TheNintendo Switch 2and its wide variety of games all look great, but it feels like all anyone can talk about is the price. Not that I can blame them, since the idea of paying $450 for a Nintendo consolebeforepotential price hikes thanks to Trump’s tariffsis a hard pill to swallow. It is going to get expensive, and instead of doing everything it can to reassure consumers about the rough future ahead, it’s shooting itself in the foot.
Speaking toThe Washington Post, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser touched on the controversial $80 price tag ofMario Kart Worldand the various figures across its first-party line-up. There is very little consistency, and as Doug Bowser explains, Nintendo is doing this on purpose.
No, I still can’t believe that’s his real name, either.
Variable Pricing Is The Last Thing Nintendo Switch 2 Needs
Here’s exactly what Bowser had to say on the matter: “What you see right there is variable pricing,” Bowser said. “We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences. Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you may anticipate that there will be variable pricing.”
Bowser goes on to say that Nintendo is yet to “set a benchmark” in regards to game pricing, so there is a chance that titles could potentially shift lower or higher in future. When players are already agonising over paying $80 for Mario Kart, Nintendo doubling down on this weird strategy and teasing that it could get betterorworse moving forward isn’t what people want to hear. It’s made even worse by the fact that pre-orders have been stalled in the US and the company has made no promises that the announced price will remain the same.
Bowser isn’t wrong either, as Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Donkey Kong Bananza are all being released at varying price points. I understand the desire to sell games at prices that are better suited to their individual worth (and this variation does play out at the lower end of the spectrum, with indies retailing for anywhere from $1 to $40). But there is a fine line between showcasing the quality of each experience through their economic worth and taking consumers for a ride.
It’d be nice if a Kirby game was released for $50 later down the line, but the scales can also tip far in the other direction, and we might find ourselves in a world where the next mainline Zelda is selling for $100. It’s not an excuse to give us a good deal, but inevitably offer up a bad one.
Benchmark Prices And Variable Prices Are Not Mutually Exclusive
When Mario Kart World was first announced to cost $80 amidst consistent rumours that GTA 6 would cross the threshold and end up charging us $100, the usual conversation went down about how video games have largely cost the same for decades and have only adapted their pricing to the market once or twice since the NES days. But these seldom take into account how the number of people playing and purchasing video games has also grown vastly, with blockbuster titles moving millions upon millions of copies when before they were largely the realm of enthusiasts.This is without even mentioning live services like Fortnite and Roblox.
The Washington Post asked something along these lines, and whether being an industry leader meant it was setting a benchmark of sorts with Mario Kart World: “I think for us, that’s really how we want to proceed and go forward,” he said. “I can’t speak for other games that might be released by other publishers or other platforms. It’s more about what we think is right for our content, what is the right value for the consumers as they come into our platform.”
It’s hard not to feel the naivety in this statement, and whether Bowser genuinely believes that Nintendo’s decision to sell its first-party titles at $80 or higher isn’t going to impact the games industry. This is a company whose exclusive titles rarely ever go down in price, keeping their value because Nintendo platforms are the only way to play them. Ubisoft, EA, and similar big players in the industry have yet to take this plunge despite selling more expensive editions of their major titles, but it will only take Nintendo succeeding at its price hike to prove it’s safe to do so.
And so it leaves me feeling conflicted about whether Nintendo should throw us under the bus for good until these higher prices become a facet of normality, or continue flip-flopping with a variable pricing model that ultimately doesn’t benefit anymore. It misconstrues the worth of a game in a way that will stick with it forever, deeming some to be better or bigger than others instead of sticking to a constant. If video game prices truly do need to go up in order for us to stay afloat, then just cut the cord and let us deal with the fall.
