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Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is Priced at $60 USD

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
It ok pal, I also think it's too expensive and 99% probably won't get it (mostly because difficulty spikes of DK:TF), but I'm just trying to figure things out from Nintendo POV and considering how the actual target audience would perceive the product.


I'm just seeing it because I saw your statement but they literally say "from a technical standpoint, it's certainly no match for Luigi's Mansion 3".

It doesn't look bad tho, I thought it looked worse, yet not in the same level.
People spend far too much time worrying about Nintendo’s POV. Which is odd because unless you’re financially dependent on them making money I wouldn’t think that should matter. They’re doing just fine. Let them worry about running the business, let’s criticize them for doing ridiculous things like this when they think it’s ok to charge $60 for a low-rent port of a Wii game that’s already been released once on another system. They fully deserve the L and the criticism on this one.

Agreed on LM2. It looks good, not great. It’s a faithful recreation of the 3DS game that doesn’t look bad by modern standards. But it’s certainly not pushing the Switch to it’s limits. It’s certainly closer to being worth $60 vs DKCR HD.
 
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Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Well....I think over 150 million Switches have been sold......so yes, that is a bomb.
Yeah, that’s…not how sales expectations work, dude. Not in the slightest. Never heard of a game being judged as a bomb before for sales vs an entire install base of a platform. I'm sure the game's sales fell in line with their expectations, and will do it's job of making them money for the next few years at $50, rarely going on sale.
 
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Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
If each of us speaks on other social media naturally, little by little, Nintendo will have a better pricing policy, my money has value to me.
It's all NCL. They want it to be treated as a full price premium release, the little troops at NoA and NoE are like "yes, sir!" and then they watch the financials flow in the next quarter, as they rub their hands together.
 
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Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Straight. Downgrades.


It’s an odd case too, because is it a port of the Wii game or the 3DS conversion? Which version is being modified for Switch and upgraded to HD? The new Switch version includes the new levels from the 3DS version, so doesn’t that mean it’s based off the 3DS version as a framework? And running at 1080p instead of 480 or 360p, which version looks better in HD? Wii or 3DS?
 
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Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Nintendo fans love full priced games that should be $20, they're in this thread already.
For a great game I want to replay again on a modern device, I’m open to $40 😂. If I’m part of the problem, so be it.

Nintendo wouldn’t even bother with anything less than $40, it wouldn’t be worth all the effort. We’d just never get rereleases.
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
Ordered. Love the game and it’s still a better time than 90% of modern AAA titles, including Nintendos more recent efforts.
 

StereoVsn

Member
I'm saying!

I've been telling people for years. Its easy to pick on Activision or EA or something, but its like people are either blind, dumb or deaf to Nintendo's greed and scumminess
Yeah, some of their remasters had stupid high prices for what is delivered. Usually though you can manage to get things for $30-40 on sale or used a year or so down the road.
 

tmlDan

Member
For a great game I want to replay again on a modern device, I’m open to $40 😂. If I’m part of the problem, so be it.

Nintendo wouldn’t even bother with anything less than $40, it wouldn’t be worth all the effort. We’d just never get rereleases.
I mean, it clearly works, i won't personally buy it but we should be pushing for things to be cheaper for old ports/HD remakes
 
It’s an odd case too, because is it a port of the Wii game or the 3DS conversion? Which version is being modified for Switch and upgraded to HD? The new Switch version includes the new levels from the 3DS version, so doesn’t that mean it’s based off the 3DS version as a framework? And running at 1080p instead of 480 or 360p, which version looks better in HD? Wii or 3DS?

I'm guessing the graphical differences were seeing are because the assets were ported to a different engine and the shaders don't quite match. The base game code is probably 3DS.

The real comparison will be how the HD release compares to emulated Wii, which looks pretty amazing because you bump up the internal resolution to 4K or higher. You can also install HD textures that scale all the 2D UI elements to 4K.
 
Finished it on my s23 ultra with dolphin emulator with I'm pretty sure better hd settings than Nintendo will release this for switch.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
I'm guessing the graphical differences were seeing are because the assets were ported to a different engine and the shaders don't quite match. The base game code is probably 3DS.

The real comparison will be how the HD release compares to emulated Wii, which looks pretty amazing because you bump up the internal resolution to 4K or higher. You can also install HD textures that scale all the 2D UI elements to 4K.
This makes sense. Base code off the 3DS conversion.
 

Pachi72

Member
Nintendo reminds me of Apple, nickel and diming the hell out of its fan base. They are the worst of the worst of just remaking everything. Sony can't compete with Kidtendo.
 
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Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Nintendo reminds me of Apple, nickel and diming the hell out of its fan base. They are the worst of the worst of just remaking everything. Sony can't compete with Kidtendo.
It's a double-edged sword. I certainly think a lot of their games are wasted being locked to old machines with no way to play them on current hardware. But examples like this DK HD are just atrocious. $60 is a joke. It's ridiculous to charge $60 for it.
 
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BlackTron

Gold Member
I mean, it clearly works, i won't personally buy it but we should be pushing for things to be cheaper for old ports/HD remakes

The only way to convince them for cheaper prices on ports/remakes is if people stop paying it. No way I'm buying this but I'm pretty sure they are more worried about whether their pricing strategy is actually working than complaints on social media.
 

CherryFalls

Banned
Nintendo reminds me of Apple, nickel and diming the hell out of its fan base. They are the worst of the worst of just remaking everything. Sony can't compete with Kidtendo.

Like nintendo, apple makes unparalleled quality products that aren't actually that expensive for what you get.

it actually so many companies still use windows, we should have moved on from that crap along time ago
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
Nintendo fans love full priced games that should be $20, they're in this thread already.
Well, it's mostly one love great games, pricing is a secondary matter.

I didn't want to give $60 for Xenoblade DE since I was only gonna play Future Connected which averaged at 8 hours in howlongtobeat so I waited for a sale, got it for $40 and ended up giving it 18 hours which is actually a pretty good length.

I enjoyed it so much that I got Xenoblade 3 on sale mid way through and started playing it right after I finished FC, and it is so absurdly good I feel dumb for waiting so long to play it.

I think if you enjoy something so much, no matter what haters say about the price, only you can value it right.
 
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Matsuchezz

Member
Like nintendo, apple makes unparalleled quality products that aren't actually that expensive for what you get.

it actually so many companies still use windows, we should have moved on from that crap along time ago
No way, Nintendo is way behind with technology and they are charging premium prices. Apple at least has a lot of tech behind them and quality of life features in their OS and HW.
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
I mean, it clearly works, i won't personally buy it but we should be pushing for things to be cheaper for old ports/HD remakes
I think it's not a matter of money but brand perception, if there's a very good old game at $30 or $20, why would most people spend $60 in the newest entry?

I know the newest one has the hype, but hype only lasts for the release window, they can't keep it in the long term so they avoid cannibalization by leveraging most games prices, like they remove "price" as a factor for getting one game or the other for long term sales.

At least that's the perception I have with their public statements regarding game pricing and perceived value.

Also they seem to make sure games work perfect from day 1 so the asked price is worth it. I still remember many people shitting on SSHD because it was only an upressed remaster while GTA Trilogy was "all three games with new graphics and cheaper", you all know how that story ended.
 

EDMIX

Writes a lot, says very little
No way, Nintendo is way behind with technology and they are charging premium prices. Apple at least has a lot of tech behind them and quality of life features in their OS and HW.

This. ^

We are talking about a company that is by default is behind its peers in almost every regard. Hardware, Online infrastructure etc Then has the fucking nerve to charge full price for ports.

I need people to understand this...

This fucking game released on Wii at $49.99
Its being ported for $60.

When the fuck have we seen a port cost more fucking money then the original release from a Wii, PS3, 360 gen game?
 
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Zannegan

Member
I guess they thought they left money on the table with Prime: Remastered. Good luck to them, but I won't be buying.
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is also $60. I would have bought both at $40. $60 is toooo much for remasters/ re-releases.

It would be one thing if they had a significant visual upgrade, but these look pretty slapdash. If LM 2 looked like LM 3... but even then, $60 is a hard sell.
 

Impotaku

Member
The best part about this is in 3 years you won't be able to find this anywhere and you'll get yelled at for not spending $60 on it in the first place.
This is the problem with the switch ecosystem. It’s the first time where so many games that aren’t even that old quickly go out of print and then end up been way over 100. Back in previous now retro generations only a few games would end up having crazy price tags but now there’s so many switch games that are several hundred. And that’s before you start going down the road of limited prints where there’s only a few thousand copies out there.

Nowadays it’s either you grab it on release or take the risk and hope the price drops before it goes out of print and everyone snaps up the remaining copies and fucks the pricing.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
This. ^

We are talking about a company that is by default is behind its peers in almost every regard. Hardware, Online infrastructure etc Then has the fucking nerve to charge full price for ports.

I need people to understand this...

This fucking game released on Wii at $49.99
Its being ported for $60.

When the fuck have we seen a port cost more fucking money then the original release from a Wii, PS3, 360 gen game?
People understand it, but they just don't care the tech used... Like, would you mind if someone used Gimp or Photoshop to deliver a design you thought was great anyway? As long as people look at the game and they like it visually, it won't matter if it's using nano-geometry shaders 7.0 with RT Global Illumination or the thing is a fucking 2D pixel art, that's why I've said sometimes in GAF that younger generations care more about gameplay and art style and don't give a damn about fidelity... For you it looks "outdated", but for most people buying it it looks cool enough.
 

BlackTron

Gold Member
apple makes unparalleled quality products that aren't actually that expensive for what you get.

840783.jpg
 

Impotaku

Member
Nintendo reminds me of Apple, nickel and diming the hell out of its fan base. They are the worst of the worst of just remaking everything. Sony can't compete with Kidtendo.
Yeah who raised their prices on ps5 on both hardware & $70 games. But yeah only Nintendo nickel and diming out there lol keep living in that fantasy world.

You have one thing correct though Sony can’t compete with nintendo. They will never catch upto the switch in user base & software sales. They fucked up with this gen, by now the ps5 is in the peak of its release cycle and should be drowning in games but it’s slim pickings. Even in japan they are getting their ass handed to them by a toaster tablet.
 
This. ^

We are talking about a company that is by default is behind its peers in almost every regard. Hardware, Online infrastructure etc Then has the fucking nerve to charge full price for ports.

I need people to understand this...

This fucking game released on Wii at $49.99
Its being ported for $60.

When the fuck have we seen a port cost more fucking money then the original release from a Wii, PS3, 360 gen game?

While I agree completely with your core argument, this port isn't actually going to cost more.

75Exd4b.png


See..., there's like a 12 dollar discount.
 

Lunarorbit

Gold Member
This is the problem with the switch ecosystem. It’s the first time where so many games that aren’t even that old quickly go out of print and then end up been way over 100. Back in previous now retro generations only a few games would end up having crazy price tags but now there’s so many switch games that are several hundred. And that’s before you start going down the road of limited prints where there’s only a few thousand copies out there.

Nowadays it’s either you grab it on release or take the risk and hope the price drops before it goes out of print and everyone snaps up the remaining copies and fucks the pricing.
I really don't like nintendos disney strategy of producing a little number and then locking it away. I had no desire for the mario sunshine bundle but why limit it?
 
I'll laugh if after all these Wii ports and remasters of old Nintendo games that the Switch 2 turns out *not* be backward compatible with the original Switch, giving Nintendo another excuse to re-release them at full price and make the fans double (tripe? quadruple?) dip. I mean I would not put it past Nintendo to do this but it would be a huge risk and could potentially kill sales of the Switch successor if they did.
 

BlackTron

Gold Member
I'll laugh if after all these Wii ports and remasters of old Nintendo games that the Switch 2 turns out *not* be backward compatible with the original Switch, giving Nintendo another excuse to re-release them at full price and make the fans double (tripe? quadruple?) dip. I mean I would not put it past Nintendo to do this but it would be a huge risk and could potentially kill sales of the Switch successor if they did.

Lack of BC would make people riot, but those same people will buy it anyway when Nintendo brings NEW big gun games.

Nobody said I'm not playing Super Mario World on SNES because my NES carts don't work on it. As dismayed as parents were at the prospects.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Like nintendo, apple makes unparalleled quality products that aren't actually that expensive for what you get.

it actually so many companies still use windows, we should have moved on from that crap along time ago
We see you, Tim Cook. Nice try, tho!

Seriously, this isn't a serious comment. At least I hope it's not. At least when it comes to software. Apple makes devices and services. They don't create software. There is simply nothing to do with Nintendo, here whatsoever.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Eat it up Nintendo boys Lol
The people who buy these kinds of re-releases at these prices are exactly Nintendos bread and butter.
I don't think this is actually true. I think Wii U proved that even big Nintendo fans aren't necessarily going to buy everything just because Nintendo makes it and puts their name on it. There weren't enough people who bought that console to sustain them as a company.
 
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