Topic: Nintendo Announces Changes To Pricing Of Switch 2 Games, Ends Price Parity

[Shaymin]

For some of us this is a long time coming.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/74915/nintendo-announces-changes-to-pricing-of-switch-2-games-ends-price-parity

Digital-only buyers of exclusive Switch 2 first party games are about to get a break.

Nintendo of America has announced that starting with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book preorders (now available), digital pricing and physical pricing will be different for Nintendo-published Switch 2-only games. In the case of Yoshi, the digital version is listed with an MSRP of $59.99 while the physical copy is $69.99.

NoA has traditionally maintained price parity between digital and physical copies, going so far as to honor the price drops for games in the 3DS and Wii U era "Nintendo Selects" line digitally as well. It seems as though cross-platform releases such as Pokemon Legends: Z-A or Metroid Prime 4 will remain under the current policy, though there are no announced first party Switch 2 Edition releases beyond tomorrow's Super Mario Bros. Wonder expansion.

[Adrock]

[Ian Sane]

This is a very logical idea but, man, Nintendo is rather blatantly trying to steer things towards the all-digital future.  If I ever get a Switch 2 I already figure that I'm going to have to increase my digital purchases significantly unless I want to just miss out on tons of great games.  Now it will be a question of whether it makes sense financially to not do that.

Now how is this going to affect Game Key Card prices?  Are they going to be the higher "physical" price?  Ironically that seems like that would kill the format.  You can imagine physical game enthusiasts willing to pay a premium but why would anyone pay extra for what is essentially a digital version?  But then if GKCs die to push people towards digital purchases they accomplished their goal.

Of course the true result of this is that physical media is outright killed.  Then the prices go up.  Then games you "bought" become rentals.  I feel this has always been inevitable.  It's just unfortunate that Nintendo is so aggressively putting their thumb on the scale after the Switch 1 was actually a very good system for physical releases.

[M.K.Ultra]

Still no preorders?