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NWR Interactive => TalkBack => Topic started by: NWR_DrewMG on January 24, 2011, 10:26:11 PM

Title: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: NWR_DrewMG on January 24, 2011, 10:26:11 PM

The gaming retail giant is now accepting pre-orders for Nintendo 3DS games at a high price.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24933

Gamestop has begun offering pre-orders for Nintendo 3DS games at prices between $40 and $50, according to various sources. Twenty six games have been listed for pre-order, with the majority sitting at the $40 price point. Two games, Dead or Alive Dimensions and Samurai Warriors Chronicles, are being listed at $50, and set for release on March 12, almost two weeks before the 3DS.

Although Gamestop may have specific knowledge from publishers as to when these games will release, and at what MSRP, but it is possible that the release dates and prices are just estimates. They have provided the list of prices and dates to customers:

March 15
Dead or Alive Dimensions - $49.99
Samurai Warriors Chronicles - $49.99

March 22
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars - $39.99

March 27
Madden NFL Football - $39.99
Sims 3 - $39.99
Nintendogs & Cats - $39.99
Steel Diver - $39.99
Pilotwings Resort - $39.99
Super Street Fighter IV - $39.99

April 2
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow - $39.99
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - $39.99
Asphalt - $39.99
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs - $39.99
Rabbids Travel in Time - $39.99

June 1
Cartoon Network SuperToon Rumble - $39.99

June 2
Animal Crossing 3D - $39.99
Mario Kart 3D - $39.99
Paper Mario 3D - $39.99
Dream Trigger - $39.99
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - $39.99
Kid Icarus: Uprising - $39.99
Star Fox 64 3D - $39.99
Super Monkey Ball - $39.99

July 6
Resident Evil: Mercenaries - $39.99

Sept. 2
Face Kart: Photo Finish - $39.99
Pet Zombies in 3D - $39.99

Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: KnowsNothing on January 24, 2011, 10:36:28 PM
Nothing will make me choose an iPod over 3DS faster than high game prices.  Putting up with abysmal controls and terrible battery life is a small price to pay considering the small price to play.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Shaymin on January 24, 2011, 10:36:40 PM
Exchange rate + inevitable Squenix tax + 3D premium = AAAAAAARGH
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: NWR_Neal on January 24, 2011, 11:23:23 PM
I'd be hopeful those are real release dates if it weren't for the total bullshit that is the Nintendo lineup on June 2.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 24, 2011, 11:33:26 PM
That would be the most epic day ever in games, LOL.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Caliban on January 25, 2011, 12:58:37 AM
Looks like I will be buying less games for a Nintendo handheld.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: broodwars on January 25, 2011, 01:13:38 AM
Quote
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D - $39.99
Star Fox 64 3D - $39.99

Man, I could buy perfectly serviceable versions of both these games for $10 each via the Wii Virtual Console...or I could purchase 3DS ports with new textures and THREEEEEEE DEEEEEEE for $40 each.  Decisions....decisions...

Incredibly overpriced, much?  While those two games are particularly so, it's sad to see the price of handheld titles creep towards the price of full console games.  Titles once upon a time I would impulse purchase on GBA and DS would now have to wait for the bargain bin on 3DS.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Enner on January 25, 2011, 01:17:03 AM
Well, time to wait for a good sale. Or maybe the 3DSWare will have interesting games.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Shorty McNostril on January 25, 2011, 02:11:04 AM
Damn.  I reckon these games will be $100 or more here.  They can keep the damn thing. 
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Mop it up on January 25, 2011, 02:52:44 AM
The March and April dates are likely correct, but everything after that is a total guess.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: UncleBob on January 25, 2011, 10:12:40 AM
Quote from: Mop it up on January 25, 2011, 02:52:44 AM
The March and April dates are likely correct, but everything after that is a total guess.

Three of the games are listed with release dates *before* the system even launches... that can't be right, can it?
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 25, 2011, 10:37:01 AM
Well, Super Monkey Ball was released 1 day before the GameCube was launched. But yeah, obviously these are placeholder dates just to have them in the system.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Ian Sane on January 25, 2011, 12:04:00 PM
I remember buying Rogue Leader before the Gamecube launch.  It was so neat and also kind of weird to have this game and to read the instruction manual cover-to-cover without having any way to play it.

Anyway if the prices are too high, Nintendo will likely suffer.  I say let them try to charge console prices, lose ground to the iPhone's cheap games, and then learn a thing or two and bring those prices back down.

Fucking ports of N64 games that are over ten years old should not cost 40 bucks!  They should at least budget price those and save the full price for the new games like Kid Icarus.  Not that Nintendo didn't charge full price for Super Mario 64 DS back at the DS launch.  If people pay it, things won't change.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Ryan Cannon on January 25, 2011, 12:41:58 PM
If the June release dates are true, that'll be a good day.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: King Bowser Koopa on January 25, 2011, 09:07:21 PM
I may be missing the point, but I don't see how a remake/overhaul constitutes a "fucking port" - I mean, wasn't the very definition of a port a direct move of a game from one platform to another, with the only graphic/audio changes made to accommodate the difference in hardware capabilities?
Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES wasn't called "a port", nor was it "a collection of ports", it was a "remake" - even though no additions were made gameplay-wise, the graphics and music were updated to match the standard of its time. Be fair. (And I am completely aware of the 25th anniversary version on Wii. That one IS a port.)

Anyway.
This has been discussed here many times before, but American gamers don't know how well they've got it. The USD-AUD converstion rate has been around 1:1 for the past two or three years with very minor fluctuation, and yet the price of games here have never reflected it in the slightest. Even the cost of importing, reprinting, local licensing, as well as the (largely unnecessary and redundant in Australia) addition of German, French and Spanish language options shouldn't justify a game retailing at 200% the overseas RRP, especially not when they're usually a minimum of 6 months late, and that's if they're released down here at all.

You people can rest easy knowing that 3DS games WILL retail somewhere between $70 and $90 here in Australia, and the idiot populace will pay and support these outlandish prices without question. If you're ever sore that a game may just cost upwards of $30 US, you can always just say "hey, at least I'm not in Australia". I'm importing my 3DS and all games, and I'm happy these US prices - they actually seem reasonable considering the alternative.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: TJ Spyke on January 25, 2011, 09:12:23 PM
That reminds me of a discussion on RFN a few months ago (I am catching up on the episodes), where they talk about how Australia is basically an afterthought to most game publishers. I think it's ridiculous that console games are normally $100+ there since, as you pointed out, the AUS$ is basically 1:1 with the USD$ now. Not to mention how late you get games.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: NWR_insanolord on January 25, 2011, 09:17:09 PM
I'm willing to pay $40 for some games, but certainly not all. 3DS games are capable of looking just as good, and even better, than Wii games, and are capable of carrying similar development costs, so I'm not sure why I should be appalled at paying that much just because it's on a handheld. We need a lot more price flexibility on all platforms, though. I'll pay $40 or $50 for games big enough to warrant it, but there should also be games in the $20-30 price ranges as well.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: King Bowser Koopa on January 25, 2011, 11:43:13 PM
Oh, absolutely. Games should be price adjusted depending on the amount of content, publishers, etc. Online games on Wiiware and XBLA, from what I've encountered, follow this pretty well - Yet Another Generic Sudoku Game is 500 points (even less on DSi), while Epic Adventure Quest that takes weeks to completely experience is more in the realm of 1500 points. Unfortunately publishers who put out actual game card versions will want to cover manufacturing costs and bump up the prices out of laziness and greed.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Shorty McNostril on January 26, 2011, 01:28:20 AM
Quote from: TJ Spyke on January 25, 2011, 09:12:23 PM
That reminds me of a discussion on RFN a few months ago (I am catching up on the episodes), where they talk about how Australia is basically an afterthought to most game publishers. I think it's ridiculous that console games are normally $100+ there since, as you pointed out, the AUS$ is basically 1:1 with the USD$ now. Not to mention how late you get games.

I HEAR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on January 26, 2011, 03:43:26 AM
I really hope these prices are just placeholders, no way will I pay $50 for any Handheld game, 40 dollars is pretty much priced out of my reach as well. That is something that I believe hurt PSP, and that was the game prices.

In regards to remakes, what bothers me a bit is that Zelda:OOT seems pretty barebones so far. Say what you want about SM64 DS's controls, it was actually a pretty good remake, the visuals were vastly improved, more stars were added, a multiplayer mode and even more playable characters. Zelda OOT 3DS looks like it is just a small step above the original game, just with 3D visuals.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Ian Sane on January 26, 2011, 12:18:29 PM
Quote
I may be missing the point, but I don't see how a remake/overhaul constitutes a "fucking port" - I mean, wasn't the very definition of a port a direct move of a game from one platform to another, with the only graphic/audio changes made to accommodate the difference in hardware capabilities?

You can argue the semantics of it but I more or less use "port" to describe a videogame re-release.  I would only call something a "remake" if it was something like Zero Mission where the game's story and theme are clearly inspired by an earlier game but the resulting product is totally unique from the original.  A director's cut of a movie or a colourized version of a black & white film isn't a remake.  In movies a remake is a brand new film with the same general story.  This is basically the videogame equivalent of Star Wars: Special Edition and I don't think anyone would consider that a remake.  Same levels and layout = port, inspired by earlier game = remake.
 
But the point is that when you've got brand new games with 100% new content being sold alongside re-releases of older games with some new bells and whistles the older games should probably cost less.  Regardless of what they added to these, Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 are both over ten years old.  They're easy to find used and they're readily available on the VC.  There is no reason for those games, even with 3D graphics, to cost $40.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: ShyGuy on January 26, 2011, 02:01:38 PM
These costs exceed my perceived value of portable gaming. Time to sell all my Nintendo stuff and take up turnip farming.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: Mop it up on January 30, 2011, 09:04:10 PM
Quote from: King Bowser Koopa on January 25, 2011, 09:07:21 PM
Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES wasn't called "a port", nor was it "a collection of ports", it was a "remake" - even though no additions were made gameplay-wise, the graphics and music were updated to match the standard of its time.
Eh, I still wouldn't call it a remake. They didn't remake anything, they just upgraded the graphics and sound. Therefore, I'd call it a collection of enhanced ports. And that's what the Nintendo 64 games on 3DS are; they weren't rebuild from the ground up, they were ported over and then enhancements were made to the graphics and sound. Something like Metroid Zero Mission is a real remake, as everything from the stage designs to the engine were all redone.
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: MegaByte on January 31, 2011, 12:25:28 AM
Quote from: ShyGuy on January 26, 2011, 02:01:38 PM
These costs exceed my perceived value of portable gaming. Time to sell all my Nintendo stuff and take up turnip farming.
(http://m.mygames.pt/MediaCenter/media/images/ezine/rhythm-heaven-crop-stomp.jpg)
Title: Re: Gamestop Pricing 3DS Games Between $40 and $50
Post by: vudu on January 31, 2011, 01:27:36 PM
Game Stop charged $35 for most DS games for the first 6 months of the systems' life.  After that, they dropped down to the normal $30 price point we all know and love.

My guess is they're just doing this because they know early adopters will be willing to pay a premium to play games on their shiny new system.