Yeah, I don't buy that narrative whatsoever.
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Eurogamer : Why Nintendo Switch games are ending up more expensive
- Thread starter LFMartins86
- Start date
Yeah, I don't buy that narrative whatsoever.
But these shops can also sell digital games. This is stupid.
ToysAndMoreClub
Member
I think the production run has more to do with the price than the size of the cartridges. I expect that 50k copies of an 8 GB cart would be more expensive than 500k copies of a 16 GB or even 32 GB cart.
Eh? It's very much a thing. Games on PSN & Xbox are priced so high because publishers still need to sell big numbers in physical form and lots of big chains wouldn't take their games if digital was 10-15$ cheaper on the offset.
KennyLinder
Member
Sorry, what I meant was that the cost of porting the game isn't what is putting the costs up, or keeping profits low (like in the case of the 3DS).
There's no relation between those two things and I'm sure you know it. That's like saying "the Switch system isn't doing physical harm to any customers so the idea that the Joy-Con connection quality is not working well is laughable".
fabricated backlash
Member
Sure it's more expensive, but not 10 bucks more expensive. It's a chance to optimize profits at the expense of customers, that's all this is.
SomedayTheFire
Member
Sony (and Nintendo) could choose to eat some of the cost of cartridge production. The Switch cartridges are also a new enough ROM Xtra cart from Macronix. The price of production will come down in time, but yeah carts are far more expensive in production than discs.
Suburban Thug
Member
Who is going to a store for a digital game? The whole point is that you download at home.
No, that's comparison is dumb.
The two things I mention are specifically Nintendo influencing third party releases when all real evidence suggests they take a very hands off approach, for better or worse.
AstroNut325
Member
Yup. I've said this in threads in 2016. I fully expect games on cartridges to be more expensive than disc. Blu-ray were already under $1-2 per disc back in early 2010s. They're probably less than a dollar now.
The spot price of memory, however, is not in the same price level. According to current markets, the spot price of flash memory is around $2.20 and the spot price of 8GB SD cards is over $3.00 per unit. Now add in the customization for the Switch and Nintendo's markup.
Edit:
Spot prices of memory and SD cards is trending upwards.
Zombie James
Banned
Issues that weren't mentioned in the article and we're problems back in the day were returns and unsold stock. IIRC, back in the N64 days devs and publishers would be on the hook for unsold N64 carts while Sony would accept unsold stock. Made 750,000 carts but only sold 500,000? Too bad.
Now, I haven't found any evidence that this is still the case, but this may explain why the cost increase isn't 1:1 with the cost of a single cart. They may be covering possible unknown costs if the game doesn't do as well as they hope.
Now, I haven't found any evidence that this is still the case, but this may explain why the cost increase isn't 1:1 with the cost of a single cart. They may be covering possible unknown costs if the game doesn't do as well as they hope.
Me. They are cheaper than on those online storefronts. Just got L.A. Noire for free whereas Steam still charges 30 EUR. Same with Nintendo eShop codes, got some nice discounts for those too.
There's still no relation between either. Nintendo didn't enforce the use of certain system features on DS either. Yet they set DSiWare prices. Just because A is happening, it doesn't mean that B cannot happen. Your post was thus, sorry to say, bullshit.
http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=16k-3-has+been+heroes,28zu0
How can Has Been Heroes do it for $19.99 then?
How can Has Been Heroes do it for $19.99 then?
guybrushfreeman
Unconfirmed Member
KennyLinder
Member
Possible factors
- Smaller cart than RIME
- Richer publisher who is prepared to eat the cost/profit
- Or they looked on NeoGAF and saw that it's just greed that puts prices up
Broken Hope
Member
Smaller cart? Bigger print run? Could be multiple reasons.
Maybe Switch is so easy to port that it was almost costless
/s
Dsiware was nearly a decade ago and Nintendo specifically moved away from that. So no, not bullshit.
Especially considering Reggie flat out said it.
I am particularly referring to the argumentation which was bullshit. No need to bring in other points here as it's purely about how you tried making a point:
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Are the carts that expensive or is Nintendo charging high licensing fees?
7DollarHagane
Banned
So don't produce a retail version then.
With switch being portable downloads make a lot more sense anyway.
With switch being portable downloads make a lot more sense anyway.
zackmorris
Member
If the cost is associated with the cost of the cart/card then they should be cheaper digitally. Right...?
Or maybe it's because he's an American that thinks they are the only place in the world that exists. Where'd that go?
People trading in stuff, for one.
Zombie James
Banned
$4 for a game that's around 1GB (Rebirth on the PS4 was ~500MB) isn't good at all.
I'm UK, Has Been Heroes doesn't look like its get a physical release over here on any platform
always crazy bacon
Banned
One of my jobs a long time ago was to manage the ordering of Nintendo cartridges for a big publisher, which at the time was N64 and Gameboy Color. The cost of the cartridge is not the whole story at all and I doubt anything has really changed.
When you order the carts they are made in Japan, I'm assuming the same is true for the Switch. Which means you have to pay for shipping of those carts from Japan to the US/Europe. BUT, you have to use the shipping company Nintendo owns and their prices are not competitive. Same goes for the printed parts, manuals, boxes. You have to use Nintendo's printer and they are not cheap. Also factor in that there is a minimum order you have to buy from Nintendo and you see all the costs add up ontop of the cartridge price at BOM level so tax ext are added onto that. Also the carts sizes are fixed so if your game is just over the steps in cart size you could be buying the next biggest cart you need with wasted space. Disc games are fixed no matter how much space you need unless you get a multi disc title.
Compared to the other format holders, they provide you with a regional disc duplication plant and you might be able to choose your own disc replicator. Like I said, this was a long time ago and things might have changed but Nintendo's gonna Nintendo and rinse profit out of every step of the process which means the consumer is eventually picking up the tab.
Keeping parity with retail costs is just a bullshit excuse.
When you order the carts they are made in Japan, I'm assuming the same is true for the Switch. Which means you have to pay for shipping of those carts from Japan to the US/Europe. BUT, you have to use the shipping company Nintendo owns and their prices are not competitive. Same goes for the printed parts, manuals, boxes. You have to use Nintendo's printer and they are not cheap. Also factor in that there is a minimum order you have to buy from Nintendo and you see all the costs add up ontop of the cartridge price at BOM level so tax ext are added onto that. Also the carts sizes are fixed so if your game is just over the steps in cart size you could be buying the next biggest cart you need with wasted space. Disc games are fixed no matter how much space you need unless you get a multi disc title.
Compared to the other format holders, they provide you with a regional disc duplication plant and you might be able to choose your own disc replicator. Like I said, this was a long time ago and things might have changed but Nintendo's gonna Nintendo and rinse profit out of every step of the process which means the consumer is eventually picking up the tab.
Keeping parity with retail costs is just a bullshit excuse.
They do, but they don't post. If they did, it'd just be sensiblechuckle.gif every time.
IdreamofHIME
Member
Why are PS4 digital releases £60? 20% more than retail?
Because they get away with it.
Same deal here.
Because they get away with it.
Same deal here.
Interesting stuff, if completely outdated and potentially incorrect relating to modern practices.
That isn't the UK
but thanks for showing in Europe at least it'll cost the same on all platforms as well
guybrushfreeman
Unconfirmed Member
Is it though? How many manufacturing plants are there for Switch carts right now? Especially small orders. The thing about having many different places to print discs is true and makes a big difference
Considering that every Switch case lists the manufacturer (Nintendo Japan) and the importer in the EU (Nintendo/respective third party publisher), it looks like at least part of it is still accurate.
All of my 3DS games also say "Made in Japan".
Gamestop.co.uk linked me to that page.
hurricanes
Member
$10 more for an old game just because of cart? Is it make of gold or something?
Forcing digital parity is on Nintendo, I will give them that.
Forcing digital parity is on Nintendo, I will give them that.
SomedayTheFire
Member
Gamestop UK is part of Gamestop Ireland.
Nostremitus
Member
He's a developer who posts on GAF.
this was obvious and I'm surprised there were so many arguments that it wasn't likely. Especially the puyo puyo thing. That is just reaching for an excuse and ignoring the vast evidence across all platforms that digital tends to cost the same as MSRP of physical.
I'm sure partly that's to avoid pissing off retailers, but also I expect publishers are happy at the relatively higher return they get which is a meaningful alternative to putting up prices at retail
The missing piece of the jigsaw is just how much more expensive the cards are. They don't have to be $10 more to put the price up by $10. Assuming retail/wholesale are working on percentage markups, a $3-5 increase in cost price by Nintendo could easily result in a $10 retail price bump.
I'm sure partly that's to avoid pissing off retailers, but also I expect publishers are happy at the relatively higher return they get which is a meaningful alternative to putting up prices at retail
The missing piece of the jigsaw is just how much more expensive the cards are. They don't have to be $10 more to put the price up by $10. Assuming retail/wholesale are working on percentage markups, a $3-5 increase in cost price by Nintendo could easily result in a $10 retail price bump.
Living the Dream
Member
TLDR: Nintendo Tax.