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[Zen_Arcade]

These are terrible comparisons. The closest comparison is the already available digital copy which costs zero dollars in US or Canadian money. I'm not condoning piracy or suggesting people choose that route, but if you're being realistic that's Nintendo's competition here. They need to make a product at a price that's more compelling than a free download that works on your computer or your phone, and they seem to be failing at doing that.

Also, for what it's worth, Nintendo sees the same amount of money from a pirated copy as they do a secondhand physical copy.

It's also a terrible comparison because it's a jip anytime a digital game costs as much as it's retail counterpart. People should be expecting a retail version of a game to go for more for all of the benefits a physical copy of something has that the digital version does not. Even if you get rid of piracy angle there are other retro video game digital distribution models that it should be compared to.

 

[Host Samurai]

$8 seems like a lot for straight ports, or maybe I am just cheap.

Considering the fact that PS1 games run a mere $6 and PS2 games are $10, I would say they they are a bit too expensive. Why a port of SMW is $2 less than Final Fantasy 9 and more expensive than RE2 baffles me.

 

[CDX]

So SMB3 is finally being released in the US simultaneously on the Wii U and 3DS. And it's around the time we should get the next Direct. Maybe that's when they'll announce cross buy?

That's got to be the reason NoA postponed SMB3's release so much, right?

One can hope. If not when SMB3 simultaneously releases on both 3DS & Wii U, then when?

SMB3 was promised as a 2013 release, and both NoE and Japan got it before the US. Perhaps SMB3's delay was because they couldn't get the cross buy system setup fast enough and NoA wanted to launch the cross buy with SMB3.

Of course it's equally possible it's just Nintendo being Nintendo, and we'll never have a cross buy system ...but there was that Emily Rogers rumor last year.

 

[Gestault]

The amount of content in each of those games makes me raise an eyebrow at the claim that they're asking too much for them at $8.

Most of these games cost considerably more for a second-hand physical release. Despite what you may think, these games are priced based on demand, not supply. One of the better illustrations of this is Super Mario World being the single most common Super Nintendo game, but it's certainly not the cheapest to buy.

 

[Madao]

the part that is hard to stomach is that there's no discount for those that already have these games. i was cool with paying $1.50 to get the Wii U versions of SNES Wii VC games since i already had them and a discount like that was pretty good.

i don't think i'll be double dipping on any of these, as much as i like the games because i have an Ambassador 3DS and the original carts too and i'd like a discount for the games i already have.

 

[cacildo]

Okay. And what price would be universally accepted? What's the perfect price to make everyone say "I will buy this game." Other than FREE of course.

To be honest, there isn't one.

GBA? $2

Put it NES at $1, GBA at $2, SNES at $2,50 and you will have every single wiiu owner buying VC games

More people buying VC means more people talking about VC which could even mean more awareness about WiiU itself. But that would only happen with lower prices



Anedoctal evidence that VC games with the current price structure sell a miserable amount of copies:

- a lot vc games on wiiu have 0-5 "votes", you know, the little stars you use to rank the games after you buy em
- Games from the .30 promotion have a lot more "votes", like Super Metroid has more than 1000
- "But those "votes" things are too hidden, nobody knows about em" i bet the few people that are die hard nintendo fans enough to buy Renegade on the eshop know about these votes/rank thing. And Renegade has 0 votes

How many copies did those VC games sold for $5, $8? Maybe some VC games are selling less than 10 copies?

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

No crossbuy
No accounts
Expensive
Trickled releases of inferior versions of their flagship titles.

Yes, no thanks Nintendo. I'd buy these so easily if they fixed their damn problems. Wtf took SMB3 so long?

 

[LegendofLex]

SMB3 was promised as a 2013 release, and both NoE and Japan got it before the US. Perhaps SMB3's delay was because they couldn't get the cross buy system setup fast enough and NoA wanted to launch the cross buy with SMB3.

Given what we've heard about NoA spearheading some of the modern account features, I wouldn't be surprised.

But the cynic in me thinks it was just delayed so they'd have a game out on the Easter "holiday" weekend.

edit: I think the funniest thing about the price complaints is that people are willing to shell out > $60 for shit games due to hype, but not $8 for tried-and-tested games because "that's too much."

 

[Sora_N]

Wish these were for 3ds. I don't have a WiiU yet.

 

[Mockingbird]

In For Golden Sun!

 

[Metallix87]

Wish these were for 3ds. I don't have a WiiU yet.

Time to upgrade, my friend.

 

[Walter Matthau]

What if they reduce the price to $1 or $2, would you buy games you are less interested in?

I probably would, especially if it was some limited time offer impulse buy.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

Considering the fact that PS1 games run a mere $6 and PS2 games are $10, I would say they they are a bit too expensive. Why a port of SMW is $2 less than Final Fantasy 9 and more expensive than RE2 baffles me.

Maybe compare it to the far worse version of FF6 available on PSN for $10. At least the GBA version of SMW is just as playable as the SNES version and has a few interesting differences.

 

[Ridley327]

GBA? $2

Put it NES at $1, GBA at $2, SNES at $2,50 and you will have every single wiiu owner buying VC games

More people buying VC means more people talking about VC which could even mean more awareness about WiiU itself. But that would only happen with lower prices



Anedoctal evidence that VC games with the current price structure sell a miserable amount of copies:

- a lot vc games on wiiu have 0-5 "votes", you know, the little stars you use to rank the games after you buy em
- Games from the .30 promotion have a lot more "votes", like Super Metroid has more than 1000
- "But those "votes" things are too hidden, nobody knows about em" i bet the few people that are die hard nintendo fans enough to buy Renegade on the eshop know about these votes/rank thing. And Renegade has 0 votes

How many copies did those VC games sold for $5, $8? Maybe some VC games are selling less than 10 copies?

We know that Bravely Default sold 200k copies between retail and digital in February. The number of votes on it as of right now is 3028.

I really don't think there's much correlation between votes and actual sales.

 

[Archaix]

It's also a terrible comparison because it's a jip anytime a digital game costs as much as it's retail counterpart. People should be expecting a retail version of a game to go for more for all of the benefits a physical copy of something has that the digital version does not. Even if you get rid of piracy angle there are other retro video game digital distribution models that it should be compared to.

Yeah, it's really just a different market. The people buying 15 year old physical copies of games aren't doing it just because they want something to play, they generally want that object for one reason or another. Either nostalgia, collection, or the permanence of having the game cart. Once you get past those reasons and want to play the game itself, you need to worry about what their options are. A month ago there was a huge resurgence of people wanting to play Pokémon Red. What was their option? Piracy. And that's pretty much the only option they had. If it were available on Wii U for $10, they may have still gone with the piracy option because it was a fleeting moment of nostalgia and that's a bigger commitment than people were willing to give when they just got swept away in the Twitch hysteria.

And that's completely ignoring a huge segment of the market-People who never actually played the game the first time around. It's not like Wii U owners are wanting for free time with the overload of games they have available, but you are never going to grab a casual buyer at what looks like a premium price for retro/classic games. Some people might rave about how they think $8 is a bargain for Metroid Fusion (personally I'd suggest going with a good sandwich, at least there's 8 hours or so before a sandwich turns to shit) but that's because they played and loved the game years ago. These games aren't as attractive to people who haven't invested hours into them and years into thinking about how much better games were back then.


edit:

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii phenomenon (and it was a phenomenon--when was the last time a single-SKU release sold that well?) says hello.

New Super Mario Bros Wii was a new game. Even if people like to complain about Nintendo's recent releases being "low effort" or whatever other complaints they lob at the series (I loved the NSMB games personally), it's still a new thing and it looks like a modern take on an old style of game. No Gameboy Advance game looks anything close to modern today. Hell, a lot of GBA games looked dated and ugly at release.

 

[m.i.s.]

I don't understand why we get GBA games on the Wii U. Shouldn't it be 3DS gets handheld games and Wii U gets console games? Why am i stuck playing NES and Gameboy games on the 3DS in 2014?

Here's your answer -

I'll take anything I can get for my WiiU at this point.

-------

I guess there's no shortage of fans willing to bend over.

 

[LegendofLex]

It's not like Wii U owners are wanting for free time with the overload of games they have available, but you are never going to grab a casual buyer at what looks like a premium price for retro/classic games.

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii phenomenon (and it was a phenomenon--when was the last time a single-SKU release sold that well?) says hello.

 

[Metallix87]

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii phenomenon (and it was a phenomenon--when was the last time a single-SKU release sold that well?) says hello.

Yeah, I really think some people in this thread don't realize how reasonable $7 - $8 is. With limited time sales, that's impulse buy territory.

 

[silenttwn]

Eff the haters, I'm excited about this. I've never played Advance Wars.

 

[Schweinehund]

I've been itching for golden sun




on my 3DS

 

[LegendofLex]

Yeah, I really think some people in this thread don't realize how reasonable $7 - $8 is. With limited time sales, that's impulse buy territory.

I will say, though - there really needs to be more of a pricing spread. There's really no reason for SMB3 to be priced the same as... well, 90% of the NES library. Let the demand decide the price.

 

[Plinko]

GBA? $2

Put it NES at $1, GBA at $2, SNES at $2,50 and you will have every single wiiu owner buying VC games

More people buying VC means more people talking about VC which could even mean more awareness about WiiU itself. But that would only happen with lower prices



Anedoctal evidence that VC games with the current price structure sell a miserable amount of copies:

- a lot vc games on wiiu have 0-5 "votes", you know, the little stars you use to rank the games after you buy em
- Games from the .30 promotion have a lot more "votes", like Super Metroid has more than 1000
- "But those "votes" things are too hidden, nobody knows about em" i bet the few people that are die hard nintendo fans enough to buy Renegade on the eshop know about these votes/rank thing. And Renegade has 0 votes

How many copies did those VC games sold for $5, $8? Maybe some VC games are selling less than 10 copies?

Bolded is complete speculation and my guess is that those who buy make up for the 2-3 who wouldn't when it comes to profit.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii phenomenon (and it was a phenomenon--when was the last time a single-SKU release sold that well?) says hello.

NSMB aren't retro games. Just because it's a 2D side scrolling platformer doesn't mean it's a retro game.

 

[Metallix87]

I will say, though - there really needs to be more of a pricing spread. There's really no reason for SMB3 to be priced the same as... well, 90% of the NES library. Let the demand decide the price.

The only issue is with lesser experiences, like Pin Ball and Urban Champion, which don't merit their price tags.

 

[Aaron Strife]

I will say, though - there really needs to be more of a pricing spread. There's really no reason for SMB3 to be priced the same as... well, 90% of the NES library. Let the demand decide the price.

On one hand I don't think shit like Tennis and Urban Champion should be the same price as Mario 3, sure.

On the other... it's five bucks.

 

[DoubleTap]

Here's your answer.



I guess there's no shortage of fans willing to bend over.

"Bend over"? GTFO with that.I already have a WiiU to play it on so why not? More games for it are never a bad thing. Why screw myself on my investment by not buying anything for it? Plus, I find the price reasonable for games I would like to play legitimately On and off TV.

Don't agree with the price? It's simple, don't buy it.

 

[Shauni]

Wow at the negativity at the price. I mean, honestly, is $7-8 that much for people? Is it the mobile age or .99 or bust or something? Like, I honestly don't get it. I'd love for them to be cheaper, sure, and some of these games (like the lower end NES games) should be priced lower, but $7-8 is not a lot for these games.

 

[sörine]

$7 is cheaper than I was expecting for the low end. I figured it'd be $8 like SNES.

 

[Pociask]

On one hand I don't think shit like Tennis and Urban Champion should be the same price as Mario 3, sure.

On the other... it's five bucks.

And you can download brand new games on the App store for free. I've gotten the Injustice Game, Crazy Taxi, Pure Chess, and some others... for free. Why would I pay 5 bucks for Tennis or Urban Champion, games that just aren't that good, ever?

But as I mentioned, in general I don't think 8 bucks is too much for the quality GBA releases. But for some of those stinkers that Nintendo put up just because they can? They used to give that stuff away for free in Animal Crossing because they knew it wasn't worth anything.

 

[LegendofLex]

NSMB aren't retro games. Just because it's a 2D side scrolling platformer doesn't mean it's a retro game.

How would you say the general public reads NSMB, then?

 

[Tripon]

Its been stated time and time again, but the Wii u digital storefront is what Nintendo is building on from now on.

They're doing this so that with next gen they are not starting from a clean slate every single time they launch a new product. Just think about it. They rebooted the eShop with the Wii Shop, dsi shop, 3ds eShop and the Wii U shop. That's 4 different shops for 4 different devices. Its time to pick the one they want to use forward, and it was the Wii U eShop.

 

[Davey Cakes]

I guess there's no shortage of fans willing to bend over.

I don't see it as "bending over."

 

[Zen_Arcade]

How would you say the general public reads NSMB, then?

A new Mario game? You'd have a point if the Wii sold a bunch of systems because they put the original Super Mario Bros up for download or if Nintendo released something like Mega Man 9/10. But it's an updated new entry in the series of 2D Mario games.

By your logic you could trace most games back to the roots of their respective genres and call them retro games.

 

[JoeM86]

Wow at the negativity at the price. I mean, honestly, is $7-8 that much for people? Is it the mobile age or .99 or bust or something? Like, I honestly don't get it. I'd love for them to be cheaper, sure, and some of these games (like the lower end NES games) should be priced lower, but $7-8 is not a lot for these games.

Pretty much :/ Mobile platforms, Steam and Humble Bundles have really damaged the pricing model of games.

It's when they use the "I could download it illegally for free" argument to justify them wanting it to be low price that I raise an eyebrow.

 

[NathanMcMahon]

Shitty prices but hopefully Advance Wars means they still have love for the franchise. I need a new one.

 

[Chris R]

Shitty prices but hopefully Advance Wars means they still have love for the franchise. I need a new one.

Advance Wars would be a killer WiiU game

 

[NathanMcMahon]

Advance Wars would be a killer WiiU game

I can only hope but I'd settle for a 3DS version too. It's been too long.

 

[Socreges]

Doesn't the GBA version of YI have additional levels? I guess Nintendo didn't want to invest the resources in having the SNES version with the GBA levels though I can't imagine that'd be TOO difficult.

 

[cacildo]

We know that Bravely Default sold 200k copies between retail and digital in February. The number of votes on it as of right now is 3028.

I really don't think there's much correlation between votes and actual sales.

True, and i mentioned that

(well, not about bravely default, but about how the link to vote is not exactly in your face...)

But i took 2 minutes to check every Miiverse post of game owners for the game Renegade

Keep in mind the game was released on 27/02/14, on both 3ds and WiiU. It was the only Virtual Console game released that day

Number of owners of this game who posted on Miiverse: 25

Really, i think VC games are selling like crap. Like a-few-of-them-probably-under-10-copies crap

 

[sörine]

A new Mario game? You'd have a point if the Wii sold a bunch of copies because they put the original Super Mario Bros up for download or if Nintendo released something like Mega Man 9/10. But it's an updated new entry in the series of 2D Mario games.

By your logic you could trace most games back to the roots of their respective genres and call them retro games.

Mario All-Stars Wii was a $30 SNES ROM on a disc and it sold over 2 million copies. So did the $20 Classic NES SMB1 on GBA a decade back.

New or old, Nintendo's games tend to move stupid amounts at high prices.

 

[LegendofLex]

A new Mario game? You'd have a point if the Wii sold a bunch of copies because they put the original Super Mario Bros up for download or if Nintendo released something like Mega Man 9/10. But it's an updated new entry in the series of 2D Mario games.

But Nintendo had put out multiple new Mario games between 1990 and 2006. None of them did as well as NSMB. Why is this?

 

[Archaix]

On one hand I don't think shit like Tennis and Urban Champion should be the same price as Mario 3, sure.

On the other... it's five bucks.

A very brief sampling of games that you can buy right now for less than the cost of an emulated GBA game on WiiU:


BioShock 1/2
Fable
Crusader Kings 2
Assassin's Creed 1-3
Alan Wake
Darksiders 2
Sonic Generations
Total War: Shogun 2
Alpha Protocol
Red Faction Guerrilla


That's from 30 seconds of research and only looking at large release games from the time of the past generation, and I'm only counting games that I've played and would actually recommend people play. I'm completely ignoring older games or newer games that normally retail for less money (You can get Volgarr for about 5 bucks and it's both a clear throwback and better than most games that came out during the period it's throwing back to). You can argue that a lot of classic Nintendo games are better values or better games in general and you wouldn't be wrong necessarily, but that's not the way a generic customer would perceive it to be the same way.

The average Wii U customer can probably count their VC titles on one hand (at least partly because Nintendo can put out 2 games a week out of their catalog of thousands, and it seems like a flood of new content). Go to the Steam community thread here and you see people buying so many games they are literally giving them away because they are cheap. Nobody expects to buy a 15 year old game for more than what they can buy a year old game for the same price.

 

[Mothman91]

I have never bought anything on the VC. Want to replay SMB3, so all I gotta do is buy a nintendo shop prepaid card and use the code for shop $$??

 

[Metallix87]

Mario All-Stars Wii was a $30 SNES ROM on a disc and it sold over 2 million copies. So did the $20 Classic NES SMB1 on GBA a decade back.

New or old, Nintendo's games tend to move stupid amounts at high prices.

We're done here, clearly.

 

[Orniletter]

GBA? $2

Put it NES at $1, GBA at $2, SNES at $2,50 and you will have every single wiiu owner buying VC games

This has to be a cynical joke.

We are talking about long, high quality games on par with SNES games .

Look at iOS to see how far $2 will get you there.

Spoiler: Not far....at all.

 

[Snkfanatic]

I have never bought anything on the VC. Want to replay SMB3, so all I gotta do is buy a nintendo shop prepaid card and use the code for shop $$??

Yes, that or you could link your credit card to it and just pay the needed funds.

 

[Metallix87]

I have never bought anything on the VC. Want to replay SMB3, so all I gotta do is buy a nintendo shop prepaid card and use the code for shop $$??

Yes. Credit cards are also accepted.

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

Wake me up when Zero Mission is released.

 

[Hatchtag]

I think the big problem is Nintendo's done a piss-poor job creating a feeling of ownership with their digital products. The lack of an account system is scary, making it feel that if we are to lose our hardware, we lose all the games with it. But it doesn't end there. It's also the constant push they give to re-purchase software. The same games we bought with the Wii VC require upgrades to be bought to fully-play them on the Wii U. There's also no ability to play these games on the 3DS, even if the emulators are already there.

Basically, the big reason people don't think these are worth $8, is because we know we'll have to repurchase it on the next machine Nintendo comes out with, and the next one. That doesn't exactly make these games feel valuable.

Meanwhile, other digital storefronts, such as PSN and Steam, have features like this. With Steam, should I buy a new PC, I can just download the game again. With PSN, the PS1 games I own can be played on the PS3, Vita, PSP, and most likely the PS4 soon. I don't constantly feel like I'm going to have re-purchase what is really just a rom.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

But Nintendo had put out multiple new Mario games between 1990 and 2006. None of them did as well as NSMB. Why is this?

People like the 2D version? That doesn't mean that 2D Mario = Retro game. If they had kept making 2D Mario games until now and never stopped would it still be considered a retro game? Is Street Fighter IV a retro game just because the series started in the 80s?

Mario All-Stars Wii was a $30 SNES ROM on a disc and it sold over 2 million copies. So did the $20 Classic NES SMB1 on GBA a decade back.

New or old, Nintendo's games tend to move stupid amounts at high prices.

I didn't say no one bought them, I said people aren't buying systems for them. How many of those 2 million people do you think bought a Wii so they could play SNES ROMS?

We're done here, clearly.

Maybe if you don't pay attention to what I'm saying, sure.