Topic: EB in Santa Monca California has DS for $200

[Rob91883]

 I was visiting EB in Santa Monica Mall, and found a price on a picture of a DS.  The price was $200, and I don’t recall Nintendo ever announcing an official price point to their handheld.  When I asked the clerk if that would be the price when it launches, he said yes.  I'm skeptical that he knows the price of the handheld already, but who knows.  I think EB is just estimating the price, because they didn't give me the option of pre ordering it.  What do you guys think ?  

[Chongman]

yup, you're right, nintendo hasn't actually officalized a price. A lot of store are doing what your EB is doing, which is putting down a speculation price. It'll most likely be somewhere between $150 and $200...pretty similar to when the GBA released

[Ian Sane]

Of course the EB guy said yes.  He's an EB clerk.  EB clerks can't give completely honest answers.  They can only say what their release list says.  If the game isn't on the release list it doesn't exist and all release dates and prices on the list are 100% accurate.  It's just like how the best system to get is always the one being promoted for the month, games require strategy guides in order to be completed, all hardware needs a warranty, and the only way to buy any new game is by pre-ordering.

[Pale]

wasn't the GBA 80 on launch?  I hope they get this thing to 149, that will make a huge difference to a lot of people.

[Bloodworth]

GBA was $100 at launch.  It went to $80 like when the GBA SP came out.

[MattVDB]

Dude?  I bought a GBA the original type two years ago at Wal*Mart for 70 dollars.  It wasn't anything special, that I knew of.  I wasn't aware of it changing prices here ever either.  I guess I was just lucky...?

[Bill Aurion]

Yes, very lucky...The GBA launched at 100 dollars everywhere I looked...You got off on a goof-up...

[kurst_chao3030]

the ds is supposdly going to be $180 with games ranging from $35 to $40, haha, this is old.

[ib2kool4u912]

Well, when you pull up a 2 month old thread of course it's gonna be old........

[joeamis]

Quote
Originally posted by: kurst_chao3030
the ds is supposdly going to be $180 with games ranging from $35 to $40, haha, this is old.

yep, I posted that over a month ago.  DS Prices

[MaleficentOgre]

IF the DS was going to be $180 then the GBA price wouldn't have been lowered.  I guesing the price might be as low and 140.  I doubt it. It'll probobly be $150.  Games can't be 40 bucks.  Nintendo needs them to be lower.  You can find AAA quality cube games for 40 new. (viewtiful joe anyone?)  Handheld games should cost less.   Sony is willing to lose millions making their UMDs real cheap for the PSP.  Like $20 cheap.  Nintindo can't be too much higher than that or it loses its price advantage.

[Bill Aurion]

You have to remember development costs...Graphic-intensive games will cost more...

[MaleficentOgre]

Sony doesn't care how much the game cost to make, If they see that pricing the games at a stupid low price will drive DS down then they will do it.  You must realize that sony has no problem losing money in the video game market when they are taking your money with every other electronic device imaginable.

[couchmonkey]

I agree that Nintendo will need to make sure it has a lot of games for less than $40, but I think Sony DOES have a problem losing money in the video game market, because I think it's probably their most profitable area now.  Last I heard on a CNN Moneyline article (about two years ago), the Playstation brand accounted for 1/3 of Sony's profit, and I don't think that's changed.  
I think Sony and Nintendo will both price their games at about the same or a bit more than GBA games for quite a while, and in  a year they will start to lower prices.

[couchmonkey]

Edit: Oops, pahdon my double-powsting, dahlings!

[KDR_11k]

Ogre: Sony is losing money on their electronic appliances, their games departement is one of the few that keep them afloat.

[Perfect Cell]

Sony has the capital to actually take a hit though.... enough to flood the Market with the PSP..

I dont really care how much the DS costs, already preordered mine, but I a $150 price tag would be more palateable than a $200 one

[joeamis]

new gba games cost $30, there are exceptions both more expensive and less expensive, but that's the standard.  DS games will be $35 to $40, I'd say that both prices will be the standard for DS, although probably the majority will be $35 unless they get stupid and think $40 isn't bad.  If the PSP debuts strong, I wouldn't be surprised for just about all DS games to not be more than $35.  As for PSP game prices, I'd say $35 to $40 as well, although they may have an easier time having their games at $40 be "not too expensive" by consumers since they'll have better graphics, music quality, and more content than DS games given the medium.

[KDR_11k]

PSP games don't have the advantage of cheaper development that the DS has, I'm expecting the standard international price of USD70 (standard for home consoles, GBA games were USD50).