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Laura Dale: 2 Switch SKUs planned, UK Retailer GAME will sell at £199.99 and £249.99

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
Indeed, but a price drop shortly after launch might be bad for optics and may not instill consumer confidence

I'm not proposing a 6 month price drop like the 3DS suffered because of its intolerable launch line up and stagnant sequence of games. The Switch can survive through 2017 easily at a base $249 based on the software schedule it potentially has, and its much more varied function as a machine.
 

Kuni

Member
Ah interesting if true. Since the announce I've been thinking that £250 had to be the price point for maximum effect. Higher would be a harder sell as that would push it into PS4/Xbone territory.

So far there doesn't appear to be the classic Nintendo twist (e.g. Classic NES cable length lol). Here's hoping they hit a home run!
 
Sure, I'd pay £249 as long as the reveal trailer was correct and there will be ports of Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Skyrim. I can't say I'm excited about the Switch at all, but I still like Splatoon and sold my Wii U the other day before the price crashes.
 

NOLA_Gaffer

Banned
Hopefully the pack-in game is as amazing as Nintendoland was. That shit STILL gets brought out on a regular basis for gettogethers.
 
I'm not proposing a 6 month price drop like the 3DS suffered because of its intolerable launch line up and stagnant sequence of games. The Switch can survive through 2017 easily at a base $249 based on the software schedule it potentially has, and it's much more varied function as a machine.
This is my take as well. A steady pace of quality first party titles throughout the year to keep Nintendo fans buying, and then in 2018 start introducing more SKUs. Hopefully by then third parties will start becoming established and keep up with the software output.
 
I would prefer if they just sold the tablet for 200$. I have no intention of ever hooking it up to a tv.

wouldn't be surprised to see a more traditional handheld variant hit later, maybe next xmas or early 2018, non-detatchable controllers, slightly smaller screen, die-shrunk chips and slightly better battery life for like $150
 
Switch Sports won't be a thing at launch I wager, they didn't even bother with Wii Sports when the U launched, or even throughout it's lifespan. Splatoon while popular, is not very casual friendly in comparison. I imagine Nintendo will want their bundle game to be as popular and accessible as possible.

MK is basically the poster child for 'everyone', and also a great way to help move your system, i'd certainly not personally mind Splatoon as I prefer it though.

It's most likely either going to be Mario Kart or the new Mario game.
 

Ganondolf

Member
I wish they would only release 1 sku. It makes it similar to consumers and Nintendo only has to worry about stocking 1 sku.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Will they port the 'buy the game at launch and get another free game' aspect from Mario Kart 8 too?
 

LordKano

Member
Will they port the 'buy the game at launch and get another free game' aspect from Mario Kart 8 too?

I hope so. I got The Wind Waker HD for free when I bought the console bundled with Mario Kart 8 and I enjoyed my summer with these two games.
 
It shouldn't try to be a second handheld but the first...Trying to be secondary anything is a losing proposition.

<Shrug> I'm afraid that is their only path to success. I can almost guarantee you that, barring some Wii-like mania, the vast majority of Switch purchasers are already going to have another primary gaming device (PS4/X1/PC) and/or primary handheld gaming device (iPhone/Android). The Switch will be a secondary platform purchased solely to access Nintendo's exclusive games and properties.
 
Sure, I'd pay £249 as long as the reveal trailer was correct and there will be ports of Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Skyrim. I can't say I'm excited about the Switch at all, but I still like Splatoon and sold my Wii U the other day before the price crashes.

It's unlikely the wii U ever price crashes to a significant degree again, there just aren't enough of the darn things. Fire sales of stock happened months ago and prices rose back up afterwards.
 

Epcott

Member
I'm guessing there'll be a bundle with an EA game.

Isn't that one of the requirements EA presented when asked if they would publish for Nintendo again?
 

Ganondolf

Member
Will be interesting to see what the pack in game is. Zelda seems like a good game but I think they could easily sell it separately which makes me think it's better to go with something else.

At the same time I don't think a re-released Wii u game would be a good choice as that does not give Wii u owners and gamers anything new to show off the machine.
 

KAL2006

Banned
Dang. $249 is too much for this thing. Hoped it would be $199 without a game :-/

Would you mind if Nintendo made it much less powerful to hit the $200 price point. Such as Sub Wii U graphics portable and Wii U graphics when docked.

I feel alot of people here are being unreasonable and wanting a handheld device that's significantly more powerful than Wii U at the price of a 3DS XL.
 

Principate

Saint Titanfall
<Shrug> I'm afraid that is their only path to success. I can almost guarantee you that, barring some Wii-like mania, the vast majority of Switch purchasers are already going to have another primary gaming device (PS4/X1/PC) and/or primary handheld gaming device (iPhone/Android). The Switch will be a secondary platform purchased solely to access Nintendo's exclusive games and properties.

That's no different to the 3DS. I pretty sure most consumers who even bought a 3DS don't consider it their secondary mobile device despite likely owning a phone. The amount of people that are interested in such a device are shrinking but there's no way the switch works as a secondary mobile gaming device.
 

yyr

Member
Not the first fiscal year if you have Zelda, Smash, Mario Kart, 3D Mario, Splatoon, and whatever other first party games Nintendo releases.

I firmly believe that price will be one of the major factors as to whether this will succeed or not, even if the games in the first year are great. One strike against the initial game library: you can't assume that loyal Wii U owners who already bought Smash/Mario Kart/Splatoon are going to hungrily line up to buy them again only 2-3 years later.

The majority of consumers interested won't buy it as a console.

I really don't think anyone at this point can claim to know how many of us are buying it as a pure console or pure handheld as opposed to some of both. This is a new concept, after all. I also think that America will receive it differently than, say, Japan will. But we really have no idea, right?

The best we can do is compare apples to apples: Switch as a console to other consoles, and Switch as a handheld/tablet to other such devices. Obviously there will be more value for some users because it can be used as both, but for some (unknown) portion of the audience, this will not make as much of a difference. That is why I believe the price needs to be as low as possible: to encourage folks to buy it regardless of how they *think* they'll use it.

to suggest that it's DOA at anything other than $199 seems silly.

I would not suggest that it's DOA at higher prices (unless we go over $299), but really, this launch needs to be successful to convince gamers, developers, publishers AND investors that Nintendo is here to stay as a player in hardware. If they want to silence their "they should go 3rd party" critics, they need to move a ton of these things, and a lower price would really help.

That's like saying that an iPad/Android tablet need to hold up to desktop PC in terms of value for money.

That sounds like a ridiculous comparison. But for some people, it's really not. The fact is, many or even most folks nowadays don't need a computer. They go on Facebook and Tumblr and Instagram, they post and repost, they watch Netflix and YouTube, they laugh at cat videos, they occasionally write a post or a brief document or send an e-mail. Mobile versions of Office can even print. If a family is in that boat, why not compare a tablet with a computer?

Case in point - the 3DS. I don't think Nintendo wants to have another Ambassador Program scenario.

And this is exactly why the lowest price point possible would be ideal.
 
Not bad! £250 is about what I paid for a Wii U, and the cheaper option is even better.

Just no hideous white SKUs please. I feel like I would have played my Wii U more if it was black.
 

Kathian

Banned
Would not shock me if there's not multiple SKUs internationally honestly. The price is good news Nintendo is either taking the currency loss or its built in in which case it should be very competitive globally.
 

PFD

Member
Not bad! £250 is about what I paid for a Wii U, and the cheaper option is even better.

Just no hideous white SKUs please. I feel like I would have played my Wii U more if it was black.

Really? The color of the box below the TV stopped you from playing the console?
 
hm with ps4s/ xbox one s selling at $250 this holiday season switch being at $250 isn't looking so hot, sure these are black friday deals but next year the prices will probably go down to that permanently, $250 is great for the current nintendo stronghold but for people already into the ps4/xbox systems, they won't making the switch lol, $200 or bust for a handheld.
That doesn't mean they will still be priced $250 after holidays are over. Switch is out 3 months after holidays.
 
That sounds like a ridiculous comparison. But for some people, it's really not. The fact is, many or even most folks nowadays don't need a computer. They go on Facebook and Tumblr and Instagram, they post and repost, they watch Netflix and YouTube, they laugh at cat videos, they occasionally write a post or a brief document or send an e-mail. Mobile versions of Office can even print. If a family is in that boat, why not compare a tablet with a computer?

You did a fantastic job of further explaining things where I failed to do so, and I absolutely agree. In the scenarios you mentioned, people don't "need" a tablet and they would objectively get a more powerful and capable PC for the price.

I would argue that the people who want the PC over the tablet in that scenario would already choose Xbox One or PS4 over the Switch. Therefore, I don't think the two options being priced similarly means by default that one will always fail. Nintendo is seemingly aiming at the "form over function" crowd here and I don't think that means they need to come in way under in terms of pricing.
 

AntMurda

Member
I firmly believe that price will be one of the major factors as to whether this will succeed or not, even if the games in the first year are great.

And this is exactly why the lowest price point possible would be ideal.

It's not price but value. Nintendo delivering a machine with crap battery and lowest denomination of hardware possible hurts the brand and long term value of the machine. Just to hit $199, which is insanely cheap, is going to compromise how the machine should be put together.
 

Kintaro

Worships the porcelain goddess
Would you mind if Nintendo made it much less powerful to hit the $200 price point. Such as Sub Wii U graphics portable and Wii U graphics when docked.

I feel alot of people here are being unreasonable and wanting a handheld device that's significantly more powerful than Wii U at the price of a 3DS XL.

Nah, I think people are being reasonable because...well, Nintendo hardware isn't worth that much. Market has told them that time and time again.
 

LordofPwn

Member
Price seems good
Games rumored in launch window looking promising

now waiting for exclusive AT&T 4G, expensive Memory Cards, and poor battery life to complete the Vita resurrection ritual.

give me standard SD memory and i could care less about poor battery life and some stupid exclusivity feature i'll never use
 
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