Topic: Xenoblade for 400 dollars?! WHY is Nintendo allowing this to happen?!

[nickmitch]

Donkey Kong Country Returns sold 4 million copies in North America in a month. Even if it were $1, Xenoblade wouldn't come close to selling 4 million copies in a month. They are not in anywhere close to the same league.

Being only a dollar would probably hurt its sales as some people would likely see that as an indicator of its quality.

[ejamer]

Donkey Kong Country Returns sold 4 million copies in North America in a month. Even if it were $1, Xenoblade wouldn't come close to selling 4 million copies in a month. They are not in anywhere close to the same league.

Being only a dollar would probably hurt its sales as some people would likely see that as an indicator of its quality.

Doesn't seem to hurt iOS games on the app store.  The number of people who will buy cheap junk just because it's cheap far outweigh the number who are discerning enough to think that price is indicative of quality.

[UncleBob]

Ian's post is based on the conclusion that everyone bought DKCR for Wii.

This is untrue.

[nickmitch]

Donkey Kong Country Returns sold 4 million copies in North America in a month. Even if it were $1, Xenoblade wouldn't come close to selling 4 million copies in a month. They are not in anywhere close to the same league.

Being only a dollar would probably hurt its sales as some people would likely see that as an indicator of its quality.

Doesn't seem to hurt iOS games on the app store.  The number of people who will buy cheap junk just because it's cheap far outweigh the number who are discerning enough to think that price is indicative of quality.

Because iOS games aren't usually more than $5, and nobody sells free games on consoles. That's not at all an apples to apple comparison. If I see a BRAND NEW console game that I've never heard of for $1 in a $50-60 market, I'm gonna assume something is terribly wrong with that game for it to be a dollar. If you see a brand new console game for $30-40 you think it's a budget game, might be good. 15 bucks? Probably shovel-ware.

[lolmonade]

I think the best chance we have at getting availability of Xenoblade is if Nintendo works to get a digital port on the e-shop sometime leading up to the sequel's release as a means of promoting the Wii U Xenoblade game.
 
It seems like after reading your post that you really do realize you dun goofed, but let this be a lesson: don't trade-in video games unless you're sure you'll never play them again, especially for a franchise like Halo which you KNOW will be readily available years from now. 
 
Cmon, people.  Don't need to be antagonistic/Play Nintendo Defense Force when someone brings up some not-so-unreasonable grievances over a highly-anticipated game that got a limited release.

[Adrock]

Nintendo Defense Force sounds like it could be a really great parody cross-over game.

[lolmonade]

Nintendo Defense Force sounds like it could be a really great parody cross-over game.

Or maybe Saturday morning cartoon?

[ejamer]

...
excuse me if i was saving for a Wii U, i wasn't in great financal state and i expected... idk a decent launch

Not sure that... sentence (?) make sense.  But I'm guessing you're saying that you don't have money for or interest in a Wii U console?  No worries.  The Xenoblade sequel won't be out for at least a year, probably longer given NoA's track record.  Start putting a dollar away every day or two, and by the time the Xenoblade sequel is released you'll have enough for the console and game - better yet, by that point in time the Wii U will have enough games that it'll be worth owning.


On the flipside, if you decide not to grab a Wii U you'd have more than enough for a copy of the original even at highly inflated prices.

...
Because iOS games aren't usually more than $5, and nobody sells free games on consoles. That's not at all an apples to apple comparison. If I see a BRAND NEW console game that I've never heard of for $1 in a $50-60 market, I'm gonna assume something is terribly wrong with that game for it to be a dollar. If you see a brand new console game for $30-40 you think it's a budget game, might be good. 15 bucks? Probably shovel-ware.

First, the example you give ($15) is significantly different than the original one ($1).


Second, while you might judge games based on pricing the majority of people fall into two categories: uninformed buyers who find brand names and/or low prices appealing for blind-buy purchases, or informed buyers who look to reviews and other sources of information before buying. Xenoblade would sell extremely well to both groups if priced that low.


Finally, it doesn't really matter. There is no way that a new game with the size/scope/quality of Xenoblade could be sold in a console market (arguably, any single market) for that price. So this whole argument is moot.

[Soren]

http://kotaku.com/extreme-gamestop-pricing-leaves-some-fans-calling-scam-1108627828

So Gamestop has miraculously gotten a fresh stock of used copies of Xenoblade which they're selling. For $90.

Yup. $90. Like a boss. dealwithit.gif.  Oh and there's this:

One GameStop source tells us the retailer printed a few thousand copies of the game with no shrink wrap in order to restock their inventory, then labeled them as pre-owned. Reached for comment, a GameStop rep told us they're looking into it.

If this is true, and Gamestop really is printing new copies of Xenoblade (with Club Nintendo cards and everything!) and is selling them for $90 then it is an absolute ripoff and a borderline scam.

I think now is the time for Nintendo to step up and do something. Allowing Gamestop to do this is insane.

EDIT: The Gaf link on the article has more info, including different cases and a redesigned product page on the Gamestop website.

[RABicle]

I payed AU$90 for Xenoblade and that was a bargain considering the RRP was $99
Did you know today is buy an Australian a game day? You guys can get me anything on my steam wishlist thanks.

[Pixelated Pixies]

I payed AU$90 for Xenoblade and that was a bargain considering the RRP was $99
Did you know today is buy an Australian a game day? You guys can get me anything on my steam wishlist thanks.

Just remember guys and gals, they're Australian. So just be sure that whichever game you decide to buy for them includes puppies and rainbows and does not include anything detrimental to their fragile psyche.

[Soren]

Two theories seem to be running around: 1)Legits reprint. 2)Gamestop knew the game was going to be rare and set aside a few thousand copies of the original print run for an occasion such as this.

The reprints being sold as pre-owned are good as new, just not shrink wrapped. The discs have no scratches, the Club Nintendo cards work, and they still have the Skyward Sword/Kirby/Rhythm Heaven flyer.

I'm thinking #2 is what's going on.

[ejamer]

Two theories seem to be running around: 1)Legits reprint. 2)Gamestop knew the game was going to be rare and set aside a few thousand copies of the original print run for an occasion such as this.

The reprints being sold as pre-owned are good as new, just not shrink wrapped. The discs have no scratches, the Club Nintendo cards work, and they still have the Skyward Sword/Kirby/Rhythm Heaven flyer.

I'm thinking #2 is what's going on.

Agree that #2 seems more likely.  Not entirely confident that I can chalk it up to GameStop actually planning this "in case it became valuable" instead of actually misplacing the stock and just now realizing (a) they have it, and (b) it's worth a lot more than it would've been at MSRP.

[lolmonade]

Issues exactly like this are why there needs to be a digital release of this game on the eShop.  You can't tell me there wouldn't be an adequate ROI on making something like this available digitally.  It's also easy advertising for the follow-up Xeno title coming in 2014.

[Ian Sane]

Holding onto stock on purpose would be a really clever idea.  It's obvious that a game sold exclusively through one store would become rare.  Hell, since Gamestop helped publish it they probably were privy to the print run number so there would be less speculation on its future rarity.  It's pretty much a sure thing.  So meet the initial demand and pre-orders and hang on to the rest for later.  Sneaky but totally brilliant (and morally questionable).

Now this could become a big problem if Nintendo just lets it happen (and if anyone on this planet has no idea this is happening it's NOA), not so much with future games, but future consoles.  A lot of consoles sell out at launch and the used price is pretty high while manufacturing catches up to demand.  So think back to the Wii frenzy.  If my store gets a shipment of new Wiis while every single one that hits the shelf gets grabbed up, why not hang on to half of them and release them as used product where I can charge whatever inflated price the market will tolerate?  How much do you even risk?  If the console doesn't move as quickly as you expect you just don't open the packaging up and put it on the shelf as new product, the same new product you would have had on the shelf anyway.

[UncleBob]

There's also a rumor that these discs are ones that Nintendo had set aside for warranty replacement - and once they were most all out of warranty, they've unloaded them in new cases.

[pokepal148]

It could be that gamestop HQ requested all traded in copys be sent to a warehouse or something.

[NWR_insanolord]

Bill Trinen retweeted a report of this happening yesterday, so it seems safe to say NOA is aware of and at least tacitly condoning this.

[Stogi]

Softmod your Wii.

[Mop it up]

I heard about this elsewhere, it's pretty funny, and certainly possible, given that it's GameStop.

[nickmitch]

Economics at work.

Pretty smart move by GameStop, if this really is their doing. eBay prices from the link in that article were higher than $90.

[pokepal148]

Economics at work.

Pretty smart move by GameStop, if this really is their doing. eBay prices from the link in that article were higher than $90.

with some clever trade ins you could probably whittle down the price to $50(if you go for in store credit)

[Shaymin]

PowerUp Rewards + coupon code Aug15 (best code ever) gets it down to $68.

[Oblivion]

People on r/gaming and r/Games are in a tizzy over this. I said it wasn't that bad and they downvoted the **** out of me and started claiming "hail corporate" and all that jazz. It was pretty funny how angry people get over simple economics.

[lolmonade]

People on r/gaming and r/Games are in a tizzy over this. I said it wasn't that bad and they downvoted the **** out of me and started claiming "hail corporate" and all that jazz. It was pretty funny how angry people get over simple economics.

You shouldn't be that surprised.  As often as I visit the site, Reddit is one of the worst hiveminds on the internet.  Hating on Gamestop is an easy path for oodles of upvotes.