Nintendo Needs New Hardware to Follow Sony & Microsoft into $70 Game Prices

Video games have become more expensive, as advanced technology and higher demand have increased the cost of developing new titles. While the indie game sphere has seen massive financial success with games like Stardew Valley for a lower price, this is due mainly to difference in game development methods, which result in lower costs. With the release of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, players have seen a significant price hike for games, which has been justified by more sophisticated gaming tech. Nintendo might have a harder sell convincing fans to shell out more money for games on an older console.

[Eonjay]

Do game cost go down with the development platform?

[VersusDMC]

Depends on the platforms you are comparing. Making a game for a handheld will cost less than making it for a more powerful console.

For sure Monster Hunter World cost more than MH rise.

[lucian229]

what costs more? making high polygon models with high resolution frame rates, HDR and high performance or using some 2 generation old hardware with low effort textures, polygons and abysmal frame rates?

[--Onilink--]

The fact that you are somehow including framerate into the discussion tells just how little you know, yet you somehow say it with so much confidence… its kind of crazy to be honest

As if working 8+ hours a day for 6 years trying to design a game, or having to constantly work against the constraints of an aging system should mean less pay to a developer for some reason. (And this is kind of leaving aside the discussion of how many games create their assets at much higher quality at first and then scale them down to fit the hardware, this regardless of the platform)

If its just about pretty graphics and good framerates, there are lots of AA or indie titles that put many AAA games to shame and still cost less.
And lots of AAA games with great graphics but have tons of performance issues, lacking content, etc

The biggest points FOR a price increase for Nintendo are inflation (and they actually increased salaries to combat this as opposed to firing people) and a massive development, both in terms of time and people.

The biggest point AGAINST it is the pricing strategy that Nintendo has always had, in which the price stays up practically forever, which puts them in a better spot (for certain games) than the competition to combat the point above.
But its not because the game is running on Switch, if anything that might even represent more work for them to just try to get the game running properly

[CrimsonWing69]

Is that how game modeling works?

I’m almost sure it’s easier to work with more polygons than less. In fact, I’m pretty sure they model something hi-res and then tweak to lo-res…

I’ve worked in Autodesk Maya and let me tell you, it’s easier to make things high-res.

[NotoriousWhiz]

I promise you, releasing Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch was way harder and likely more time consuming than releasing it on the PS4. Working with hardware constraints does not make development easier.

[Outlawzz]

Personally holding off on purchasing brand new. I'm willing to wait for a used copy of zelda when it releases, it's ridiculous that nintendo would try this out, they keep getting worse and worse with their practices.

I don't support any of the others with their price increases either but this is just a disrespect for the fans imo.

[Xx_Pistol_xX]

Should. Not needs. Needs depends on the consumer that will buy & support it. If you want change in Nintendo don't buy at 70. But we all know what the outcome will be.

[Asplundh]

Paying $70 for uprez games that were developed for the X1 and PS4 isn't much better.

[blackblades]

What game you talking about

[Asplundh]

A number of cross Gen games, look at MW2.
https://youtu.be/03FAg-knjE...
Does that look like it's worth an extra $10?

[Traecy]

Basically Nintendo trying to rip off fans for jacking up the price for the new Zelda game which is still running on the old Switch hardware.

[tehpees3]

Actually, the file size is over 18GB so it might be the price of the cartridges to blame. Can't say for sure though.

[badz149]

did Sony jacked up the price for Vita games? even if the cartridge is to be blamed for the markup, what reason is for the same markup for the digital version?? and it's 18GB bla bla bla, should Sony charge $350 for GT7 because the game is over 100GB??

stop simping for Nintendo so hard. this is their attempt to rip off their fans, nothing more! they are testing the waters, and if the backlash is minimal and it doesn't effect sales, you can bet your whole fortune they will make all their 1st party games $70!

[tehpees3]

badz149

1. I am not proclaiming it as gospel to be the reason. It is speculation.
2. It is absolutely fair speculation. 32GB cartridges in a world recovering from COVID cost more money than 16GB. The cartridges are nothing like Vita.

They are a lot, LOT bigger.

[1nsomniac]

How Nintendo have the nerve to think they can get away with it in the first place is just beyond low, even for them.

[DefaultComment]

OH! but charging you $70 for the last of us remastered version is totatlly fine, right?? Hypocrite fool!

[blackblades]

Don't remember there being a remaster thats $70 but i know of a remake that remodels the characters and many other things that basically look like a new game that was $70. Seriously the dumbest comment under this article

[1nsomniac]

🛎️ end

[Imalwaysright]

Go on and please tell us why Nintendo can't and others can? Surely you must know the development budgets of their games to think that they're somehow trying to get away with how they price their games so why don't you share them with us?

[1nsomniac]

All of my comments are me complaining of companies for all parties charging £70….

The fact that Nintendo are trying it as well is beyond a joke! If you don’t understand why that is then theres no point trying to have an adult conversation with you.

[CrimsonWing69]

How the hell does that make sense?

[Smellsforfree]

The price of something is what people are willing to pay for it. That is the only factor.

[DefaultComment]

Oh Nintendo will bring a new hardware, most likely a hybrid system more powerful, not on par withthe ps5 or Xbox series X but good enough to be able to play most of 3rd party games, just not this year.

[HeliosHex]

Nintendo might have a harder sell convincing fans to shell out more money for games on an older console.
Ha! Nintendo knows Zelda will sell for 70. They know exactly what they are doing.

[Imalwaysright]

It took 5 years, more than 300 people + 100 people from Monolith to help in the final stages of development to make BoTW. BoTW was a bona fide AAA game that needed to sell 2 million copies just to break even and there is no reason to think that Tears of the Kingdom will be any different so if other publishers can charge $70 for their games why wouldn't Nintendo be able to charge $70 for the upcoming Zelda?

[Exvalos]

I could understand if it was a new industry standard across everything but it's not, cross Gen games are 69.99 on new hardware and still 59.99 on ps4 and one x. Nintendo has no right to raise prices to current gen when it's not even on par with last gen. They do it for the same reason they release two versions of Pokémon games, because the fanbase allows it.