Capitalism is incredibly complicated in practice - markets, financial tools, regulations, 'gaming the system', taxes and so on. On the flipside it's also very simple. Supply and demand dictate how much goods cost, and when it comes to entertainment desirability is also a factor. When a company has a winner on its hands it figures out the maximum it can charge people for that product so that it can make good profits, therefore satisfying investors who increase the company share value, and so on until the apocalypse comes and we forget about tax deductibles to fight over the last bottle of water.
With Nintendo, it's not always easy to figure out the economics. The 3DS had a poor second quarter in 2011 so the company introduced a major price cut; allied with some excellent game releases it worked to turn the portable's fortunes around. Nintendo never really bothered cutting the price of the Wii U, however, only doing a minor $50 drop after the system was already in a state of rigor mortis, and it remained oddly expensive. Retailers were stuck with Wii U consoles they couldn't sell, but few 'on the fence' consumers would have had any interest because they were still pricey compared to other more popular systems. That was an occasion when the market just did not work, and it was stuck in an odd loop of failure; the only occasions we saw Wii U sales spike was when a major retailer simply had enough and kicked off a fire sale.
When Nintendo unveiled the Switch in January I shared, on multiple occasions, concerns over the price; many others did too. Before the comments section fills with people going on about freebies for members of the press, I'll add that I did actually purchase a system, games, Pro Controller and SD card for launch (like many others reading this no doubt did) that ended up in the family, because everyone loved the idea and fancied having one. That's the remarkable thing so far about Switch; I've seen people with zero interest in Wii U become utterly enamoured with the thing - individuals that wouldn't read these pages but like fun times have remarked to me that the price of the system seems about right.
But good grief, it is expensive being a Switch owner. It's not so much the core system that gets you, but the extras. The Pro Controller costs a little more than the equivalent standalone pad for a rival system, and then most with plans to try cool eShop games need to eye up microSD cards.
There have also been games, too, that in 2-3 years would not be full-price retail games but - because it's a console launch - have been so far. You know of what games I speak, some already out and another (from Capcom, cough cough) on the way soon; titles that prompt heated debates over what should be a retail game and what shouldn't. Yet, the thing is, we're probably arguing about it because we always end up buying the darn things. We're answering our own debates. I argued before launch that 1-2-Switch or at least a 'starter' version should have been free with the system, but I bought a copy anyway - the following day I got 'mug' tattooed on my forehead.
More fool me, but my policy is to laugh about it, even if I'm in some kind of bizarre loop of self-mockery. The topic of Switch pricing has come up again recently with an empty box in Japan that'll cost about $5, and a standalone dock that costs £79.99 / $89.99USD. Hoho, ridiculous! But I do like that box...
Is the dock $90 worth of product in a $299.99 Switch console? That's debatable, so let's break it down with standard US dollar prices for the standalone accessories, and then see what's left.
- Nintendo Switch Joy-Con set (no grip included) - $79.99
- Nintendo Switch Dock Set (includes AC adapter and HDMI cable) - $89.99
Those combined come to $169.98US. In the console box you also get a non-charging Joy-Con grip - the charging equivalent is $29.99USD. Let's be generous and price a non-charging Joy-Con Grip accessory at $14.99 (I know it's not a thing, but it helps in this case) and round up to say that everything in the Switch box, minus the console itself, is $184.99 at 'accessory' costs. That prices the tablet at about $115.
When you write it all down it's not quite as obscene as it may first seem, and there are defences for some of the prices. The Joy-Con are clever little controllers, plus the Pro Controller is steep at about $70USD but does support all the Joy-Con capabilities of motion controls, HD Rumble and NFC (amiibo) scanning. Premium prices for sure, but not too bad when you remember they're optional extras. Out of the box with a Switch console you have multiplayer control options and a conventional-ish controller option with the pack-in Grip or (of course) the portable mode; Nintendo isn't forcing us to splash out on Pro Controllers.
It's also worth noting that the latest NVIDIA Shield (which uses either the same or a near-identical Tegra X1 GPU) is $199.99 with 16GB memory or $299.99 with 500GB of memory. That model isn't a tablet but rather a micro-console / streaming gadget for your TV (with a Remote and gamepad also in the box), though of course Switch only offers 32GB of internal memory. The point is that when you factor in that Switch tablet form and portability, the included Joy-Con, the 'switch' concept delivered by the dock and other bits and bobs in the box, the price does make some sense.
I would argue, unlike the controllers, that the pricing on extra docks is nevertheless bordering on being a tad cheeky; some of our team are less generous in their thoughts on it, reckoning that it's outright price gouging. Yes, there are R&D legacy costs, and an AC adapter + HDMI cable are included, but you're paying quite a lot for a plastic dock with a few standard connectors and that little bespoke circuit board that does a lot of the hard work. It's clever and neat technology, but that price is pretty steep.
The business logic behind that dock pricing is two-fold - first is the point we've highlighted already, that early-adopters pay the brunt of what the market accepts; Nintendo, like every other technology company, puts prices as high as it thinks early consumers will tolerate. After all, look at the prices of accessories and add-ons for trendy smart devices like iPhones. Another factor is that a cheap dock would 'discourage' people from buying an extra console. With the current dock price the temptation is to say 'sod it' and go all-in on another console for the household. I've written before about how Nintendo will want to recreate the '3DS household' effect in order to achieve big sales numbers for Switch in the long term.
But that's Switchonomics. While it's in demand and popular it'll command premium prices, and they'll only change if the consumer base decides the costs are too high. It takes me back to the Wii days, when accessories were eye-wateringly expensive considering the simple, off-the-shelf technology being utilised. That was and remains a secret to Nintendo's business, however - it takes affordable technology and sprinkles it with innovation and bit of fairy dust. Do that, and you have accessories that drain bank accounts.
Don't worry, Nintendo, I can just have bread and water this week while I save up for that extra dock.
Comments 167
Money vampires.
They could be putting out more Switches, instead they're doing this. T.T
Nintendo can charge what they want, of course, but I am putting off buying a Pro Controller because of the price. Loving my Switch but can't justify paying that much for a controller. The dock, in my opinion, is very expensive for what it is. So won't be buying that either.
I thought the grips were included with a JoyCon set. Which is why the existence of the seperately packaged grips puzzled me.
Photos show that the neon colored separate grips don't even match with the neon JoyCons in hue.
Nintendo has been going extra conservative this time around to cover their bee hives.
On the plus side, getting a point where you can play four players in Mario Kart is cheaper than ever before. One extra set of two JoyCon and you're there. But at what price.
I think the perception is: if someone want a second dock (another room with TV, another house, office, etc.), then she/he could pay 90 bucks. It's some kind of luxury.
People give the WiiU credit and say "that was much better!" but no you got screwed just as much. OVerpriced and underpowered. Sold at profit probably forever.
Break your tablet? €120+ (last I checked anyways) for a replacement.
Pro Controller? €50+ at launch and were hard to find for years.
Hard drive to expand on the laughable (even in 2012 let alone 2017) 32GB storage (basic model doesn't exist to me). Various large numbers of €/$/£
Want to play your BC games? €25 for wiimote & more for nunchuk (cue the "who DOESN'T have a wiimote laying around?!?!")
Now we have the Switch. Overpriced and underpowered, just like the WiiU. Sold at a profit.
Want to charge and play? €35+ for charging grip
Pro controller designed for human hands for a change? €80+
Micro SD card to make up for the extra laughable 32gb in 2017? Various amounts of money, usually somewhere around €55/£45 for a decent size.
2nd pair of controllers? €90
Poorly designed and cheap piece of plastic that can damage your console because of terrible design choices that doesn't even have an ethernet port on it, with 2 slow usb ports, 1 fast usb port, a hdmi port, generic power adapter worth €10, HDMI cable also worth €10? €90
All of that assuming you don't have a poorly designed joycon that needs fixing because of a manufacturing fault, a screen that doesn't have dead pixels regardless of what Nintendo says or a screen that gets scratched because of Nintendo's poor design again.
Remember people, Nintendo were sued and lost for price fixing. All of this after the consoles are being sold for profit. This is how Nintendo sees its consumers. I don't care if you're Donald Trump, defending any of this or buying a Switch Dock Set exposes you as the fraud that you are.
Oh, and I have, and like my Switch whenever it has something for me to play. #ObjectiveViewpoint
The Pro- controller is worth every penny imho. It's premium quality - has USB C connection
The empty Box - is just for collectors! I am glad that Nintendo are offering this for those people that want them.
The Dock - well - I've just been stripping my dock down to fit the motherboard into a 3rd party Mobile dock ( don't do this by the way - the mobile dock on Amazon doesn't have the correct venting - I feel it will overheat your Switch). The dock comes with a £25 quality power supply, a HDMI cable and the patented inner circuit board - the docks have a sprung suspension system for docking the USB C port - a nice touch that I haven't seen on any other docking system - this enables you to quickly and easily dock your switch - the mobile dock is fiddly to drop your Switch in place. . .
But remember this - the more money we spend - the more and better games we will ultimately get!!!!!! Be happy that you are paying into an ecosystem that is providing you with a fantastic gaming future!
Vote with your wallet, I guess. To me Switch is worth the asking price though.
I'm gonna buy another dock just to take the internals out and put them into a more portable fixture. I'm not a fan of the pricing, but I definitely understand why they do it.
Best solution if you don't like it? Don't buy it.
Before you female dog about a Switch dock that comes with a charger and HDMI cable being $89.99, what it gives you is the ability to drop your Switch into it on another TV anywhere... another room in your house, a family members house etc... Now, you can get this + a 64GB Micro SD card for your Switch for $112.98 or less, or you could buy a 64GB memory card for your Vita for $109.99. I'm thinking that this is the better deal.
Oh? A Splatoon box?! WHERE CAN I IMPORT THIS I MUST HAVE THIS NOW??????!!!!!!
@azelf I held off on the Pro Controller for awhile too, but ended up with a $20 gift card and bought one then. It's only priced $10 more than a PS4 or Xbox One controller and really is a great controller.
I can halfway see the price of two joycons being as expensive as they are, but that dock price is way above what I think it should be worth.
Don't forget what people are charging for an empty plastic shell to make a smaller custom dock
A plastic shell that still requires you to tear apart your Nintendo dock
If an empty plastic shell is selling for $25 what does the actual board doing everything cost?
@Menchi187 How dare a company actually sell something for a profit! They should be ashamed of themselves. Don't they know that all younger people are self entitled spoiled brats that expect everything for nothing!
@Amsterdamsters Not just your Switch, but ANY Switch! If a friend comes by with their Switch and they want to show you their progress in a game, they simply dock their Switch and they're set to go. Easiest setup change of any system.
@azelf Where do you live?
In my country, all the retailers are selling the pro controller for only USD$132
It's still better than the Vita. You at least get a full package in the box
Nintendo needs to [officially] get the license for USB and HDMI technology which costs thousands of dollars per annum to manufacture and sell. You don't really factor-in the HDMI cable. You factor-in the tech. If you'll look into the logistics of how devices are priced (even if it's just a dock) you'll see how. If we do our research, you'll see some USB peripherals, USB/HDMI passthru devices, etc, more or less plays around into the 70-100 dollar range for the good ones. You can find such devices for cheap, sure, but hell they were properly licensed to begin with. I'm not defending Nintendo by any means. People just need to understand how these things work
Regarding the selling of empty boxes, one reasoning behind this is to lessen scalpers. If you don't want to buy an $800 Splatoon 2 bundle on ebay or don't have the patience to wait for a restock then just buy the box directly from Nintendo and buy the Splatoon Joy-Cons if you already have the system. Simple.
@ValhallaOutcast I wouldn't pay attention to what little bespoke entrepreneurs are charging in this context. Companies like Nintendo manufacture millions of units, so the cost per unit for them is well down. Someone on eBay doing customised docks or whatever is paying a lot more for materials etc.
As I said in the article, pricing often factors in aspects of 'R&D' costs etc as companies claw back money they've spent. I think a lot of the accessories are relatively ok in price - maybe $10 or so higher than expected, perhaps. I think the dock is pushing it a bit though
@Amsterdamsters since you seem to be unable to comprehend common sense
In a world of £700 telephones I don't really find the Switch to be overpriced. The box is a random item for Japanese collectors, their logic with the dock is probably that if you can afford to have multiple televisions you can afford a premium dock price. I'm more interested in a portable HDMI dongle personally and there will be a 3rd party one available for little cost in the not too distant future. No one NEEDS to buy a dock or cardboard box. The controllers are expensive but I think this is more down to all the tech that Nintendo has rammed in there rather than anything else. Now you can question whether all that motion control and HD rumble is actually necessary, but last I heard Nintendo were just about breaking even with the sale of each Switch, so I don't think they're really being greedy.
Do you want an extra dock? Then pony up. Can you live without it? No harm, no foul.
Jezuzz peeple.
@Olmectron I live in the UK. £65 for a Pro Controller. Games retail at way less!
@BionicDodo Yeah I do generally agree. My pre-launch concerns about the price weren't over whether they were 'fair', but whether enough would like the idea enough to stump up the cash. So far it's done well, so there you go! I'm glad it's had such a great start.
The tablet itself is a very capable device in terms of power, plus obviously the Joy-Con and dock tech have their cost. Evidently the $299.99 is working well for Nintendo so far.
So... what does an empty Switch dock box cost?
Maybe if they hadn't already gone out of their way to state they weren't selling the switch at a loss, it'd be easier to believe a hunk of plastic with a few ports and a charger is worth that much. But it's not. I'll be generous and say it's $25 to manufacture and package. Nintendo is getting rid of the scalpers by BECOMING the scalpers.
@Amsterdamsters Here in the UK the Pro Controller is £65. The PS4 controller is £40. So there is a huge difference here! When there is a deal going on Amazon or I get some gift cards I might get it, but for the foreseeable future I'm out. Which is shame because I'm guessing it would be awesome with Splatoon 2
This is the same maths I've done myself. The accessories are way overpriced! There is simply no way the Switch is only 40% of the production cost of the whole Switch SKU!
@Olmectron Looks like Brazil to me!
But don't worry they try to sell a PS4 for 1350,00US for us too!
Oh my what good country to live.
The Future of Nintendo Gaming- The Premium Game Platform.
Well, least things arnt Neo Geo bad..... XD
The dock is flagged as a best seller on Amazon UK, and has a current sales rank of 30. If people pay it they're justified in charging it, I wouldn't pay it but obviously folks are.
A good article, lampshading both the pointlessness of vocal drama in the field where we customers have a more potent language for voicing our thoughts than GIFTed opinions... and the irony where this language ends up underutilised in practice. Apple has been mentioned, too; the company has been ridiculed on and outside the internet, so why are they still insistently pricing their new models so high? Because many of those models are still getting long buyer queues at launch, against all odds?
If the demand at the given prive proves low and Nintendo decides it would be good to counter it (in spite of the speculated "encourage multiple Switches per household" and other hypothetical factors like this), we may well see cheaper docks soon. Outside holiday sales, I mean. But if the demand doesn't prove low (and vocal "critics" already had a crow on their plate with 1-2-Switch in this regard), no amount of calling Nintendo shameless ripoff artists will make Nintendo so much as sneeze. Nothing personal, just business. And no amount of posing in the comments will undo the fact that this kind of "criticism" is nothing but leisurely venting.
The article lampshades another reason why I can't relate to or agree with much of that venting in general - Switch can require a small fortune in accessory costs indeed, but why are they all described as something nobody has a point in owning a Switch without? Why is the Pro Controller called Pro if it's so allegedly indispensable for normal gaming experience? Why having terabytes of memory for games is so crucial in the age of separate (and often cloud-based) storage space for save files and the internet being affordable in its capacity to swap downloaded games in and out at will? Why is the extra dock a necessity Nintendo forces down our throat at 90 bucks apiece when the WHOLE assembled set is small enough to grab, carry to another room (or even to another place in a shoulder bag) and replug there? Why is the charger grip an absolute must for the controllers that hold their own for up to 20 hours (I'm not sure if my still new DualShock 4 can readily boast as much) and can charge from the console itself anyway?
I can imagine there being people with personal circumstance-based answers for each of these questions - but the overwhelming majority seems to complain regardless of needing the aforelisted stuff, just like when people demand YouTube and Netflix on a video game console for few reasons other than keeping up with the technological Joneses. Even though that mentality has long resulted in the effect customers LIKEWISE bash the modern commercial technology for - as the neologism "bloatware" is my witness.
@azelf now that's an illustration to "civil negative opinion" in the dictionary.
It does little good to wait for price drops with Nintendo stuff. I was just in Wal Mart, NSMB Wii (yes 2 generations ago) is still $30. Wii U's were still $300 when they were last in stock. Last time I saw a Wii U Pro Controller, still $50.
You know, console prices used to drop as they aged but when they started adding HDD's to them it gave them a built in excuse to never drop the price. They would just increase the HDD size and keep the high price. Nintendo doesn't have that excuse...
@Menchi187 Hmm, I'm an adult that has owned my own business for 12 years after coming off a 20 year career as a manufacturing engineer. Please enlighten me on how I lack common sense. You being a good little troll doesn't equate to you having more common sense.
I don't care about the dock, I wouldn't buy another one even if it was 19,90€. But I want a lot of things Switch related! Another pair of blue/red little things just to have a full red or a full blue Switch, oh Nintendo! And tons of games too, and the Hori stand, and another AC adapter, but I can't simply give bread&water to my children...
@ThomasBW84 Good article, but I think you're too generous if you price the Switch itself at $115. I think it's more expensive than that. The dock costs next to nothing to produce, which is why they can sell the entire bundle for $300 and still make a profit (including the cut taken by retailers, shipping, manufacturing and storage). It's just the dock's price that's insane.
Think about it, you can get a NES Classic for less (well, you actually can't get one, but if they were available I mean), and that houses more tech and even comes with 30 games. Alright, dumping some ROM files on a circuit board isn't going to cost Nintendo anything, but you get my point. $30 is what I expected for the dock, and I thought that was still on the high side. How they proved me wrong...
A lot of things go into pricing more then just, a Switch cost X therefore accessories should cost percentage of X. What kind of additional sales will the sale provide, what are the costs of manufacturing less items with individual boxes, what is the cost to me as a company vs only producing 1 item. Economics and finance combined with 18 different marketing graphs give them a number. If it's selling to their expectations then they did well pricing it....any over selling or under selling means they screwed something up.
The only thing I'm not willing to purchase is a 2nd dock for $80......to me they priced everything else pretty well. I don't need an extra joy con charger, pro controller is amazing especially at the $60 I paid and a 64gb micro SD card pillaged from an old phone is probably more then I need.
@Amsterdamsters Why are you dragging the Vita into this? It has no bearing on the article or the argument you present, especially given the vita's age and well documented botched memory cards.
@BornInNorway81 ...and do you really believe that a 64GB Vita memory card cost anywhere near the $109.99 that it sells for ... or a leather smart case for an iPad Air cost even close to $79. All video game, tablet, phone manufactures make a lot of money on the "extras". It's just how it is. Complaining about just one of the companies is silly. I find it funny that few people were upset when the PS4/Xbox One came out and they had to buy a second controller for $60 just to play a local two player game. At least the Switch allows for it on most games right out of the box.
As long as the NDF exists, Nintendo will continue these practices. NDF will buy a Nintendo branded piece of feces.
@Amsterdamsters Your previous comment does exactly that. And being a captain of the NDF doesn't count as a job.
For a console that's supposed to simplify gaming in terms of unifying home and handheld gaming, the volume of accessories is going to be confusing to your average consumer.
They seem to be following the Apple model of a premium quality but somewhat overpriced main unit (iPhone/Switch console), but low quality high priced accessories (official AC adapters for iPhones are similarly priced to Switch ones, official iPhone earphones are expensive yet have rubbish sound quality).
The key difference with the Apple model and the Nintendo model is that you have access to cheaper 3rd party solutions with Apple products if you so choose.
@RedMageLanakyn The age of the Vita only makes it's point of comparison more valid. There are huge markups on accessories for all the systems...period! If you don't want to pay the prices, it's simply, don't buy the damn thing. Please stop the constant whining about it in forums though. For anyone that absolutely "has to have" the extra Switch dock, pay the price and stop female dogging. I swear, everyone's a crybaby nowadays.
Wait....did you seriously try to say the tablet is only $115 by subtracting the accessories at their individual prices? That's not how it works at all. If anything, the pricing of one Joycon vs two should give you an indication of how such "bundles" work ($50 for one, $80 for two).
The price is one of two big issues I have with the Switch. £270 is a lot for what it is. I grabbed my PS4 with a game for less than that. Along with the cost of accessories, it feels like I would be getting fleeced if I grabbed a Switch today.
@GravyThief There are more and more 3rd party accessories coming out for the Switch too. People need to keep in mind that even the retail stores don't make squat on video game system sales. They make most of the money on the accessories and to a lesser extend games. So, Nintendo makes a small profit on the Switch, the stores makes a very small if at all profit from the Switch. Nintendo makes a larger percent profit from a Pro Controller, but so does the store. It's that way with a lot of products. Why do you think that you can buy a new inkjet printer with starter ink for about the same price as just the replacement ink cartridges? That's where the money's at.
The Switch accessories are rather overpriced in my opinion.
@crimsontadpoles That's fine, but have fun walking out the door and down to the park playing your PS4. Now, look at the price of a quality tablet or phone. The price of the Switch is not out of line with those at all.
@Elpizo As are the 1st party accessories for the PS4 and Xbox One.
I've been fine with the price. Totally worth it to me. I'll be getting another dock as soon as I can. Makes playing 1-2-Switch at the fam's house much easier.
@Octane Interesting response I found:
"Any time the "Switch Dock Set" gets brought up. People rush in to comment about how they're paying $100 for some cables a a plastic. What a rip off it is! But the prices really aren't outrageous at all and I'll show you.
I've been shopping for Type C accessories for my Macbook which I will compare to the Dock Set. The dock set is 4 pieces essentially: 1. Type C hub with HDMI + USBs with power pass-through, 2. Type C charger with cable, 3. HDMI Cable, 4. Plastic Dock.
Type C hub with HDMI + USBs with power pass-through. These are roughly $50-70 on the market dependent on brand/quality. Here is a common one that people like. You can find some for cheaper, but not much. The ones without power pass-through are cheaper. But that's not what we're looking for.
Type C charger. These are roughly $20. However, we have to add a type C cable since the charger are sold separately. Here is a common one for about $20. I picked this one instead of something for $15 because we'll need a bit more powerful charger. Then we'll have to add in the cable. We'll round the total to $30.
HDMI Cable. $7. Enough said. I'll round this up to $10 due to the fact if you were to buy it from a local store like Best Buy, it'll be a bit more expensive.
Plastic Dock. These aren't comparable to anything since these are unique. We can assign a low price point to this due to it's plastic material. $10 is fair to me.
After we tally up the 4 pieces. We're look at $100! ($601+ $302 + $103 + $104). This is pretty close to the actual price of the dock set! This is why I think, overall, the prices are decent. Would it be better if it were to be cheaper? Hell ya. But At $100, it is very comparable to aftermarket accessories for Type C laptops (and phones!)"
@Menchi187 Neither does being a 12 year old living in his moms basement. What's your point?
@Nintendoforlife Be careful using common sense in your post as several around here just wont get it.
@Amsterdamsters I'm not interested in portability, so that won't affect my decision to grab a Switch. I'd be playing it in docked mode for almost all of the time.
Also, if I was playing on the Switch in my local park, I doubt that I'd have it for very long.
@Amsterdamsters So are you a professional golf-hole or do you just play one here on the forums? Calling people crybabies and tell them to quit female dogging is just as non constructive as those who aren't making valid arguments. Putting you on the ignore list, you're worse than the trolls here because you actually think you're right.
@Octane Yeah, I was doing a slightly skewed breakdown to highlight the premium 'accessories' have, for sure.
In real terms the console would be a bigger chunk of the $300, indeed.
@Pod If you're talking about the Joy-Con wrist strap attachments, those are included with a pair of Joy-Cons. The Joy-Con "Grip" is the handle-piece that you can slide 2 Joy-Cons into to have a more typical controller.
Prices will fall.
I'm not so upset at the prices, I'm more upset at the lack of built in ability to use wireless headphones. That is a real deal breaker and I hope it gets implemented in a hardware revision down the road.
@Nintendoforlife I agree that it isn't THAT overpriced (Though, I would still argue it is overpriced) but it is definitely not a fair comparison at all to compare individual retail products with a much lower sales volume to a product containing similar base components. Looking at individual products like that you are duplicating R&D costs, retail packaging, instructions, marketing material, multiple manufacturing lines, distribution costs, safety & regulatory costs/certifications, etc... Nintendo definitely sees substantial savings from ordering in bulk, direct from suppliers. Plus, like I mentioned before, they would only be manufacturing, distributing, marketing, and certifying a single product.
@Yorumi And I'd have to disagree with that. I've found that none of the accessories are really that necessary. Of course, I've been using a 16 GB microSD card that I was using on my 3DS before upgrading, which offsets that need for a while.
Right now the only thing I see as a need would be an extra Joy-Con set, mostly for ARMS. They're pricey, but not overpriced considering they're being sold at a loss.
Mostly depends on how your Switch gets used I guess.
Considering that the Switch Dock is a nearly empty shell with a tiny circuit board inside it that simply reads if the console is inserted or not, and sends the signal to render an image and sounds to a display set... No, the price is not right. If you pay full price for that, even with the AC adapter and an HDMI cable, you're a sucker. It's a total ripoff. I don't think any other "accessory" in Nintendo's history can match how much of a ripoff that is.
@cfgk24 Agreed. The Wii U taught me to get a pro controller ASAP, and I couldn't be happier I did! It may be my favorite controller ever made. Having motion plus and Amiibo scanning in it makes it even better! Wish it weren't so dang expensive, but very happy with what I got.
@Yorumi Yeah, you pretty much have to buy those JoyCon Wheel attachments for them to actually be comfortable to use with two hands. Not just for MK8D, but in general.
I dunno, considering charging could be handled via a 2€ usb-or-whatever cable and videout-out via another 2€ mini-hdmi-to-hdmi cable, these prices seem insane to me. The reason I bring up these alternatives is, that this is the way my Shield Tablet K1 handles charging and video-output to TV ... I mean this dock amounts to more than 50% cost of that whole damn tablet - and frankly for what?
I remember being offended by outrageous prices for stuff like w-lan addons and harddrives for systems like the 360, but as of recent history, Nintendo really takes the cake in terms of milking it's products.
Let's not forget this is not just an hardware issue. The FE Echeos season-pass is $68 CAD - 68!!!
At least this should be bound to cure people of any notion that Nintendo might be different and not just out to get folks hard earned cash whichever way.
@Nintendoforlife Apple accessories are also overpriced, they're not reasonably priced either. Actually, Apple products in general are overpriced. So that's a rather poor price comparison point.
Pretty much in agreement. The console is priced well enough I feel. The Splatoon box... is, well a box. It's hardly an indispensable companion piece - it's literally for people who want to pretend they bought the Splatoon console bundle when they didn't. If I was one of those (slightly strange) people, I wouldn't mind handing over 500 or so Yen for the privilege. All the accessories are at the tighter end of comfortable, but not extortionate, especially considering one extra JC set gets you instant 4 player for a lot of games.
And then you've got the extra Dock, which is absurd, and a slew of retro and/or party games masquerading as beefy retail titles, when they really aren't. Street Fighter II, Bomberman and Puyo-Puyo/Tetris are all classics of their era. But they're priced like that era never ended.
@Ralek85 Well, it can't use those cheap USB 2.0 ones, it must be USB 3.1. Even then, the price could easily be chopped in half to $45 and Nintendo would still make bank on each Dock Set.
@ElekidDude
Ah, but of course.
I keep forgetting that thingamajig exists at all.
@Yorumi Oh wow. I guess the Wii Wheel and Remote was just plain more comfortable. Sorry to hear you two had to deal with cramping.
@PlywoodStick When the Switch was announced, I knew I wanted an extra dock right away. But then prices were announced and my heart sank. But then I did some more research. Docks are expensive for any device. Something that just has power and HDMI out is around $30-$40. Add the cables, let's assume $10 each, and you are already at $50-$60 for a 3rd party solution. I think the extra price for the official dock is worth it then to have something that is sturdy, provides easy docking (no fumbling with wires), is designed to account for heat, etc.
Sigh, seriously all this article is saying is that Nintendo will charge what they want as long as people pay for it. Nintendo make a good margin on their hardware, it has always been their business model. We all know the dock does not cost anywhere near £80 to produce, in fact I doubt it costs £40 to produce. SImple as.
I want a Pro Controller but I don't want it enough to pay £60. I also want a dock but don't want it enough to pay £80. Therefore I'll wait. If more people do the same then the price will drop. If not, I'll be waiting a long time!
Hmmm..this Nvidea thing..is it worth just skipping the switch and getting that? I know nothing about pc gaming and steam and all that...how are the games?and prices? I'm not a graphics Queen lol.
@azelf Same goes to Sony with their PS Vita memory cards. Overpriced!
@ya_boy_six Games are good and most 60fps of course and some games from Sony Playstation 2 are just released Disgaea 1 and 2 for example and Atelier RPG games that are released on PS4 are also on PC. PC is a good choice
I just don't buy what I deem to be poor value for money. That's why I still don't have a Pro Controller, but I do have a second pair of joycons, because I got Snipperclips bundled at no extra cost, and now I can do 4 player Mario Kart.
I never had any interest in a second dock because I only have one TV.
In the UK, 90% of the accessories/games seem to be priced 10-20% too high, so I'll just wait for sales.
The $5 empty box seems like a decent price honestly, considering the alternative of buying an entire new system.
The real meat of this article is just after the first picture, and I agree completely. It's not unreasonable for even big fans to voice critical opinions, but if you spend your time voicing your displeasure of something, but decided to buy it anyways, I have to wonder what type of insane you must be.
I think the Switch was a good idea for a new system from Nintendo, and I'm glad they are doing well so far, and hope that they continue to do so. But as a Wii U owner that felt quite shafted by Nintendo on more than once occasion, I'm not in a hurry to get a Switch for myself until I see new games that I'm' interested in, and how well the hardware holds up over the years.
@greengecko007 Completely agree on your first paragraph. The outrage some people have make it appear like Nintendo is holding a gun to their head forcing them to buy things. Don't agree with prices? Don't purchase. Sure, you may want the thing, but you should have the willpower to resist.
I get people who feel 'shafted' by Wii U, but I've never been able to empathise. I think I had pretty reasonable expectations going into it and never felt Nintendo let me down on software.
@tjhiphop I got my Wii U at launch, before the price cut, and right before a certain launch title game was suddenly delayed by almost a year. On top of that my gamepad is all but unusable simply because the wireless range is so bad, and that happened after only having the console for 3 years.
Of course, my experience isn't completely typical though.
@cfgk24 The industry gets more good games through buying good games. Not through buying overpriced accessories.
@Yorumi Well your mileage will vary based on how you use the Switch. For me, I've just not bought any 2D sidescrollers (read: Shovel Knight) because the d-pad isn't satisfactory for that purpose. I'm really not picky when it comes to my controllers. There's a lot of whinging online about button placement/size etc. for any controller you care to mention, but I find the joycon to be perfectly serviceable (as well as any game controller I've ever used by the big 3).
I don't play a lot of tabletop mode away from home so I've not needed a stand, but there are lots of third party stands out there for less than £10 which seems reasonable to me.
The only accessory that is 100% necessary if you're ever going to take it outside is a case, but the Switch is robust enough that a cheap one will do.
@Shadowkiller97 Or, Nintendo could have charged $50 for their dock setup to match the price of others... And still made bank. Charging this much for a basic accessory is just greed.
@greengecko007 Yeah that probably would have annoyed me too. The only game console related hardware failure I've ever experienced was with the original PS2. (but that might have been because I dropped it...)
I also got my Wii U as a Christmas gift, which understandably eliminates any sense of feeling ripped off I could have possibly had.
More like Nintendonomics in general.
@PlywoodStick An extra dock is not a basic accessory by any stretch of the imagination.
It also seems naive for any of us to make claims about how much this really costs Nintendo to design and manufacture. That also goes for people saying the price is fair.
Truth is, none of us know how Nintendo run their business. All we can do is look at the product in front of us and ask ourselves, "is the ability to dock my Nintendo Switch into another TV at any time without hassle worth £80 to me?". I say it's not. Most would probably agree, but some might disagree. Nintendo are in this to make money, so they'll react to the market accordingly regarding price. There's no way these docks will stay at this price forever. Granted, that is annoying for someone who wanted one as soon as possible.
I love these guys. Got money for a second tv? Got money for our dock.
Deal with it. 😎
Enough with the profanity, people.
@PlywoodStick If a system is more profitable.... More development costs will be ploughed into it..... Ultimately it leads to cheaper console prices down the line..... It's the same as IP merchandising license costs.... If Nintendo's profits are up.... It's all the more money to develop with.....
@crimsontadpoles Did you pay under £270 plus game on the PS4's launch? If you did, well done since it cost £349.99 without game on launch.
@Alucard83 awesome thanks.
I'm cool with a $5 Splatoon box.
I'm not cool with a $90 dock. Not cool at all.
Well, it's a win/win for Nintendo. This is why they're not flooding the store shelves with any of their products, especially Switch. The consumer has to find what they look for. Because Nintendo figures that if the consumer finds a product from them that no other store has at the moment then they'll buy regardless of the price. The other day (05/19) I was browsing in Target in the electronic section and happen to see one Wolf Link Amiibo bundled with Twilight Princes for 59.99. Knowing that this particular Amiibo is extremely rare I bought it anyway (even though I only used it once to check it out on BoTW). And I don't even own a Wii U to do those trial to get the 20 hearts. And I don't own a Amiibo Action Replay to hack the hearts on it either. I pretty much own just cause it's rare..
Anyways.. Yeah Nintendo has no intention to change their business practices. It's kinda anti consumer "imo" but they don't care enough to ensure their fans has the opportunity to purchase their systems and accessories. To them (Nintendo) a sell is a sell. A win/win situation for them...
The pro controller is the most comfortable controller of this generations offerings imo and worth the price.
That dock price is gonna be down to the individual. If you have the need/desire to play on a tv away from home then its a worthwhile purchase if you dont need a second system.
I dont know how many switch owners this standalone dock is targeted at, my understanding was that the switch is aimed at people like me who want the flexibility of taking their console game library with them on the commute etc.
Who has time or the need to play their system across multiple tv's?
@ThomasBW84 In the article you mentioned that the non charging grip was not a thing. I just bought a 3rd party non-charging joy-con comfort grip from PowerA at Target for the price you stated. 14.99 USD. So it is a thing.
@BinaryFragger Exactly... And those so called "Nintendo Defenders" will keep at it to no avail. I can see if they actually get a cut of pay for their defensive kickbacks but they don't. Not a single coupon or a prize from a Cracker Jack box. Just a short-lived measly feel good moment.
Sometimes just call a spade a spade...
@ThomasBW84
Accessories are simply to bring in profit for the retailer, so they are always grossly marked up. That's my main issue with the dock. At a MSRP if $89.99 USD Walmart profits a whopping $22.49 USD. So how much is Nintendo profiting? I would bet at least that much.
@Joeynator3000 Don't edit my comments unless you're going to use words that make sense. It makes you look stupid, and then makes me look stupid. Either ban comments with swearing or leave them alone.
I'm not buying one, and the price seems crazy, but OTOH USB-C is still bleeding edge, and most adapters/hubs for them are quite pricy (as are chargers, especially PD chargers), so I wonder how many people are pricing this in their heads based on old connector type prices and not based on the bleeding edge/expensive USB-C.
@Yorumi Were you playing with single joycons, one for each user? Yeah, I haven't found that to be comfortable. Usable and convenient in that they're attached to the console on the go, but those are horrible alone without the clips and "somewhat servicable" with the clips.
Other than "single joycon" mode though I've been finding holding both joycons one in each hand is equally enjoyable as the Pro and often times more enjoyable. Some games like Splatoon, the Pro is almost a must to me due to the motion aiming. But for Zelda I find I used the pro maybe 1/3 of the time, and single hand held joycons the rest of the time. I was getting better time trial times that way in Kart too...though I wouldn't call any of my times "good" I still suck at that.
Are you a 3DS fan? One of the things Like about the Joycons is the smaller, closer clicky buttons (and sometimes the shorter sticks are advantageous, sometimes disadvantageous). But it's the same button setup as the 3DS so it feels comfortable to me. In Kart for example it's easier to brake-drift with the Joycons (one each hand, I don't mean the horrible sideways joycon) than with Pro for me. I don't have basketball palming hands, but my fingers are wide, so it's not like I have tiny fingers that fit into the controls.
I thought the whole point of the docks was that they were so cut down and simple that they could sell them for cheap. They don't have anything in them that can justify that sort of pricing.
This site sure is fun these days.
@Yorumi You assume that everyone finds the Joy-Cons uncomfortable just because you find find them uncomfortable. Your experience doesn't dictate everyone else's.
"You can't deny there is a strong feeling that what is included in the box for the switch is just insufficient."
Again, everyone's experience is different. I find what's included in the box to be sufficient. I'm sure there's others who feel that way as well, while others feel they need some of the accessories. No different than any other console.
"Hell you can't even charge the console in portable mode out of the box."
That's just flat out false. Mine's charging in portable mode right now.
"I think you'll find most people see a 2 hour battery for a portable console as insufficient."
Battery life depends on the game. Getting around 2.5 to 3 hours for the biggest games is expected, and not really any different than the 3DS from my experience (of course, I have a launch 3DS. Not sure how the battery life compares in the New 3DS for most games).
I've been Salty for years now. The Eshop has been way over priced with game from the android Market which are .99 cents or 1.99 and suddenly 9.99 in the Eshop. This isn't anything new for Nintendo to price Gouge. I even saw 1 game forgot which one was .99 cents in the android market , when it came to 3ds it was 6.99 , I went back to look in the Android market and Low and behold it was 6.99 for a major cover up lol. I wish I could remember which game that was. I think it was one of the games from Nicalis. Anyway the thing is this.....As long as we are willing to put up with this stuff. They will continue to step all over us. The economy is what makes the world go round. Look at Christmas time for example. They make a huge deal about how much consumers spend. 70% of America can't even afford to buy 1,000 dollars worth at Christmas but somehow they do (credit). I often wonder if the rest of the world is this way or worse. But every year we do it again. So again as long as we buy it. Nintendo will do it. One of these days it might just come back around and bite them in the ass!
@Yorumi my Nokia flip phone use to get 3 days on a charge if we are comparing cookies and watermellons
"""Affordable"""
Switches can cost up to 400 dollars.
It's actually not that bad tbh, if you don't want to pay, don't do it. At least they gave this option instead of making you buy another one for playing on different TV
Even when the pro controller costs 70 bucks (20 more than other's consoles), or the joycons sell for 90, I'm OK, because the pro is much better than those.
But a dock at 90! I think it is pushing it a little too high. I think that 60 could have been a much better price for everyone.
..ha, yea..a 5 dollar box?,
..a 90 dollar dock?...
..the price is Wrong!, B...ob......
@Yorumi Hmm, it's definitely a personal thing. For me that's definitely not the case. Now, I don't use the grip. I used the grip for the first week or so until I got the pro, and now if I'm using the "traditional" format I use the pro, and otherwise I use the individual joycons (nunchuk style) and I use either or for hours. The buttons definitely don't cause trouble for me (like I said breaking in MK is easier with Joycons for me and I love the tactile click on them). The sticks do have less range in motion, and sometimes that helps, sometimes it hurts.
I do intend to buy the "battery grips" just to see how a thicker body on it would work...it might feel perfect that way but I'm not sure. Sometimes if I'm gripping them too hard it can bother my wrists after a while and I figure the rounder back could help, but I also have some slight RSI to begin with so changing up between the controllers is in general a benefit and either one for to many days in a row can cause discomfort.
A few other people have said that the joycons are uncomfortable to them too (rjejr comes to mind), so it's definitely an individual hand shape thing. Personally the freedom of position makes any small button comfort/stick motion issue a decent trade-off (for some games, not Splatoon!). But that's me (and my poor wrists.)
BTW, FWIW your reply to IC...my Cosmo Black 3DS from launch day never got more than 3.5 hours on any game, and some games like Starfox 64 only 3 hours or so at best. I'm guessing there was a big battery variance with them. Maybe the same is true of Switch. 4.5 is closer to what the N3DSXL gets (on a good day) I haven't tested out the battery on Switch yet, most of my handheld use has been bursts throughout the day, or single half hour sessions or so....I don't think the battery has dropped below 60% yet but that will soon change.
PSA: Gaming is an expensive hobby.
@PlywoodStick If plain old flat ones with no design and less ports can be $50-$60, I do not see how charging more for something with more design-thought, customized for the console, that also provides tangible ease of use can be considered greed.
People keep mentioning how it costs so little to make this thing. If that is the case, I implore someone to start making them and selling them for less.
@MegaMari0 Ah, fair enough. There isn't an official one, though
@Amsterdamsters I don't have the energy to respond to all of the ignorance, entitlement, and trolling in this thread, so thank you doing a good enough job of it that everything I'd say has already been said.
@gatorboi352
Say what about Nintendo ?!
@Ryu_Niiyama
Indeed. Gaming is expensive hobbies.
But a lot of people treat gaming like a Primary needs than Tertiary needs. Wrong treatment. They want the price of gaming devices as cheap as common food price. Day dreaming then ....
@Yorumi
I have ever tried to use Joy Cons and it was so tiny yet comfortable. The Command buttons feels same way with 3DS, Nothing too bulky. And I have a big hand and long finger actually as for Asian people.
@Windy
Aw... don't be salty.
I'm sure there are some good games from Switch despite of a bit pricey.
It has not yet been prohibitive for most core fans or early-adopting tech connoisseurs but the price will have to drop to maintain momentum beyond a certain point.
It's still too expensive for me and I'm hoping sales slump prior to Christmas or just after because I won't purchase it at these prices. The price tag on the flagging Wii U was ludicrous though so Nintendo will be stubborn.
@YeshaYahu5417
I just wonder what is Tatsumi Kimishima's plans for Switch dock price, considering he's a businessman also. There might be some reasons for overpriced Switch dock.
@tjhiphop Considering that the AC adaptor by itself is sold for $30, and the fact that HDMI cables have decreased in cost significantly over the past 10 years... Not to mention that the tiny circuit board and plastic shell comprising the dock is likely dirt cheap for them to manufacture, and USB-C 3.1 cables can be had for under $10... If they included it all together as a bundle deal, and passed on their cost savings for wholesaling, $40-50 is objectively the right price.
It has nothing to do with "not knowing how Nintendo runs their business." This is just plainly an overpriced package deal. All of the parts can be bought separately and add up to around $60-70 using the $30 official adaptor (the only truly important accessory for being first party) and third party parts, including the officially licensed $13 HORI dock. Put together, that's about 2/3 of the price Nintendo charges for their Dock package deal, without anything missing.
So yeah, it's a ripoff. Consumers can save money by being smart and not buying everything first party when it's clearly so overpriced. Nintendo fans defending Nintendo for overcharging the price of things like the Switch Dock package is not so different from Apple fans defending Apple for overpricing their products.
@Shadowkiller97 That's already the case. See my above post for some examples. Everything except the official first party adaptor (which you do not want to cheap out on) can be found third party for cheaper, without any detriment to the user. It just takes more thought to actually hunt down everything of your choice. But the cost savings is worth it.
Buying the dock so you can bring the Switch to another tv in the house is to me worth the $70-80. Will it deter some from buying a 2nd Switch? Possibly. But unlike what Microsoft and Sony offer, if you bought a 2nd Switch it's not like you can just sign in and find all your previous digital purchases ready to roll. Unless (and I don't think so) Nintendo recently changed that? Now If you could do that then naturally one can consider purchasing a 2nd Switch instead of just a 2nd dock. For me, it will be a second dock only to hook up elsewhere in the house. I don't want to have limitations simply because my 2 teenage kids have friends over and take over my gaming area/living room etc to hang out. I'll go play upstairs lol
Gotta pay for quality. It is what it is. Get the Switch and slowly add from there.
@Anti-Matter oh there are to be sure. And what do I do? I pay those prices sometimes. But I'm also patient and wait for sales. I have a ton of games on 3DS I would say 80% were on sale or used. There are only certain games you want or need on Day 1. Once you determine what those are you can wait till later on the rest and get them on price drop.
@Yorumi I actually love the Joycons put together. But apart yeah they do feel uncomfortable. I've been frustrated with no 3rd party support on controllers. As soon as we get a 30 dollar controller I'm buying 2. I want to buy a set of extra Joycons but 70.00 bucks is pretty outragious. Amazon had a 3rd party pro controller made by Retro for 29.99 but it was pulled 3 days before release. I wonder why it was pulled. My suspicious side thinks Nintendo made them hold back. Then I think it might have been a joke since the controller was posted on Amazon around April 1st (April fools) I really can't see a company like retro pulling a joke like that. I've written retro about it no reply. I've asked Nintendo life to investigate it but they haven't got any info. What happened to this 29.99 pro controller?
I recently had my Macbook Pro Charger break so I had to go buy a new one. When I bought it, not only had the charger never changed design but it had somehow become more expensive than it used to be. I need my laptop so I paid $120AUD for it and since my chargers always seem to break, I'll probably have to buy another one in a year and a half or so. Anyways, I think companies know they can charge whatever they want when they know people will buy it. My consolation is that I genuinely love Nintendo's products and I don't feel like they are cold-blooded monsters out to get me. Also, Nintendo generally cares a lot about build quality so I don't feel like I'm necessarily getting a crappy product for my money although the Switch Dock's design is not exactly flawless.
@Windy Unless there are supply, manufacturing, or organizational issues, what's happening there is called anti-competitive price fixing.
Nintendo feels comfortable enough to officially license things like the $13 HORI dock (of which, when paired with the $30 official first party AC adaptor, is really all that people need to buy extra for a second dock, if they're not too lazy to just move around the cables that comes with the default NS box set).
However, a $30 controller is very competitive versus a $70 controller, especially if it's not that much worse for the wear. (They're probably both made in Chinese factories anyways.) Nintendo's controllers won't sell unless the third party ones are sold out. So Nintendo could potentially pull some strings and ensure no one can compete with them on that front if it's too threatening.
Is that the real story, though? Who knows... Nintendo lost last time they tried price fixing, though, so it could happen again if that really is the case.
@chriiiiiiiiiis Well, the official first party 85W MagSafe 2 adaptor for MacBook Pro's with Retina Displays are US$77 all over Amazon US. So they're totally ripping you off over there in Aussieland. (However, even with the price conversion, that's still about AU$105, so they swiped an extra $15 from you.)
@RedMageLanakyn I dunno, I think golf hole and female dogging are unintentionally lewd and funny substitutes...
@Anti-Matter Who knows??... But this is Nintendo being themselves considering how much they like to "surprise" their consumers.
I suspect a third party will have one out in 6 months for $50. I've actually started moving the switch between TVs. I can't see the inventory in Minecraft in split screen in my Living room. It's too far away from the couch. So a second dock would be nice.
@PlywoodStick it sure leaves you wondering if Nintendo did pull some strings to get that Retro controller pulled from Amazon. I just went back to the link for that controller and it's been totally pulled. Now it's a phantom controller. I play single player a majority of the time now anyway. My kids have grown and moved on so I can wait till they do have another option. Eventually thereally will be. I feel sorry for those who do need extras though.
This is why I'm not buying a switch. It's too expensive for a console (taking into account it's system specs) because of all that extra junk to make it mobile and I have no need for a handheld which is what it is really priced for.
@Alshain01
You can wait until Black Friday or Christmas sale this year. I know if Switch is pricey but I really want that so price is doesn't really matter as long it's not too expensive. You can straightly buy One Switch bundle without Extra dock if you still care with your wallet. Later if you have enough budget, you can add more accesories if you want.
@Anti-Matter Black friday... 4 years from now maybe. Of course by the price of that system spec will be cheaper so it will still end up too expensive for it's system specs as a console.
Everything is fairly priced imo, EXCEPT the dock. The Pro Controller is only $10 more than the competition and is crammed with more tech. The Joy-cons are technically two controllers, so at $40 a piece, that isn't terrible. Definitely makes it harder to purchase a set, but in the long run it's not that bad. The charging grip is a bit much, but honestly there's little need for it unless you forget to charge. Even if you want extra sets, you'd be better off getting the dock that charges two sets of joy cons. As for the box, I wish every game did, as I wish I owned the box for Mario Kart and Zelda, but I'll survive.
It's occurred to me that many people are just buying this system because they want something new. There's so little life coming from Nintendo apart from this, that die-hard Nintendo fanboys are buying this thing like crazy to whet their appetite for new Nintendo gaming. But nintendo is kicking those gamers in the face with this because it has so few games on it for them to play, and mostly what's on this has already been released before on Wii U or something. Really insulting. And yet no one can see it for what it is because they are just oo-ing and ahh-ing at its shiny newness.
I'm surprised this article didn't contain affiliate links; they usually do nowadays
$5 is not bad & we should not go crazy over this. There are few that buy used stuff & want to have the box ect to them. Plus the ink on the box cost $ so that's another factor they have to charge for it.
Nintendo's prices have always been excessive. Just look at the eshop 'sales'. People can buy excellent hardware and software cheaper than Nintendo's. And 3-year-old games shouldn't be priced at £50, Super Smash Bros.
A really high price, but needed to fulfil late Iwata-san's vision of a return to "Nintendo-like" profits, I guess
Oh, and I just preordered the dock. Too lazy to unplug the dock every time I want to play in the cinema room in the basement. Unfortunately, the PS4 is currently holding the available HDMI-port there. Still have to figure that out. Yes, those are first world problems.
You also have to add 10$ per piece to a piece of kit outside a bundle. So it raise the cost of the console to 140$ in the bundle. It does look fair enough.
Still 90$ a dock can't be heard. It's too much.
Nintendo will keep overcharging as long as idiots keep paying their prices.
This is why Nintendo will never by my 'primary' console. When I have my PS4 sat there with infinitely better prices on hardware and software in particular, it's a no-brainer. Love my Switch but I'm not going to spend that much money, and my game library will always be somewhat limited if they don't start offering better sales and offers.
Nothing is too expensive to the point of being unreasonable,except for the spare dock. But if someone else decides that's a good purchase for them, I'm going to respect that...rather than call them idiots or Nintendo Defense Force because they bought a dock. But then again I'm not salty seeing Switch succeed either so...
@BinaryFragger
Wouldn't go so far as to "praise" $45 DLC but it definitely does need defending from bashing it just because it's $45. It's not bad when any other game has $45 DLC (heck, many games have $80 DLC, $100 DLC, $200 DLC) and it's not bad here either. Other games get criticized for having microtransactions shoved in your face or required for multiplayer, and DLC that's cut from the main game, neither of which are the case here.
It's optional content- either you want it or you don't, and if you have the optional choice of not buying it then there's nothing bad about it.
Personally I think it's one of their weaker offerings in terms of substance but, being $45 doesn't mean it's automatically "bad". Be it $20 or $200, consumers have the right to choose, and and as long as choosing to not buy it doesn't interfere with the game... then there's no problem.
No sponsored link selling this item - shame on you NL.
@SegaBlueSky
Funny, I have totally Opposite situation with Nintendo and Sony. If your Primary console = PS4, Mine is Nintendo machines (3DS, Wii, NDS, Wii U, Gamecube and Switch will be next) as Primary consoles while I will positioning PS4 as a Secondary consoles (I can find only 7 worthy Appropriate titles so far, still a huge disappointment library for ps4). My Nintendo machines are paired together with my White Japanese PS2 Slim that I got recently as Both Primary consoles.
Well, speaking about crazy price of Switch dock, because I will treat Switch like a handhelds more than a consoles, I just only need 1 dock , not 2 docks (useless, pricey) unless Nintendo release White Nintendo Switch that I will gonna double dip.
it's all about apply and demand. but I think nintendo should focus on building a bigger install base than profits as this point of time. it'll be more helpful in the long run.
@Anti-Matter Yeah I'm sure a lot of people on here would disagree for obvious reasons. It's a bit off-topic but would be interested to know which titles you're interested in on PS4? Either way, I think everyone can agree that the pricing and sales offers for top-tier games is a lot more competitive on PC/PS4/Xbox than it is on Nintendo's home consoles, which means Ninty will always be at a slight disadvantage for me regardless of the quality of the games.
@SegaBlueSky
Oh, here are my Top 7 PS4 games so far :
1. Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age (Teen)
2. Portal Knights (E10+)
3. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Teen)
4. Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD Remix (E10+)
5. Earthlock: Festival of Magic (E10+)
6. World of Final Fantasy (E10+)
7. Overcooked: Gourmet Edition (Everyone)
I only play Appropriate games.
I have ordered one in hope that the price comes down before release.
There's no rational argument that the dock is priced fairly for the consumers; it's Nintendo fleecing fanboys as much as it thinks it can get away with.
I bought a wireless mouse plus receiver, a wireless keyboard plus receiver, a 5 meter hdmi extension cable, two 5 meter USB 3.0 extension cables, a USB charger for my iPhone 4, an electric nose hair trimmer and 12 rechargeable Duracell batteries for quite a bit less than the price of the Switch dock the other day (around 55 quid total); that's how absurd the Switch dock price is--it's a f'n plastic extender/connection box (basically), an hdmi cable and a plug.
For your reference:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B010EARRY2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M75WPKO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06W5WFVPG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005EJFLEM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TCMGLKU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DYQCVO0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CO239CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And, for the price of the Switch dock, I could have added these to that list too:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/n10/Headphones-Sony-MDRZX310B-AE-MDRZX310-Foldable-Metallic-Black/B00I3LUWQA/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1495543532&sr=1-4&keywords=headphone
https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/shovel_knight_specter_of_torment
Also, for quite a bit less than the price of a Switch dock, I could actually get one of these (at the official price):
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Misc-/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-Nintendo-Entertainment-System/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-Nintendo-Entertainment-System-1124287.html
Plus this (just because you'll likely need it):
https://store.nintendo.co.uk/nintendo-classic-mini-accessory/nintendo-classic-mini-nintendo-entertainment-system-power-adapter/11363926.html
Just think about that for a second (and consider what you get for the price). . . .
The price for the Switch Dock is absurd.
Seriously: Save the money on a Switch dock and buy yourself a frikin' SNES Classic Edition when that [almost inevitably] comes out.
And, just think about that for a second: You'll likely be able to get a SNES Classic Edition, which comes with say 30 pre-installed [classic] games, one official SNES controller, and a USB connector, for the price of a Switch dock (maybe even a bit less). . . .
@Menchi187
Really show show opinionated this whole market is that you don't need the best to have fun. Wii U was underpowered but it's still very fun to play on! Switch appears to be the same way.
It's OK to complain about these things, but every consumer has the power to vote with his or her dollar. Would I like having 1-2-Switch to play with friends at parties? Sure, but I will absolutely not buy it at that price. Would a Pro Controller be great? Yes, but that's too much money for what I'd be getting (don't get me wrong, I think the competitor controllers are too pricey too). Is a charging grip a cool idea? Yup, but I'd rather plan to not use Joycons for more than twenty hours straight instead of spending $30 on an accessory to avoid it.
As this article makes abundantly clear early on, game enthusiasts are generally unwilling to exercise their rights in the market and just not buy something that has been either overpriced or under-tested. They enable this behavior from content creators by pre-ordering and buying but complaining afterwards rather than reviewing the information available to them and spending accordingly; this isn't to say that people shouldn't buy a dock for $90, but rather that a reasonable person should decide whether the convenience is worth that price and buy happily rather than begrudgingly.
The one exception, in my opinion, is a dual-pack of Joycons. $80 for what are, effectively, two controllers with a wide variety of applications, seems like a decent price. I think the Switch console is well-priced, but the accessories are laughably expensive. Looking forward to a reduction at some point in the years ahead, and if none is coming, I'll accept not having certain accessories.
You stay "most of us will buy them anyway," but I flat out refuse. I won't buy 1-2 Switch, a Pro Controller, an extra set of joy cons, and an extra dock until they've dropped the price dramatically; perhaps to $30 for 1-2 Switch, $50 for a Pro Controller, $50 for a dock, and I'll just wait until Nintendo releases a LoZ Edition joycon set that I can't pass up. I will not support and can't afford the prices they have now.
I mean, to think that I'll eventually want 4 pro controllers, yet I'll have to pay $280 (Basically a Nintendo Switch) for asp of them? I only paid $87.50 total for my Wii U Pro Controllers, thanks to that awesome mega clearance they had in 2013.
@Yorumi Ohh, I figured it out! I forgot you can't use the 3D so you keep the 3D slider off. The battery estimates are given with the 3D on which is known to use notably more battery. My experience is with 3D always enabled. That was a big "standard feature" that you saved battery by not using.
With all the "standard" features on, launch 3DS's got about 3-4 hours. Personally I don't know that I always saw 3 depending on the game. (NXL does much better, 4-5 hours, closer to 4, seems more common.) So Switch is "2.5-6" so we'll see how well it does. I played MK8D for maybe around an hour yesterday, 1.5 4-race GP 150CC races (did bad and restarted after the second map, so 6 tracks) and then 5 or 6 online races (using the WiFi, so that was eating power more easily), brightness slider set around 66-75%, vol near max (power hungry headphones), but auto-brightness on (I've never seen auto-brightness actually DO anything unlike 3DS, so IDK), and battery was down to 78%. That's actually not bad. If it's consistent that's 4+ hours with heavy WiFi use for MK8D. No idea YET if it's going to be consistent though. Zelda I believe eats battery a little faster.
That kind of reminds me of my phone that just gout Android 7 (Nougat)....one of its big features is the new power optimization mode that defaults to setting my screen to 1080p and scaling. How is that a good feature? I paid extra to get a phone with a WQHD screen (and as a phablet it kind of benefits from it) and they now tell me it's better to just use it in 1080p for battery drain. Can I get my $200 back and just get an actual FHD screen then rather than using my WQHD as a fuzzy scaled FHD screen except for rare occasions I manually remember to temporarily change it (and break half the widgets during the res change)?) So into "performance mode" it goes.... Durning 3D off on a 3DS is kind of like that
The extra dock is too expensive, should be 30dollars at the maximum.
The Switch itself is worth every penny, and even the pro controller imo, it is a premium product and feels fantastic in your hands.
The Docking is more expensive than a Pro Controller or a pair a of joycons that is absolutely ridiculous
@CheezIt Or some of us are looking at it as a glass half full scenario rather than a half empty. I chose to buy into the Switch early (which I have never done for any console prior) for its potential and so far, the idea of playing console quality games on the go is worth it. Ultimately though, its crazy to be an early adopter for any console. So its not like this is something strictly Nintendo only
"If we pay it, then the price is right"
It's only right for the people that pay it. There could be a higher percentage of people that won't pay it and then the price is not right (for them).
@SanderEvers The problem is that pure profit is not necessarily divvied up fairly to everyone and each aspect of a company. It just all goes into the coffers, and those who control the coffers get most of the spoils. Whereas paying for good games and interesting (but fairly priced) accessories instead of overpriced accessories directly sends the message that the consumer base supports high quality work for a reasonable price.
Buying this Switch Dock package instead of a separate official AC adaptor for $30 + everything else as third party accessories (for cheaper in total) just sends the message that Nintendo can get away with charging whatever the hell they want. They're a multi billion dollar company. They don't need extra charity money.
@PlywoodStick At the moment, there are no 3rd party accessories for the Switch Dock so the point is moot. I'd imagine once there is a 3rd party option, it would be around $60. Cheaper, sure, but not as cheap as some are expecting.
$5 for a box.
Atlus did that 12 years ago. I remember Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 1 was originally released in a "collector's edition") at $54.99, or $5 above that gen's standard console price, for a box designed to hold both the game and the sequel (sold separately) that was released about six months later.
I'd rather just buy another switch.
@NewAdvent I'm having serious buyers remorse right now. I loved Zelda it was absolutely awesome. But after that it's been a bit disappointing. I have my fun with MarioKart. All these Indie titles worry me too. Indie titles are fun don't get me wrong. But the Eshop has always overpriced them. They will be .99 cents or up to 4.99 in the Android market and the Eshop charges up to 4X more. They have already done it with 3ds with many games. Now I do expect to pay more for Eshop Versus Android market. The games just feel better to play with controller support. But really! 10 bucks for a .99 cent game? Come on man! Don't get me started on Controllers. If Nintendo Patches the Switch so that the 8bitdo pads stop working my Switch will get a one way ticket out of here.
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