

Shiggy

Member
Uhh... but Puyo Puyo Tetris is more expensive physically than digitally.

Yeah the author doesn't seem really informed.
Unless it's particular because the physical edition has goodies ?

Best to read the article which is linked.

Puyo Puyo Tetris, from publisher Koch, costs £34.99 on Nintendo Switch both physically and digitally. It costs £24.99 on PS4.

Pretty obvious he's talking about Europe.
 
Yeah the author doesn't seem really informed.
Unless it's particular because the physical edition has goodies ?
Eurogamer is European and in Europe, Puyo Puyo costs the same for the physical and digital edition.

Game cards definitely don't cost 10$ / 10£ / 10€ more but we don't know exactly how much they cost as they seem to be proprietary cards.
 
Also why not sell just a download-code at retail and make that version cheaper? Same profit for the publisher and the eShop games could cost the same as the download-only retail version.
 

Robin64

Member
Real reason why: It's a new console and publishers think they can get away with this due to a general lack of choice.

It always happens. Every time.
 

Nabbis

Member
Real reason why: It's a new console and publishers think they can get away with this due to a general lack of choice.

Given the dumpster fire that Nintendo has started with the Switch, im more inclined with putting this one on Nintendo.
 

th4tguy

Member
It's not just a few $ more to produce. It's also a few $ more to ship due to weight and dimensions. Also, if it's like in the past, you have to pay Nintendo to produce the carts which comes with it's own upcharge.
I'm not saying this accounts for 10$ worth of increase but It's probably the case where total cost comes close to $5 and it doesn't make sense from a publisher to not just update that to the nearest 10$ increment.

$44.35 -> $49.99

I seriously doubt there is any data that items sell any differently at 49.99 compared to 45 which makes moving it up to the higher value even more enticing.
 

The Boat

Member
Such a policy seems impossible to enforce in Europe where there is no suggested retail price. I call bullshit, especially since we know 3rd parties are free to do their own sales, which suggests they're free to set the pricing as they want.

I'm sure they have that policy internally, but I seriously doubt they have such a rule with 3rd parties.

It's not just a few $ more to produce. It's also a few $ more to ship due to weight and dimensions. Also, if it's like in the past, you have to pay Nintendo to produce the carts which comes with it's own upcharge.
I'm not saying this accounts for 10$ worth of increase but It's probably the case where total cost comes close to $5 and it doesn't make sense from a publisher to not just update that to the nearest 10$ increment.

$44.35 -> $49.99

I seriously doubt there is any data that items sell any differently at 49.99 compared to 45 which makes moving it up to the higher value even more enticing.
Weight and dimensions? Both the cards and boxes are smaller (and probably lighter?) than blu ray discs and their cases, this (the dimensions) is something that saves money on distribution, not the other way around.
 
Anyway my hope is Nintendo gets enough support and sells enough units to reduce the price of the carts. Ideally they woulda just ate some of the cart costs initially so this wasnt an issue.
 

Bazry

Member
But why would a Nintendo Switch game cost more on the Nintendo eShop? Digital games, after all, are just a download. There's no need to factor in costly cart manufacture with an eShop game. Well, we've heard that Nintendo's policy is that Switch eShop games should cost the same as their physical versions, in a bid to keep bricks and mortar shops on-side. A shop such as GAME, for example, is unlikely to go all in on a Switch game if you can download it for half the price instead

They word this like its a Nintendo only thing, we all know this is why digital costs more than physical

If Rime was going to cost Switch owners £10 more because of the cost of cartridges, maybe they should have just gone digital only. Its seems crazy that digital buyers would be the ones to suffer just because they decided to make a physical version

Its all nonsense with Rime in any case, it'll be down £10 a week or so after launch, they'll just try and get day 1 buyers to pay more
 

iMax

Member
We've heard this policy is why some smaller publishers and developers are going with the eShop only for their Nintendo Switch games. To release a physical version would mean factoring in the cost of manufacturing a cart, bumping up the price accordingly then price-matching the digital version.

So it's indirectly discouraging retail cartridges? Smart way to move the player base to digital, I guess—albeit a little underhanded.
 
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