Vidya Games Thread

[Cantercoin]

 

[PleaseCheckYourReceipts]

I was honestly expecting $400 as the price. It's really wild they're selling it for $350 in Japan to maintain their stranglehold over the JP market considering about a fourth of all their Switch 1 hardware sales were in JP. It feels like they know $450 is a little pushy but they are more concerned with closing up JP for Sony, especially with that Fromsoft exclusive, so they upped the worldwide price to subsidize JP's price.

Well, 50k Yen is a solid 66% price jump from 30k Yen for the Switch 1. Nintendo likes their money, but that screams there's a lot more going on for the Cost Basis than we realize. Now, the Switch 1 was priced far more like a Handheld and the Switch 2 seems to be moving into the "it's a console you can carry" territory because of the realities of where the Hardware is at right now.

I think there's a bunch of things going on. The first is a lot of baseline hardware prices aren't being driven down like they used to be. Wafer prices, for instance, still aren't great because of Intel's massive fumble not putting pressure on TSMC. All of the secondary bits & bobs that go on a PCB aren't really getting much cheaper, while at the same time the Yen is in the dumps. Nintendo is probably really concerned about the future currency & manufacturing issues, while also trying to capture what they think they can from their core markets. Going from 30k Yen to 50k Yen must have been 6+ months of higher up meetings. They know what that type of jump means. It's launching at nearly 2x the launch price of the base Wii U 13 years ago.

So, I think what they're doing is a couple of things with the pricing. The first is giving themselves room to adjust in a couple of years if things calm down. If they have a strategic risk group in HQ, they'd have been harping on China doing something really stupid being a non-0 chance right now. They'll have room to bring on both a Lite and another OLED model in a couple of years, and I figure pricing probably changes with those. At the same time, the Switch 2 is a Premium Upgrade right now more than a "new console", so it's more priced accordingly. The market will likely bear that price for now, but I fully expect the Switch 1 to still be a massive seller until they launch the updated OLED model and drop the pricing.

 

[God's Strongest Dragoon]

Well, 50k Yen is a solid 66% price jump from 30k Yen for the Switch 1. Nintendo likes their money, but that screams there's a lot more going on for the Cost Basis than we realize. Now, the Switch 1 was priced far more like a Handheld and the Switch 2 seems to be moving into the "it's a console you can carry" territory because of the realities of where the Hardware is at right now.

I think there's a bunch of things going on. The first is a lot of baseline hardware prices aren't being driven down like they used to be. Wafer prices, for instance, still aren't great because of Intel's massive fumble not putting pressure on TSMC. All of the secondary bits & bobs that go on a PCB aren't really getting much cheaper, while at the same time the Yen is in the dumps. Nintendo is probably really concerned about the future currency & manufacturing issues, while also trying to capture what they think they can from their core markets. Going from 30k Yen to 50k Yen must have been 6+ months of higher up meetings. They know what that type of jump means. It's launching at nearly 2x the launch price of the base Wii U 13 years ago.

So, I think what they're doing is a couple of things with the pricing. The first is giving themselves room to adjust in a couple of years if things calm down. If they have a strategic risk group in HQ, they'd have been harping on China doing something really stupid being a non-0 chance right now. They'll have room to bring on both a Lite and another OLED model in a couple of years, and I figure pricing probably changes with those. At the same time, the Switch 2 is a Premium Upgrade right now more than a "new console", so it's more priced accordingly. The market will likely bear that price for now, but I fully expect the Switch 1 to still be a massive seller until they launch the updated OLED model and drop the pricing.

The consumer doesn't care about any of those details, they care that they raised the price of the console while at the same time they raised the price of physical and digital games. Any crying that Nintendo does about "muh manufacturing" gets immediately ignored because they effectively shifted the cost over to the games as well and the entire games industry is clearly ready to support Nintendo's dumb as fuck push by releasing all these games day 1 because it means more money for them if Nintendo's $80 price point becomes standard.

 

[agility_]

>$450 launch price when the Switch was $350 and the PS4/PS4 Pro were $400. Even the Steamdeck is $400
>$80 price for digital games, a whole $10 jump from Sony's retarded $70 push
>$90 for physical "games" that aren't really games, just licenses to download the actual games to kill people sharing games
>Unlike Sony's price hike, these price hikes won't ever go down because Nintendo refuses to discount their older games
>$500 for Mario Kart bundle when a Switch and 2 launch games was $470 without a bundle
>$90 joycons you'll have to rebuy when they inevitably break because they're shit quality
>have to pay to upgrade your Switch 1 games or pay for their online subscription (no news on whether those upgrades disappear when you cancel your membership)
>Their online will likely still be a dogshit slideshow presentation whenever you deal with multiplayer stuff like the inevitable Mario Maker 3
>their tech demo tutorial game isn't free
>this is all coinciding with them ending Nintendo Gold points
DID THESE RETARDS LEARN NOTHING FROM THE PS3??? ARE COMPANIES THAT DOMINATE A GAMING GENERATION HONORBOUND TO NUKE THEIR NEXT CONSOLE?
PS2 TO PS3 YEARS TO FINALLY DROP THEIR PRICES
XBOX 360 TO XBONED
WII TO WII U ARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

You know how nintendo fans are like. I thought that became clear during The Amiibo Affair. Watch as this product breaks every single sales record ever.

 

[God's Strongest Dragoon]

You know how nintendo fans are like. I thought that became clear during The Amiibo Affair. Watch as this product breaks every single sales record ever.

I hate that you're right.

 

[reinigen]

Because I'm a numbers guy, I threw the following queries into Grok.

Can you please compare the launch price of the following game consoles in the united states adjusted for inflation: Switch 2 (control variable), Switch, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Playstation 4, Playstation 4 Pro, Playstation 5

Please do the same calculation using the price of the typical game for the previously given consoles

Please compare the median wage at the time of the given game consoles release to calculate "hours need to work to purchase the game console"

Now do median wage to buy the typical game of the above consoles

Like, I get it. The sticker shock is rough. But at least Nintendo will just sell you a fucking game instead of slogging it down with Micro transactions and Day 1 DLC.

 

[ScarletCorrupt]

PoE 2 patch notes are out. TLDR based on what I saw skimming through: lots of nerfs. The Amazon Ascendancy for the Huntress looks cool though. I played a lot of Project Diablo 2 during this PoE content drought and really enjoyed building a Javazon, so I'm looking forward to the spear skills.

Early Access Patch Notes - Content Update 0.2.0 -- Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt - Forum - Path of Exile

Path of Exile is a free online-only action RPG under development by Grinding Gear Games in New Zealand.

www.pathofexile.com

 

[46gumi]

 

[agility_]

It's gonna be awesome watching pokemon diehards spend $180 (sans tax) for both versions of pokemon What and Ever.

 

[Last Of The Mohicans]

 

[CalciumAnimal]

You know how nintendo fans are like. I thought that became clear during The Amiibo Affair. Watch as this product breaks every single sales record ever.

I hate that you're right.

The price hike sucks but your acting like the quality isn't there. putting aside the retarded loyalty Nintendo fans have (that all 3 companies have) it runs the games it wants to run well enough and the 2 is the increase in power basically everyone wanted.

Steam deck is still better (maybe) but for a system that will probably last enough 3-4 years 450 is pretty ok.

I'm more annoyed at the game price.

Why is this adorable.

It's gonna be awesome watching pokemon diehards spend $180 (sans tax) for both versions of pokemon What and Ever.

ZA is one game unless you mean whatever comes after that and even then most people only buy one especially now that online is much more accessible.

Direct your wrath at pokemon sleep / home which from my understanding are both paid subscription services.

 

[Smelliest007]

ZA is one game unless you mean whatever comes after that and even then most people only buy one especially now that online is much more accessible.

Direct your wrath at pokemon sleep / home which from my understanding are both paid subscription services.

When you can tell agility is just trying to Unless..

 

[PleaseCheckYourReceipts]

The consumer doesn't care about any of those details, they care that they raised the price of the console while at the same time they raised the price of physical and digital games. Any crying that Nintendo does about "muh manufacturing" gets immediately ignored because they effectively shifted the cost over to the games as well and the entire games industry is clearly ready to support Nintendo's dumb as fuck push by releasing all these games day 1 because it means more money for them if Nintendo's $80 price point becomes standard.

I know consumers don't care. What I'm simply pointing out is Nintendo increased their console base pricing by 66% in the largest leap ever for them, to my knowledge. JP pricing tells you a lot more about where their mind is at, and that cost basis is something of a worry for what's going on within the entire manufacturing space. My assumption is they had to price it there to properly price in their risk better. I'm guessing the console profit margin got slammed by currency & manufacturing fluctuations.

Reality is with a much bigger focus on Nintendo Cloud, Per Console Lifetime Revenue would well make up for a 40k Yen / 400 USD / 400 EUR console. They'd have modeled that. There's something else that caused them to take the PR hit by going up to 50k Yen, and that's what I'd really like to know about.

Because I'm a numbers guy, I threw the following queries into Grok.

Like, I get it. The sticker shock is rough. But at least Nintendo will just sell you a fucking game instead of slogging it down with Micro transactions and Day 1 DLC.

The one caveat is this is the first launch for Nintendo where the Console doesn't have a Handheld at a cheaper pricepoint still, as it's now fully merged with no DS line around. Nintendo had something of a high/low split where they had Handheld and Console. We are in new territory and the Switch hit that Wii market again. The Switch 2 might not pull that off. They also don't have a 10 out of 10 All-time classic to drop with the console.

It's gonna be awesome watching pokemon diehards spend $180 (sans tax) for both versions of pokemon What and Ever.

If they aren't getting in fights over buying cards, probably. Though didn't one of the cycles kind of make buying 4 copies necessary to get everything?

 

[PleaseCheckYourReceipts]

The price hike sucks but your acting like the quality isn't there. putting aside the retarded loyalty Nintendo fans have (that all 3 companies have) it runs the games it wants to run well enough and the 2 is the increase in power basically everyone wanted.

Steam deck is still better (maybe) but for a system that will probably last enough 3-4 years 450 is pretty ok.

I'm more annoyed at the game price.


Why is this adorable.

ZA is one game unless you mean whatever comes after that and even then most people only buy one especially now that online is much more accessible.

Direct your wrath at pokemon sleep / home which from my understanding are both paid subscription services.

The funny thing about Drag X Drive is I haven't really seen anyone that knows what Wheelchair Basketball is called by the players. It's called "Murderball". There's actually a documentary around about it. I'm actually annoying they didn't call it something like that, haha.

Also, they had ARMS last time. This time was "No Legs". Someone on the team clearly started the idea as a joke and it somehow became a tech demo game.

 

[CalciumAnimal]

When you can tell agility is just trying to Unless..

he's had like ONE decent thought I've noticed in all my time here I don't think he's acting.

The funny thing about Drag X Drive is I haven't really seen anyone that knows what Wheelchair Basketball is called by the players. It's called "Murderball". There's actually a documentary around about it. I'm actually annoying they didn't call it something like that, haha.

Also, they had ARMS last time. This time was "No Legs". Someone on the team clearly started the idea as a joke and it somehow became a tech demo game.

can't wait for the switch 3 and the game about lobotomites finally ill have representation!

 

[reinigen]

They also don't have a 10 out of 10 All-time classic to drop with the console.

HARD disagree. You underestimate how much of a system seller Mario Kart is.

Spoiler: Grok Prompt: Please show me the estimated sales of all Mario Kart games vs the best selling games of their respective consoles

Below is a comparison of the estimated sales of all mainline Mario Kart games versus the best-selling games on their respective consoles. The sales figures are based on the most recent available data as of April 2, 2025, primarily sourced from Nintendo's official reports and reputable gaming databases. Note that these figures are approximate and may include bundled units where applicable, Ascertain exact numbers can be challenging due to regional variations and updates over time, but I’ll provide the best estimates available.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

• Mario Kart Game: Super Mario Kart (1992)
  • Estimated Sales: ~8.76 million units
• Best-Selling Game on SNES: Super Mario World (1990)
  • Estimated Sales: ~20.61 million units
• Comparison: Super Mario Kart ranks as the 4th best-selling SNES game, behind Super Mario World (20.61M), Donkey Kong Country (9M), and Super Mario All-Stars (8.8M). It sold well but didn’t come close to the top title.

Nintendo 64 (N64)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart 64 (1996)
  • Estimated Sales: ~9.87 million units
• Best-Selling Game on N64: Super Mario 64 (1996)
  • Estimated Sales: ~11.91 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart 64 is the 2nd best-selling N64 game, trailing Super Mario 64 by about 2 million units, showing its strong performance but not quite reaching the top spot.

Game Boy Advance (GBA)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001)
  • Estimated Sales: ~5.47 million units
• Best-Selling Game on GBA: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire (2002)
  • Estimated Sales: ~16.22 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart: Super Circuit ranks 4th on the GBA, significantly behind Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire, reflecting the dominance of Pokémon on handhelds.

Nintendo GameCube (GCN)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003)
  • Estimated Sales: ~7.02 million units
• Best-Selling Game on GCN: Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
  • Estimated Sales: ~7.41 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is the 2nd best-selling GameCube game, very close to *Super Smash Bros Melee, but it falls short by about 390,000 units.

Nintendo DS (NDS)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart DS (2005)
  • Estimated Sales: ~23.60 million units
• Best-Selling Game on NDS: New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
  • Estimated Sales: ~30.80 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart DS is the 3rd best-selling DS game, behind New Super Mario Bros. and Nintendogs (23.96M), showing a strong but not top performance.

Nintendo Wii (Wii)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart Wii (2008)
  • Estimated Sales: ~37.38 million units
• Best-Selling Game on Wii: Wii Sports (2006)
  • Estimated Sales: ~82.90 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart Wii is the 2nd best-selling Wii game, but Wii Sports dominates due to being bundled with the console in many regions, creating a massive gap.

Nintendo 3DS (3DS)

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart 7 (2011)
  • Estimated Sales: ~18.98 million units
• Best-Selling Game on 3DS: Mario Kart 7 (2011)
  • Estimated Sales: ~18.98 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart 7 is the best-selling game on the 3DS, narrowly edging out Pokémon X/Y (16.68M), making it a rare instance where a Mario Kart title takes the top spot.

Wii U

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart 8 (2014)
  • Estimated Sales: ~8.46 million units
• Best-Selling Game on Wii U: Mario Kart 8 (2014)
  • Estimated Sales: ~8.46 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling Wii U game, beating New Super Mario Bros. U (5.82M), though the Wii U’s low console sales (13.56M) limited its overall numbers.

Nintendo Switch

• Mario Kart Game: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
  • Estimated Sales: ~67.35 million units (as of December 31, 2024)
• Best-Selling Game on Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
  • Estimated Sales: ~67.35 million units
• Comparison: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Switch game, far surpassing Animal Crossing: New Horizons (47.44M), bolstered by the Switch’s massive success (150.86M units shipped).

Summary Observations

• Mario Kart games consistently rank among the top sellers on their respective consoles, often landing in the top 5, but they rarely claim the #1 spot.
• Exceptions are Mario Kart 7 (3DS), Mario Kart 8 (Wii U), and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch), where they lead their platforms.
• The best-selling games on each console often belong to other powerhouse franchises like Super Mario or Pokémon, or in the case of Wii Sports, benefit from being a pack-in title.
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe stands out with exceptional sales, driven by the Switch’s popularity and its status as an enhanced port, making it the best-selling Mario Kart title ever at over 67 million units.

This comparison highlights Mario Kart’s enduring popularity, though it often plays second fiddle to other iconic Nintendo titles unless boosted by unique circumstances (e.g., Switch success or lack of competition on Wii U).

Mario Kart is the strongest overall title they could have lead the Switch 2 release, even as much as I love me Mario and Zelda games.

 

[God's Strongest Dragoon]

Like, I get it. The sticker shock is rough. But at least Nintendo will just sell you a fucking game instead of slogging it down with Micro transactions and Day 1 DLC.

The main problem is that Nintendo is pushing this into becoming an industry standard and suddenly every company is going to charge $80 digital/$90 physical. The industry wants games to be more expensive while still having all their microtransactions and Day 1 DLC.

Mario Kart is the strongest overall title they could have lead the Switch 2 release, even as much as I love me Mario and Zelda games.

Yeah, that's why I didn't really feel too concerned about Mario Kart World's $90 price point, that shit is the system seller and will be relevant with a solid player base for the next 7 years. That and GTA6 actually make valid arguments for being games with raised prices unlike that retarded Ubisoft "AAAA" game argument.

 

[Superduper Samurai]

The main problem is that Nintendo is pushing this into becoming an industry standard and suddenly every company is going to charge $80 digital/$90 physical. The industry wants games to be more expensive while still having all their microtransactions and Day 1 DLC.

im looking forward to this happening so i can continue to not care about modern gaming and pump some extra thousand hours or so into Mount and Blade on my 1k dollar rig (Warband Runs on 256mb of Vram and a Core 2 duo)

 

[Abomination]

I don't care if Nintendo finally drops a good Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War remake. I refuse to spend $70 on a game in this current age of gaming. There's no fucking way I'm spending $80 to $90 for a game, and especially not for a game locked on a console.

I got a fat backlog of games on PC, previous consoles, roms/rom hacks, and games with near limitless replay value to last me a life time while I drop money on cheaper games.

 

[Brosnan Pierce Brosnan]

Giant Counterpoint to the "games use to be more expensive to buy"

Yes and they also sold less compared to nowadays. You can't convince me that Nintendo games are thet expensive to produce. Mario Kart World would still likely make more of a profit being sold at 30 bucks than anything from the NES to GameCube Era for Nintendo. The reach is there and has been since Mario Kart Wii