@Pat_trick When Stardew Valley and Undertale came out, the standard was $10-15 though. Games like Sea of Stars seem to still be successful now, and that game is $35. It wasn't that long ago that people thought indie games would never sell at that price.
Square though has been moderately successful with their Insane prices for the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, but you're right that their newer IP hasn't sold as well at higher prices, and they're hardly better than Nintendo at doing reasonable sales on their games.
Other games with ridiculously high prices like the Read Dead Redemption remaster and Atlus's remasters, don't seem to sell little enough to make them drop their prices, so I don't think the consumers have really rebelled against higher prices. Most of the time games that are overpriced haven't sold as well it's because it's a new IP. Sadly, people are more and more gravitating towards buying only the same thing that they've played before.
I haven't seen many people noting that digital is confirmed to be cheaper. What this really is, is a move to eliminate physical games and make people buy digital, which is more profitable for them. It just shows the drop in the power of retail chains over the years, The Wal-Marts, Gamestops and such were powerful enough in the past to ensure that game companies didn't attempt things like this. That's obviously changed now.
@Rykdrew You can see in the graphic in the story that Street Fighter is going to be $59.99, the same as Steam (the price for Elden Ring hasn't been released yet, as far as I know, but I doubt it will be $79.99). But you are right that with the regular sales on Steam, you'd likely pay a lot less for a PC game vs. a Switch 2 game. It has been that way throughout the Switch's lifetime for cross-platform games, as well.
@Pat_trick I don't know. 10 years ago, the standard for an indie game was $15, some were $10. Very few indie games were more expensive than that. We've seen a gradual increase in this type of game's prices. As you said, $30 is typical, sometimes $25. That's a pretty good indication that If "AAA" releases increase in price, the smaller budget games will increase as well, so I wouldn't expect $30 to stay that way for long.
@PinderSchloss I ALWAYS thought it was A.I. too and have always called it that. I'd never heard the name pronounced by anyone else. My mind was blown when they called it "ai" as in "eye". It made so much sense, and I should have realized it since the character's name is "Aiba" and is an EYE!
I can't say i wasn't disappointed. I was hoping for something Fire Emblem (but the fact that Rhythm Heaven isn't coming out until 2026 says to me that Intelligent Systems has probably already been hard at work making the next entry for Switch 2). Other than really HOPING for one or two really cool remasters, I EXPECTED a Prime 4 release date. To me, the fact that we didn't get one all but confirms that it is going to be a cross-platform launch title for Switch 2. They didn't want to put a date on MP4 because that will be the release date of the Switch 2 as well.
But hey, it started out well. I loved the first two Sominum games.I hope this new one will bring the same quirky sense of humor.
Love Rhythm Heaven and Tomadachi Life, but 2026 is SO far away.
I've got to set my expectations lower for next week, so I don't feel disappointed again, especially if there is no Fire Emblem news or Prime 4 release date.
@Neph I think we'll get it. Fire Emblems usually have an entry that comes out at the very end of (if not after) a system's life cycle. Echoes came out just after the Switch. Sacred Stones was just before the 3DS. Genealogy of the Holy War was itself a late entry on SNES and Thracia 776 came out 3 YEARS after the N64. And finally Gaiden came out after the SNES.
So a dev purportedly scoured the Internet for an article dated April 2nd so he could grab an image from the article (did it also need to be an image of cake or could it have been anything?) for their profile as a clue for the community to discover? That seems...a little farfetched.
Comments 109
Re: "Don't Let Nintendo Ruin The Entire Industry" - Is $80 For Mario Kart World A Bridge Too Far?
@Pat_trick When Stardew Valley and Undertale came out, the standard was $10-15 though. Games like Sea of Stars seem to still be successful now, and that game is $35. It wasn't that long ago that people thought indie games would never sell at that price.
Square though has been moderately successful with their Insane prices for the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, but you're right that their newer IP hasn't sold as well at higher prices, and they're hardly better than Nintendo at doing reasonable sales on their games.
Other games with ridiculously high prices like the Read Dead Redemption remaster and Atlus's remasters, don't seem to sell little enough to make them drop their prices, so I don't think the consumers have really rebelled against higher prices. Most of the time games that are overpriced haven't sold as well it's because it's a new IP. Sadly, people are more and more gravitating towards buying only the same thing that they've played before.
Re: "Don't Let Nintendo Ruin The Entire Industry" - Is $80 For Mario Kart World A Bridge Too Far?
I haven't seen many people noting that digital is confirmed to be cheaper. What this really is, is a move to eliminate physical games and make people buy digital, which is more profitable for them. It just shows the drop in the power of retail chains over the years, The Wal-Marts, Gamestops and such were powerful enough in the past to ensure that game companies didn't attempt things like this. That's obviously changed now.
Re: "Don't Let Nintendo Ruin The Entire Industry" - Is $80 For Mario Kart World A Bridge Too Far?
@Rykdrew You can see in the graphic in the story that Street Fighter is going to be $59.99, the same as Steam (the price for Elden Ring hasn't been released yet, as far as I know, but I doubt it will be $79.99). But you are right that with the regular sales on Steam, you'd likely pay a lot less for a PC game vs. a Switch 2 game. It has been that way throughout the Switch's lifetime for cross-platform games, as well.
Re: "Don't Let Nintendo Ruin The Entire Industry" - Is $80 For Mario Kart World A Bridge Too Far?
@Pat_trick I don't know. 10 years ago, the standard for an indie game was $15, some were $10. Very few indie games were more expensive than that. We've seen a gradual increase in this type of game's prices. As you said, $30 is typical, sometimes $25. That's a pretty good indication that If "AAA" releases increase in price, the smaller budget games will increase as well, so I wouldn't expect $30 to stay that way for long.
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Direct For March 2025?
@PinderSchloss I ALWAYS thought it was A.I. too and have always called it that. I'd never heard the name pronounced by anyone else. My mind was blown when they called it "ai" as in "eye". It made so much sense, and I should have realized it since the character's name is "Aiba" and is an EYE!
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Direct For March 2025?
I can't say i wasn't disappointed. I was hoping for something Fire Emblem (but the fact that Rhythm Heaven isn't coming out until 2026 says to me that Intelligent Systems has probably already been hard at work making the next entry for Switch 2). Other than really HOPING for one or two really cool remasters, I EXPECTED a Prime 4 release date. To me, the fact that we didn't get one all but confirms that it is going to be a cross-platform launch title for Switch 2. They didn't want to put a date on MP4 because that will be the release date of the Switch 2 as well.
But hey, it started out well. I loved the first two Sominum games.I hope this new one will bring the same quirky sense of humor.
Love Rhythm Heaven and Tomadachi Life, but 2026 is SO far away.
I've got to set my expectations lower for next week, so I don't feel disappointed again, especially if there is no Fire Emblem news or Prime 4 release date.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Direct Predictions - What Do You Want To See?
@Neph I think we'll get it. Fire Emblems usually have an entry that comes out at the very end of (if not after) a system's life cycle. Echoes came out just after the Switch. Sacred Stones was just before the 3DS. Genealogy of the Holy War was itself a late entry on SNES and Thracia 776 came out 3 YEARS after the N64. And finally Gaiden came out after the SNES.
Re: Talking Point: What We Expect From The Switch 2 Direct
@jolteon23 This was the first thought I had as well. I love Fire Emblem and it's around the time we should be getting a new one announced.
I really hope the next game goes in a different direction than Engage (At least as far as character design and writing is concerned).
If not a new game, I'll take a Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn remaster, Nintendo!
...
Please!
...
Pretty please!
...
Well, screw you then, Nintendo!
Re: Silksong Fans Think They've Narrowed Down The Big Announcement
So a dev purportedly scoured the Internet for an article dated April 2nd so he could grab an image from the article (did it also need to be an image of cake or could it have been anything?) for their profile as a clue for the community to discover? That seems...a little farfetched.