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(Some) Upcoming 3DS 1st-party games @ $35 - Start of a trend?

donny2112

Member
3DS game prices are too high. It's something that's been mentioned several times in the NPD threads. $40 for a handheld game with full console games at that price or not much higher is just too much. DS games at $40 (e.g. Square-Enix tax) didn't perform well typically, for example, either. We've been hoping Nintendo would wise up and not put all new 3DS games at that $40 price, and it looks like it may be happening.

Amazon
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - $35
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - $35

Best Buy
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - $35
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - $35

Wal-Mart
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - $35
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - $35

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D comes out in May, and Animal Crossing comes out in June (U.S. dates). Luigi's Mansion just came out at $40, so it's not a present change. Pokemon X/Y still show at $40, but Pokemon typically has a premium price on the handhelds, anyways. Still, it looks like (some) upcoming 3DS first-party games may be dropping in price to $35 at release.

You can say that AC has sold more than enough in Japan (> 3m), so any outside of Japan sales are just icing, so that's why they'd reduce the price. And DKCR is a remake, so maybe that's why it's cheaper. However, it still looks like a possibility that Nintendo (in the U.S., at least) might finally be bringing down the price of some 1st-party games at release.

* Hope the eShop also reflects the reduced prices, particularly for Animal Crossing.
* Still want a real Player's Choice budget line, even though that's been sort of sparse on Nintendo handhelds, anyways.
 

JavyOO7

Member
I wish they'd be $29.99 or lower. That would include the eShop too, since I want to buy the rest of these games through there.
 

zroid

Banned
This still hasn't been reflected at Canadian retailers, so I remain skeptical that it's not just a pre-order discount. :U

edit: well, DKCR has, actually
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
I think the public has overwhelmingly rejected $40 as a base price for handheld games.

They never should have gone above $30.
 

watershed

Banned
God I hope this is true and reflected on the eshop too. $40 was and is too high. 30 is the sweet spot but I will settle for 35.
 

Duxxy3

Member
No retail portable game should be above $29.99. No digital game of any kind should be over $19.99.
 

EvilMario

Will QA for food.
$29.99 is the sweet spot for selling to the average consumer, but I have no problem with the $34.99 / $39.99 price for most 1st party Nintendo titles that I will enjoy to death. Less is, of course, nice though.

I still find it hilarious that people hold the view that because a game is on a portable, it should be cheap as dirt.
 

honorless

We don't have "get out of jail free" cards, but if we did, she'd have one.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity also launched at $35. I was a little surprised since it and Luigi's Mansion were the games for the recent NA 3DSXL promotion, and as you mentioned LM is $40.
 

ChesterCharm

Neo Member
don't buy games at launch unless there's a promo. i got animal crossing: new leaf at newegg for $30. no shipping and no tax
 

Glass Rebel

Member
I wish they'd lower the prices in Europe as well. Swiss stores have many 3DS games for 59 CHF (~60$) at launch which is ridiculous.
 

Mupod

Member
The backlash towards Revelaitons' original pricing tells me that just having a 'console quality' game isn't enough to justify an expensive portable game either. Even if the reasoning is a larger cart. If SMT was more popular you'd see just as much of a shitstorm over SMT4.

Eshop definitely should be cheaper but console DD (not just nintendo) still seems to happily be wallowing in some kind of pre-2004 timewarp. Hurr what's a preload?
 

AniHawk

Member
i think people are generally accepting of some games at $34.99 due to nintendo messing around at that price point back with the gba, and kept it going with the ds. $39.99 was attempted with the gba in 2001, the psp in 2005, the 3ds in 2011, and the vita in 2012, and it's never been successful. i can't believe they thought it would be a good price point now with mobile games being as inexpensive as they are.

and $29.99 should be the standard price for most handheld games. who the hell is going to buy rune factory 4 at $40?
 

Somnid

Member
I'd also imagine that with cart orders going up and additional DD revenue that 3DS game margins are improving. But to say games like LM aren't worth $40 because they're handheld is ridiculous.
 

zroid

Banned
It's always interesting (as a Canadian) to see people whine about $39.99 3DS games, because DS games cost $39.99 here for years. Many still do. IIRC, some were even $44.99.
 

entremet

Member
I think the public has overwhelmingly rejected $40 as a base price for handheld games.

They never should have gone above $30.

Alot of 3DS games aren't just puzzlers or rudimentary sprite based stuff. They cost way more to make. Same with Vita.
 

-GJ-

Member
I wish they'd lower the prices in Europe as well. Swiss stores have many 3DS games for 59 CHF (~60$) at launch which is ridiculous.

In Holland almost every retailer has 3DS games for €49,95, which translates to almost $65. The smaller stores and webshops have 'em for €44,95 or sometimes €39,95, but that's still a bit too steep imo.
 

Glass Rebel

Member
Europe laughs at you.

Laughing at the US with bitter tears in our eyes?

In Holland almost every retailer has 3DS games for €49,95, which translates to almost $65. The smaller stores and webshops have 'em for €44,95 or sometimes €39,95, but that's still a bit too steep imo.

Yeah, you can usually find good deals if you look hard enough. I'd be happy with 40$ 3DS games :lol
 
$40 is a bitter pill to swallow, especially since Nintendo games don't drop in price for a long time (if ever). $30 retail / $25 download should be the standard.
 

Somnid

Member
it's a bit harsh. i'd say $40 console games for first-parties, $50 for third-parties, and $30 across-the-board for handheld games is the way things should be. if it's not sustainable, then stop making expensive-ass games.

It's not even that. Some games deserve higher prices, many don't. They are priced as such because it's normal not because they should be. Just be flexible.
 

Darryl

Banned
good they should be $30, 40 is beyond what i'm willing to make an unplanned purchase for

also wii u should be $50 to make up for the lower specs
 

tim.mbp

Member
Shows $34.96 for me. You seeing the online price?

Yep, I'm in the USA btw. Does Walmart have regional pricing?

xMMqe4a.jpg
 
We must be playing different systems.

Did you see the video I posted? Modern Combat 4 looks better than most 3DS releases...

If everybody started reusing assets from other companies we'd have a problem in a few years.

As much I consider Gameloft shit with zero creativty I don't think they steal assets. Even so you can see in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5o3LQreyXY) that they have remarkable production values for a 6€ game.

You can't barely buy Links Awakening DX on the eShop for that price!.
 

fernoca

Member
Seems that they msy be testing waters. Mystery Dungeon was released the same day as Luigi's Mansion; but costed $5 less in all places.

At the same time, the upcoming Lego City for 3DS is priced at $40 everywhere but Amazon which has it for $30. Who knows. Heck, Revelations is $50 there, was announced at that price..yet, the Wii U version is the only one at $40.
 

zroid

Banned
Did you see the video I posted? Modern Combat 4 looks better than most 3DS releases...



As much I consider Gameloft shit with zero creativty I don't think they steal assets. Even so you can see in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5o3LQreyXY) that they have remarkable production values for a 6€ game.

You can't barely buy Links Awakening DX on the eShop for that price!.

I'd rather buy Link's Awakening for the 3rd time at $6 than Modern Combat 4 at the same price :p
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
$40 dollars for handheld games...in 2013?

No wonder most third party 3DS games sell like ass

$29.99 or lower, pls

Tell that to Sonic, KH, Lego titles (that should be 29.99 but on 3DS they've been 39.99 ._. ), Tales of the Abyss, Etrian Odyssey, etc.

...But being serious, prices must be lower. 34.99 as highest price is something I'm really ok with and I hope Nintendo continues with this policy for most of its releases. It should be the highest price possible for third party titles for when next gen Nintendo handheld launches too. Nintendo titles can still be priced at 39.99 if they're "premium" like Pokémon. And for next gen I want 5 $/Euros discounts for buying digital.

As well as a flexible pricing system, something that I'm very pissed off it's not done yet, since it'd solve so many problems retail wise for both home and portable markets, but right now it's a dream :D
 
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