Nintendo confirms $90 price for full Breath of the Wild experience on Switch 2

$90 to replay a 8 year old wiiu game. Why would anyone?
- As relevant now as it was over a decade ago.
  https://assets.penny-arcade.com/comics/panels/20060915-MmXth6Fj-p3.jpg
- Nintendo fanboys are notorious suckers
  
  There are lots of people with disposable income who don't have the technical capability to pirate.
- $10 to replay it, replay meaning you already have the switch version. Or free if you have switch online expansion pack. It's only going to set you back 90 (instead of 80) if you've never owned it and you want it on switch 2
  
  Isn’t that crazy?
  
  Not if you bought it on the WiiU like I did.
  
  I bought a physical copy of BotW while I was living Japan. My Nintendo account is U.S. My copy of TotK is Digital to boot.
  Fuck me, right? lol. What an ass hole I am!
  
  $90 is still an insane ask for an almost decade old game but at least they're not completely screwing over the people who already own it for once.
- I played it six years ago, but with a better experience than switch 2… thank you, cemu
  
  I've been wanting to play botw so I tried it on cemu awhile back but couldn't get it to work. I'll have to try it again and see if I can figure out what I was doing wrong.
- Pretty soon you won't be able to buy a Switch, once manufacturing ceases.
  Nintendo famously never discounts. But this is actually Nintendo's way of not only never discounting, but increasing the price over time.
  
  Pretty soon you won't be able to buy a Switch
  A new one, but pretty soon the market will be flooded with second hand switches
  
  There are Switch games being released in 2026. I expect new Switches will continue to be produced at least until then.
- I wouldn't pay $90 for it, but Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition was definitely fun enough to keep playing.

Nintendo is still justifying my choice to never give another penny to Nintendo.
- Same. I loved the Switch. My next gaming console will be the Steam Deck. Fuck Nintendo, it's over.
  
  You can play Switch games on Steam Deck! At least I do. Some play even better than on Switch.
  
  I've owned every Nintendo console. It used to be that Nintendo = cheaper console, often cheaper base games compared to of the rest of the industry. Wii remained $50 after the other guys had moved to $60 and the Switch stayed at $60 after they moved to $70 (aside from their dirty little trick of TotK). Now their console is almost as expensive as a PS5 and they're leapfrogging even the $70 standard to price their top-tier games at $80? Sheer greed and hubris. Maybe there are enough rabid Nintendo fans to support their pricing, but I won't be one of them.
  
  Steam Deck is a handheld PC not a console. Also it runs a lot of Switch games better than Switch itself.

that's gunna be a lot of sad kids on Christmas when the great depression 2 has settled in
- Oof.

better framerates, higher resolutions, and HDR support
Interestingly you can get all that for free now. Yarr

Kinda expected when you pull an CEO from EA
- Yeah, you can really see the AAA cooperate enshitification taking hold.
- Wow, I had actually never heard that Doug Bowser was formerly at EA. Ooof
  I get that it's more fun to point out his name, I'm just surprised I hadn't seen the comment made before.
- Even EA isn’t this greedy.
  
  If they owned Mario and Zelda, you can bet your britches they would be.
  
  Hell EA is doing good now in some ways like open sourcing the command and conquer games. Maybe they got rid of their Shit executives to Ubisoft and Nintendo.

Existing owners can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $10, gaining better framerates, higher resolutions, and HDR support.
I didn't realize they had this option. As far as legal routes go, that's not terrible (assuming there's no weird downside, like no longer being able to play the original on the switch 1). Free would be better, of course, but $10 certainly beats paying $90 just to play the improved version on switch 2.
- It's basically the PS4 to PS5 $10 upgrade thing. The difference is that Nintendo isn't dropping the price of their 8 year old game, unlike what the rest of the industry does. So it's $60 BotW + $20 DLC + $10 Switch 2 upgrade = $90. Absolutely ridiculous.
- The upgrade pack is also free for Expansion Pack tier switch online subscribers from what I've heard at least for botw/totk. So if youre already on one of those for N64/GBA/Genesis/GameCube then it's no extra cost

Honestly... Piss off with that Nintendo.

One of the issues I have with the new open-world style Zelda games is that they don’t have replay value. After finishing each once (which takes a lot of time), I can’t actually imagine wanting to go back and play them again. So yeah, Nintendo can charge what they want and it isn’t very appealing regardless. Increased resolution isn’t going to change the experience.
- Increased resolution probably wouldn't make a difference, but keeping the framerate at a steady 30 (or even better 60) would make a noticeable difference. At least it did when I played it on PC
- I replay OoT and MM at least once a year. I can see myself replaying these new Zelda games at some point and enjoying them, but I won’t likely pay $90 for the privilege.
- Interestingly I'd say the complete opposite: BotW was my fave and I feel I could replay it in quite a different style (e.g. trying to beat it without any dungeons, trying to 100% it), whereas the others are all very linear and my only option is to play it again in the same way.
  (Obviously I don't need to pay any additional money to do either though!)
  
  The others are certainly more linear, but you could also do things like the three heart challenge. Or emulate and play a randomized game.

Steamdeck already has this experience for free 🙈
- Steam is not free. Steam is 30% cut to businesses.
  Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft offload their costs via yearly subscription costs as well as developers paying a protection fee to launch on their platform. Steam just has the highest protection money scheme. You wouldn't want anything to happen to the games you're publishing through them, would you?
  
  Woooooosh

IDK how to feel about rising video game prices. On the one hand, prices were stagnant for decades. On the other hand, companies can sell far more copies of games than they could back in the 1980s and 1990s. The cost of games is all in the development. The more you sell, the cheaper the price can be. They cost next to nothing to package and distribute (or are distributed digitally.)
On one hand, games are a lot more complex and expansive than they were back in the day. On the other, game devs now have tools the creators of old couldn't even dream of. No one is hand coding the next Mario game is assembly.
There's a lot of variables here. And it's really just hard to make a fair judgment about it.
- If they're turning billions of dollars in profit each year, there's no reason to raise the price. Fuck them
- In many ways I think rising prices could be great, but in reality, they won't be. With the technology available today, we could have even cooler games than we do, and more games, and more great games. We could have more diverse and experimental games. It would be lovely if solo indie developers were able to make a living from making great games, rather than basically needing to chase a dream akin to getting drafted into the NBA. Game developers are seriously underpaid, it would be great if they got paid as much as other software developers, especially since their work is equally complex and usually more stressful.
  In reality, rising game prices will not help with any of those things, and will just make the C-suite richer. The one silver lining is that this may allow small indies to start charging a more livable realistic price for their games.
- Yeah but BOTW has already made them rich. Development is finished and even the next game is 2 years old. I call it pure greed.
- They cost next to nothing to package and distribute (or are distributed digitally.)
  Steam takes 30% cut. This, of course, does not apply to nintendo, but still

They'd make a lot more money if they priced it at the 20 - 40 range
- They really wouldn’t. They would have to triple or quadruple sales to take that sort of a hit. As it stands it’s one of the best selling games of all time already, basically everyone interested in it already owns it.
  Financially, they made the right decision. As annoying as it is from the consumer side.
  
  If I were to buy a switch 2, I might consider a rebuy at 20-40, but I've already beaten it and I ain't pain 90$ lmao
  
  That assumes people actually buy it though. Everyone already has this game, so I would expect most of the sales to come from the upgrade pack and not the $90 switch 2 edition. Nintendo usually makes bank by selling old games at full price with a generational console gap.
  Tons of the full price successful "remasters" on Switch were Wii games which people no longer used, and Wii U games which no one originally bought.
  On the other hand, the last time I didn't see Nintendo make bank on literally zero effort was never, so I'm not that hopeful that people won't just shill out for this scam too.
  
  i'm interested in it. i don't own it.
  
  I bought it second hand. Nintendo got $0 from the sale. In fact, two thirds of our physical games have been purchased second hand.

The first and only console I bought was the original Wii. Games were expensive so I did not have many. I managed to install a few emulators and use it for older console emulation.
After some years they started pulling the plug on the online services. That's when I decided I would never buy another console again. I will not feed any more walled gardens. I have more games than I can play on my PC, a lot of them are DRM free.

Title is a bit misleading
There are a few scenarios here.
You own the game on switch and already have the dlc so pay nothing unless you want to pay $10 or have the switch online subscription for the switch 2 edition if you want the enhancements. For a total of $0-10 depending on your choice
You own the game but dont have the dlc so pay $20 for that and then $10 for the switch 2 version unless you have the subscription for a total of $20-30 depending on your choice.
You dont own the game so you buy the switch 2 version for $70 and the dlc for $20 for a total of $90.
This is not the same as the $90 game lie thats being told, but it is painted that way. To get clicks.
Paying $70 for a game and then paying more for an expansion is nothing even close to new. For example, Destiny 2 is free but if you want the DLC its gonna cost you between $150 and $270 depending on when you buy it as there are sometimes deals on.
- Breath of the Wild is 8 years old at this point. Asking $70 for that is pretty egregious in my opinion. Maybe for TotK that'd be more acceptable but for BotW I think it's a very steep price. Especially given that it's common that rereleases usually include dlcs by default.
  I'd expected $60 for the full package, not $90, given that the amount of development work was likely pretty low (the game was finished years ago after all). So 50% higher than expected.
  The SM64+Sunshine+Galaxy bundle game was $30, for comparison. That's three full games that they needed to put in effort for to run on the Switch.
  
  Absolutely fair. An 8 year old game should not cost $90 all in.
  I dont dispute that. I just think the article is misleading as there is a lot of talk about $90 switch 2 games, which turned out not to be true, and it creates anger that is misplaced. Even if the reality isn't far from that lie.
  I do, however, think it's an interesting thought experiment to come at it from another angle.
  Imagine the article was "8 year old AAA game and DLC at a huge discount" and the article said things like:
  breath of the wild was ahead of its time on release
  the graphics still look great thanks to the cell shading and art style
  unique gameplay elements and a modern feeling combat system
  vast open world with expansive storyline
  on par with modern games
  currently only $50 on this deal, a bargain considering everything you get for that price
  From this point of view i think you would agree that anyone would argue its worth more than $50 and that its a great deal despite being 8 years old.
  Nintendo games should definitely come down in price over time, but the point is its just so easy to spin something however you want if you use the right words.

And, not that anyone cares, I vow never to buy another game from them- at least at that price.
Retaliatory non consumption.
- After the Wii, I sword that I was never going to buy another console just to play Zelda. I eventually got a Switch to play Breath of the Wild and basically nothing else (I owned a total of 4 Switch games). When they sued the shit out of the Yuzu people, I decided it was time to finally live up to the promise I had made. I gave the Switch, which I hadn't touched in years, to a friend to use as a gift for his kids and committed to never giving Nintendo another penny.
  I'll reevaluate that stance if they ever make significant changes to their practices.

My ol' good Switch 1 will keep rocking my TV set until it breaks apart. I never asked for a Switch 2 anyway.
- Same, I need to repair the fan on mine asap though. The ifixit parts don’t look too bad but it does not look like a fun operation haha.

I have the Wii U version, and I don't plan to replay it... on any console.

Nintendo doesn't give AF about poor people.
- They aren't your friends, they don't care about you - they care about the money in your pocket.
  They know they are too big to fail, so they are gonna raise prices 50% no problem.
- I'd wager most video game companies don't
- Why would they? Not saying it's right, but there's literally zero motivation for them to focus on people who can't buy their products. They are a luxury good.
  They are a company who exists to make money, not entertain us, despite that being what they say (in order to sell more). Them, and every other for profit company in the world.
- No for-profit company does as they don't get money from them. This is not caring about anyone who's not wealthy.

So sounds like a public library check out.

They have literally been doing this with every older game they've ever produced. New system? New larger price to play on the new system.

I already have the DLC and with Nintendo membership, you get the rest for free if you already have the game, DLC not included.

🤮🤮🤮🤮

Everybody RRRREEEEEEEEEE's about Nintendo, but Kingdom come deliverance II released at $90 for the base game and I fucking LOVE Kingdom come deliverance, I wasn't paying that shit. 2 months later, I got the gold edition or whatever for $80. (PS5) I am very happy with the purchase. Looking forward for the DLC lol.
- I mean one of those is a new game, the other is an 8 year old game, I think that at that point complaining about it being 90$ is valid.
  
  Complaining about Nintendo charging $90 for a Wii U game is absolutely valid
  
  Good point. Its the first time I've paid that much. And I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't KCD2 lol.
- What? KCD2 60 USD for the base game on release for PC and 70 USD for consoles (console tax).
  https://steamdb.info/app/1771300/
  If you paid 90 bucks for the base game, you definitely did it wrong.
- I run a simple calculation in my mind, a movie costs~15$ and lasts for a few hours. If a game i'm buying has a good chance of beating that ratio, i'll buy it.

- Who are the IT terrorism supporters?
- Video games, and Zelda especially, should only be for rich, privileged folk. Poor people need to work 3 jobs if they want to play games in all that free time they must have.

I’m not as against this as everyone else. If you want a AAA game without microtransactions, in-game advertising, and all the other bullshit you get nowadays, you’re gonna have to expect the company will want to make that money up in other places. Games have been like £50/$60 since the N64 days and we’ve been lucky that the prices haven’t risen with inflation.
- This is a fucking 8 year old game. Fuck all the way off with this shit.
- There are a lot of AAA titles without all that bullshit and none of them costs that kind of money, on any platform.
- Yeah but just for a rerelease with some new paint?
- Games were $60 in SNES days, I know I paid around that for Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger
  
  Chrono Trigger MSRP was $70 iirc and some titles were even $80
- As someone that argued this the other day, volume and production costs are waaaaaay different than then. This is a false equivalence.
- Everyone also always forgets that they save money on distribution massively. And that the amount of games sold has increased significantly.
  It's not as simple as dollars had more value, games should cost more.
  
  And subscriptions, MTX...game companies are making bank and would still make more than enough if games were $50.
- $90 for an 8 year old game, lmao you are a clown. Some of you people that play on consoles are losing your fucking minds, especially on prices and costs on things.
  Throwing away so much money on consoles and accessories, online subs, games, you could literally just build a PC for cheaper