Can Nintendo turn Switch 2's pricing disaster around? And how?

Jubenhimer

Jubenhimer

Member
Imagine this scenario. You're a Kyoto-based gaming corporation coming off of a massive success with your home/portable hybrid console with detachable controllers. A lot of hype is surrounding it's successor and so far everything is going well. The hardware is impressive, the games are impressive, even the price of the system is fairly affordable given the power. Everything is going well so far... Except for one problem. The biggest launch title you have, a Kart racer staring an Italian plumber, costs $80. And people don't find out about this until after your big presentation. And given that you haven't really said or shown anything so far to justify this high price tag, people are outraged. Demand on streams to "DROP THE PRICE", accusing you of being "greedy" and "anti-consumer". So your complete failure to properly communicate pricing info to potential customers has now created a massive PR nightmare, and is dampening the hype of your new system.

Point being, how do you think Nintendo can turn this pricing mess around, and do you you think they can turn it around. Those saying Switch 2 will be another Wii U disaster or 3DS blunder. No. Switch 2 can easily be salvaged IMO. All Nintendo has to do is come clean and explain their pricing situation on games, and maybe even walk back pricing on some of them.
 
Shifty1897

Shifty1897

Member
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I think if people keep complaining and preorder numbers look soft, they'll backtrack eventually.
 
PeteBull

PeteBull

Member
Switch2 will sell first 40-50m units very quickly, likely in first 2 max 3 years, after sales will slow down nintendo always can make some pricing adjustments or even launch new and improved 3nm oled model to boosts sales once again, for now lets worry we wont experience scalping deep into holidays season with 50%+ premium over msrp on that thing, not if units in stores will actually sell- they will easily, and for a long while too :)
 
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Puscifer

Puscifer

Member
Nintendo Switch 2 a new career to afford this shit.


I'll see myself out



Anywho, Vietnam + California & The USA are working to do something about the tariffs which I guess is the plan so we'll see.
 
Puscifer

Puscifer

Member
whyman said:
In Sweden we do, and it’s crazy expensive. Nintendo could dump prices for Christmas I guess but anyone who buys one now would be upset.
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It'll be a 3DS situation all over again, people have to accept sooner or later early adopters make the investments for improvements or price drops later on.
 
Deerock71

Deerock71

Member
If it's just game prices, no. Nintendo might be raising the bar, but I'm sure the non-profit, charitable organizations Sony and Microsoft will follow suit.

I don't see how $450 is a deal-breaker on the hardware full-stop.
 
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JaxarGT

JaxarGT

Member
Yeah it's expensive, but I think it will sell out for probably the first 12 months or so and then may slow down, prompting price reductions.
 
N

nick776

Member
I'm not understanding why there is so much controversy over the Switch 2 price and the price of Switch 2 games. Is the sentiment more of "I cannot afford to pay the higher prices because I do not have the money," or is it more along the lines of "I should not have to pay that much money for something I love just to enrich greedy Nintendo corporate?"
 
Q

QLQ

Member
Yes, they have the power to do anything. How? The way they did with the 3DS and saved it from total disaster, and still went on to *only* sell half what the DS sold.
 
MayauMiao

MayauMiao

Member
Jubenhimer said:
Imagine this scenario. You're a Kyoto-based gaming corporation coming off of a massive success with your home/portable hybrid console with detachable controllers. A lot of hype is surrounding it's successor and so far everything is going well. The hardware is impressive, the games are impressive, even the price of the system is fairly affordable given the power. Everything is going well so far... Except for one problem. The biggest launch title you have, a Kart racer staring an Italian plumber, costs $80. And people don't find out about this until after your big presentation. And given that you haven't really said or shown anything so far to justify this high price tag, people are outraged. Demand on streams to "DROP THE PRICE", accusing you of being "greedy" and "anti-consumer". So your complete failure to properly communicate pricing info to potential customers has now created a massive PR nightmare, and is dampening the hype of your new system.

Point being, how do you think Nintendo can turn this pricing mess around, and do you you think they can turn it around. Those saying Switch 2 will be another Wii U disaster or 3DS blunder. No. Switch 2 can easily be salvaged IMO. All Nintendo has to do is come clean and explain their pricing situation on games, and maybe even walk back pricing on some of them.
Click to expand...
They just look at the pre order demands to make a decision. Stream chat means nothing and its a terrible indicator to use to gauge the actual market.

I highly doubt they will change the price seeing how the competition aren't doing any better.
 
Jubenhimer

Jubenhimer

Member
MayauMiao said:
They just look at the pre order demands to make a decision. Stream chat means nothing and its a terrible indicator to use to gauge the actual market.

I highly doubt they will change the price seeing how the competition aren't doing any better.
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I think people will be willing to stomach the $80 pricing if Nintendo was more upfront about their reasons behind it. They can end this controversy in a day if they just open up.
 
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blacktout

blacktout

Member
Basically, this is what they'll do, imho:

- First, wait for clarity on the tariff situation. They're not going to make any decisions or announcements until they know for sure that they're not taking a 40% haircut on every unit sold.

- If the US and Vietnam reach an agreement and the tariffs are no longer a factor, open preorders for the Switch 2 at the announced price.

- Go ahead with the planned Mario Kart Direct and use it to make the pitch that the scope of the game and its changes to the Mario Kart format justify the high price point.

- See what the pre-order numbers and discourse around the console look like after the Direct is over, hoping that all of the negative publicity will have died down in the intervening weeks and will be replaced by hype for the system and its games.

- If preorders seem soft and/or it seems like the price backlash is still ongoing and will damage sales of either the system or Mario Kart, have Doug Bowser or some other figure do a media apology tour where they give interviews and explain Nintendo's pricing rationale, probably with an emphasis on the power of the system, and that the $80 price point will only be reserved for a few select "premium" games rather than being the new standard.

- If that fails and things look particularly grim, give MKW a $10 price cut and give away some minor additional goodies with the system (like a year of NSO and that fucking system tour "game" that should have been free anyway, lol).
 
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digital_ghost

digital_ghost

I am a closet furry. Don't you judge me.
They made drastic price cuts before. Pretty quickly after launch. For example the 3DS launched at $250 but they slashed the price later to $169.99.

Nintendo isn't afraid to lower prices if the device isn't selling.
 
SegaSnatcher

SegaSnatcher

Member
Well here's the thing, Switch 2 is not an essential purchase for those with tight pockets.

Nintendo will have no problem selling out of Switch 2 stock early on, but the main issue I see is long term sales as they are potentially pricing themselves out of a lot of families.
 
Codes 208

Codes 208

Member
Deerock71 said:
If it's just game prices, no. Nintendo might be raising the bar, but I'm sure the non-profit, charitable organizations Sony and Microsoft will follow suit.

I don't see how $450 is a deal-breaker on the hardware full-stop.
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Yeah i dont get the rage here either. Its $100 more than the oled and still cheaper than a ps5 physical edition, series x, steam deck oled or rog ally.
The console itself is a fair asking price

$80 for the games however is not
 
DavJay

DavJay

Member
It’s not even the price that’s bothering me. The damn key card, low onboard storage and extremely expensive memory solution is a killer to me.
 
Deerock71

Deerock71

Member
Codes 208 said:
Yeah i dont get the rage here either. Its $100 more than the oled and still cheaper than a ps5 physical edition, series x, steam deck oled or rog ally.
The console itself is a fair asking price

$80 for the games however is not
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Sadly, having had nearly a decade to ponder this move, I think Nintendo's just ahead of the curve here.
 
Azelover

Azelover

Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
It's an easy thing to turn around. Just reduce the price 10 bucks less for Mario Kart and you're good to go.

I'm gonna tell you a secret. The DS was also a PR disaster in the beginning. It's difficult, but it's possible to turn the ship around. As long as you don't take too long to do it, or if it's something you can't really fix.
 
L

LakeOf9

Member
A lot of this outrage is very similar to the outrage around the Switch's pricing in January 2017, only it seems louder because social media is a toxic, polarized, engagement farming hellscape at this point where the loud and shrill voices spouting negativity and misinformation get amplified.

To be clear, this isn't to say the pricing isn't bad. It is. This isn't to say complaining about it isn't valid. It is.

I however doubt it actually amounts to anything. We've been here with the pricing for the original Switch, its accessories, its games, pricing for remasters like Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Returns, Luigi's Mansion 2, New Super Mario, and of course, we can't forget the outrage and toxicity around Pokemon and the boycotts... all of which then led to the bestselling games in the series in 20 years.

I don't think this noise will amount to anything much in the end.
 
L

LakeOf9

Member
SegaSnatcher said:
Well here's the thing, Switch 2 is not an essential purchase for those with tight pockets.

Nintendo will have no problem selling out of Switch 2 stock early on, but the main issue I see is long term sales as they are potentially pricing themselves out of a lot of families.
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Eventually I imagine they will have a cheaper Switch 2 Lite that lets lower income and younger players be able to get one as well. That's pretty much what they did with the original Switch. No price drop, but eventual cheaper model.
 
Darkmakaimura

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
This is just my stupid opinion but everything is going up in price so I really don't think it's going to hurt it that much.

Especially now with tariffs and all.
 
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