Is Nintendo a premium brand? (Quality)

[Amneisac]

PLEASE READ BEFORE SHITTING ON THIS THREAD:

The Apple tax. Sure, I know a lot of people, especially in the primary GAF demographics, don't like Apple much. They "overcharge" for peripherals, but they make (for the most part) very reliable and high quality products.

Apple computers are, by and large, extremely reliable, and I think that's somewhat related to the 'walled garden' concept of design that people dislike about them.

Is Nintendo in a similar situation?

I would argue that Nintendo has produced the most reliable hardware in the gaming industry. The 360 RRoD is widely famous, but Sony has also had its own quality control problems with the first generation PS3s and smaller issues like the thumbsticks on the DS4.

When I bought my second DS4, I paid $59.99 for it. Now Nintendo is asking $10 more for a controller that has NFC support, an allegedly more sophisticated rumble technology, and motion controls. Beyond all that, I am willing to bet that the controller will be well made, sturdy, and reliable.

Is it unreasonable for Nintendo to expect a slightly higher price for its peripherals since they have a proven history of producing quality hardware and accessories?

I'm genuinely asking, because to me a lot of people's price concerns are unreasonable. I had to buy 3 Xbox 360s because they kept failing, I've had to buy new $10 thumbsticks and replace them in both my DS4s, which bumped that $59.99 price to the same as the pro controller.

I'm not being an apologist, and I'm not trying to make excuses for Nintendo's accessory prices, because I truthfully believe that people are overreacting to the price of the hardware - particularly the accessories. It isn't that much more than the competitors' products, and I think it will be worth a little extra dosh because of the quality of the components.

 

[Neoxon]

I guess you could argue that from the standpoint of Nintendo's products standing the test of time rather than from a pure horsepower perspective. That plus the metric shit-tons of tech that they packed into the Joy-Cons & the Switch Pro Controller.

Still a bit too pricey for my blood. Not to the point where I won't get their stuff, but it's just a nuisance (especially for a college kid with not a lot of income).

 

[Inuhanyou]

Their peripherals are overly expensive, and no 'quality' argument can circumvent that reality.

Also, OG NES is notorious for being a shitstain before the toploader.

Sure, i've never had any other Nintendo product crap out on me, but that doesn't make Nintendo any more deserving of more money than anyone else competing for it

 

[SalvaPot]

They are selling (New) 3DS hardware for $200 in 2017.

So yes.

On the other hand, they are made durable. I have dropped my Wii U gamepad several times and it has yet to break, same for my 3DS. That Nintendium.

 

[Retromelon]

it isn't unreasonable if things like hd rumble and whatnot drive up the cost. It is up to the consumer whether nintendo's hardware and first party are desirable enough to warrant the cost. In recent times, for most, they have not been.

 

[AgeEighty]

Being a "premium brand" is about perception. It doesn't matter if Nintendo's hardware is typically of high physical quality—less prone to breakage and malfunction, or whatever other aspects you want to associate with being "premium"—if the marketplace doesn't view them that way.

And for the most part that perception, either fairly or unfairly, is not there.

 

[Faiz]

That's... a fair point. I've had far fewer hardware issues with Nintendo than I have had with any other company. All my Sony machines going back to PS1 have had problems, and my 360 definitely failed like so many others.

 

[Amneisac]

I guess you could argue that from the standpoint of Nintendo's products standing the test of time rather than from a pure horsepower perspective.

That's definitely part of what I'm saying. I still have my all of my Nintendo products and they all (knock on wood) still work. I feel like Nintendo is not unreasonable asking a slightly higher price for its products since they have developed a lot of trust with consumers over the last 30 years.

 

[DonMigs85]

With the cheap build quality of the 3DS I think not

 

[StereoVsn]

OG 3DS was shit quality between scratches, screen lottery, build quality, etc...

 

[JetSetRadio]

Don't think they're overheating. Switch with cartridges should be bullitproof.

 

[harz-marz]

The build of the Wii U is horrific and cheap looking. The Switch looks lovely as did most of their prior consoles.

 

[bananafactory]

With the cheap build quality of the 3DS I think not

The gamepad feels like a Fisher Price toy, too.

I'd say build quality and finish they fall short, but in terms of hardware reliability they are at the top.

I can't recall having a problem with any of my Nintendo devices

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

The 3DS has the hinge problems and screen scratched with not exactly premium materials in it's built.

So no

 

[evilalien]

Nintendo has had their fair share of quality issues as well. I've personally experienced artifacting on my launch day Wii, and a cracked hinge on my DS lite both of which are fairly well known problems.

 

[Kouriozan]

The kiddy image Nintendo got thanks to Sega back then are hurting them so much as they can't make a "premium" product as it's instantly overpriced.
They have a lot to prove, I have not tested anything Switch related so I can't say for sure if the complains are deserved.
Impressions from the people who went to Switch events so far are really good. The other problem is that those prices are not what Nintendo accustomed us so far.

 

[jacob armitage]

I think their software is, yes.

 

[Vuze]

Good build quality doesn't automatically make them a "premium brand". Most of their stuff, while reliable, feels super cheap imo. WiiU gamepad and OG 3DS come to mind.
Since you are comparing them to Apple and their premium pricing model: They lack a great unboxing experience for starters to qualify as "premium" products.

 

[GDGF]

Hardware wise, most of the time. Software wise, hell yes.

 

[ChaosZeroX]

They are a premium brand in the Apple sense.

But the problem is that barely anybody buys their console hardware outside of the 3DS.

 

[James Scott]

They make good hardware/accessories, sure. Gamepad was super tacky, but it's built like a brick.
I think the Joy Con set is pretty acceptable considering that it can act like a normal controller as well as two additional controllers. The Pro controller is a bit weirder, but the Wii U pro controller was pretty great and I'd be pretty sure that it has the best battery life out of the other system's main controllers.

 

[JetSetRadio]

The sliding joycon mechanism is risky though.

 

[DonMigs85]

They are selling (New) 3DS hardware for $200 in 2017.

So yes.

On the other hand, they are made durable. I have dropped my Wii U gamepad several times and it has yet to break, same for my 3DS. That Nintendium.

No such thing. I would say the last sturdy systems were the N64 and the original GBA.
My GameCube developed a bum drive and faint diagonal lines in the video output, my Wii also got a noisy drive and there were many cases of sleep mode frying GPUs, my DS Lite had unresponsive buttons and developed a cracked hinge on its own, paint can scratch or peel off the OG 3DS and New 3DS XL, screens can be misaligned or dust gets under at the factory... The list goes on

 

[alr1ght]

Underpowered, mature technology is going to more reliable.

They built an entire system revolving around a controller that barely worked, then had to replace it with one that worked a tad better.

Their handheld screens are garbage.

Just because they're overpriced doesn't mean they're apple.

 

[Amneisac]

The build of the Wii U is horrific and cheap looking. The Switch looks lovely as did most of their prior consoles.

I also dislike the glossy finish, but that thing is a tank.

Their peripherals are overly expensive, and no 'quality' argument can circumvent that reality.

Also, OG NES is notorious for being a shitstain before the toploader.

Sure, i've never had any other Nintendo product crap out on me, but that doesn't make Nintendo any more deserving of more money than anyone else competing for it

I would like for you to explain why they're overly expensive. People say that, but the MSRP is $10 higher than the MSRP for a DS4. The DS4 has a battery that lasts for like 4 hours and it had thumbstick issues at launch.

And yeah, the NES had some issues with blowing in cartridges, but once you know how to address that, which isn't difficult, it's a console that still works 30 years later.

 

[Solid SOAP]

In some ways, yes. With them, more often than not, you're always going to be getting quality experiences from their games. Whether you hate the NSMB art style or not, the game is damn good. Almost every Zelda, Pokémon, Mario, Animal Crossing, etc has lived up to an extremely high quality standard on all fronts.

On the other hand, the problem lies in the cost of paying for these damn games! Yes, NSMB is great, but is it interesting? Is it worth $60 to get a game where you basically know every single thing that will happen in it? What's fun about indie games is that you often take a gamble on a bizarre or niche idea, and that gamble isn't an expensive one.

 

[coopolon]

I think there's an argument to made their software is, they make amazing games with very few duds. This is why they get away with their absurd pricing.

Their hardware is premium only in their minds. The Wiis were not reliable, the 3ds scratched their own screen when used correctly. The Wii u tablet feels very cheap. Their screens are always crap.

I guess they are trying to turn this around with the switch but you don't become a premium by saying you are.

 

[Neoxon]

That's definitely part of what I'm saying. I still have my all of my Nintendo products and they all (knock on wood) still work. I feel like Nintendo is not unreasonable asking a slightly higher price for its products since they have developed a lot of trust with consumers over the last 30 years.

That said, the DS family in particular had a number of issues with the right hinge breaking, especially in my family. The DSi kinda fixed this issue, but still.

 

[Cepheus]

Also, OG NES is notorious for being a shitstain before the toploader.

Really? My OG NES still works fine.

I'd say they're a premium brand, yeah.

 

[NightwingRebirth]

Yes and no.

I am perfectly fine with spending a little more for Nintendo's products but I also have a harder time affording all the games I want.

For the casual consumer, Nintendo does and doesn't. There's the N3DS and 2DS for parents to buy for their kids and the Switch that will only be purchased if someone has more disposable income than the casual consumer. In that way, Nintendo has both a "premium" product and the product that is the easiest choice for a purchase.

 

[joms5]

Being a "premium brand" is about perception. It doesn't matter if Nintendo's hardware is typically of high physical quality—less prone to breakage and malfunction, or whatever other aspects you want to associate with being "premium"—if the marketplace doesn't view them that way.

And for the most part that perception, either fairly or unfairly, is not there.

Clearly someone else here other than myself has majored in marketing. Nailed it.

No Nintendo is not a premium brand.

 

[LordOfChaos]

I think Nintendium just came from an age where they were technologically bound to wrap tiny screens in lots of plastic, I think they have a pretty standard electronics failure rate nowadays. The 3DS hinge cracks also for one example were a design issue above a regular electronics failure. As for issues like the RRoD, Nintendo consoles have never generated that much heat, so it's hard to compare. Sure the Wii seems pretty reliable, but it also could be powered by a potato electricity generator.

If the Switch has a plastic screen, I expect a good impact would shatter it just as well as a similar plastic tablet (with the joycons removed at least)

It's hard to compare them to Apple either. Apple justifies a premium by using premium materials, not the same fisher price plastic as every console.

 

[alr1ght]

I would like for you to explain why they're overly expensive. People say that, but the MSRP is $10 higher than the MSRP for a DS4. The DS4 has a battery that lasts for like 4 hours and it had thumbstick issues at launch.

Who says the DS4 isn't overpriced as well? You can always find them on sale for $40-50, as Sony and MS aren't allergic to sales like Nintendo is.

 

[Q8D3vil]

Fuck no, based on my experience with wii and 3ds.

 

[Night Angel]

Nintendo is seen as a toy company. Their products generally look and feel like toys.

I don't think this current "Apple tax" situation will work out for them.

 

[Anth0ny]

not since they ditched nintendonium

 

[Souzetsu]

Not so much premium, I'm thinking reliable is the better word.

I think Nintendo software is premium, in a perception sense. Whatever you may think about how they price their games, they keep their value well after the initial release.

 

[brawly]

Reliable? Sure.

But they overcharge out the ass for their overpriced underpowered fisherprice trash hardware. Wii U as the best example.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

Nintendo is seen as a toy company. Their products generally look and feel like toys.

I don't think this current "Apple tax" situation will work out for them.

This.

 

[kromeo]

The hinges on the original DS were shit as well

 

[Brandon F]

I do believe they position themselves as a premium brand absolutely.

Not quite in the same way as other premium outfits in industry(Mercedes, Prada, etc...), but scale of operation and quality of product and service in their mind and the minds of many consumers? Certainly.

 

[SalvaPot]

No such thing. I would say the last sturdy systems were the N64 and the original GBA.
My GameCube developed a bum drive and faint diagonal lines in the video output, my Wii also got a noisy drive and there were many cases of sleep mode frying GPUs, my DS Lite had unresponsive buttons and developed a cracked hinge on its own, paint can scratch or peel off the OG 3DS and New 3DS XL, screens can be misaligned or dust gets under at the factory... The list goes on

What about the 2DS? I have a Japanese one and its strong as fuck.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I will echo the sentiment of "Reliable, but not premium"

 

[v1oz]

All my old Nintendo consoles still work after decades. That includes the SNES, N64 and Gamecube. In fact I have never had a hardware failure with a Big N console. Over that period I have had several more expensive electronic gadgets die on me.

However with that said I think Nintendo have been lowering the quality of their products over the years. Their newer controllers are made of cheapo plastic. Their modern handhelds are definitely not as sturdy as the original Gameboy.

 

[Skittzo0413]

Their products may have a good build quality like you're saying, but I don't think they're in a position to charge this premium amount.

 

[Crazyorloco]

I think if they used different materials (aluminum metal builds) I would consider it premium. They do make reliable products. We get what we pay for.

Edit: With the Switch release I think they're more in a position to market themselves as selling premium products. No spinning discs in the system so it'll continue to be a reliable system.

I also think the Switch is one attractive, sleek, well made machine. It makes it seem more premium.

 

[Rootbeer]

With the prices on some of this Switch stuff it feels like they are TRYING to push in that direction slightly.

Personally, no, I don't see the physical items made by Nintendo to be on the Apple level... but their IP is definitely premium.

It's ripe for media exploitation... if only Nintendo would get on the ball with that. I know they feel burned by things like the Super Mario Bros movie but come on... Marvel has had a lot of duds and that hasn't stopped them.

Zelda on Netflix please.

 

[Allan Holdsworth]

My original 3DS has dust under the top screen and the d-pad paint has began to peel off on the edges. And I treat the thing like gold, washing my hands before playing and storing it in a pouch and such.

I don't use it much anymore, but still.

 

[Blam]

Honestly I feel like Nintendo is the casual brand.

 

[Strictly]

Nintendo games, yes. Nintendo hardware? Hell no!