GamerToday
10-08-2005, 07:32 PM
NINTENDO REVOLUTION - $99.99 ??? (http://www.totalvideogames.com/news/Nintendo_Revolution_-_$99.99__8646_0_18.htm)
Posted: 17:34 on 08 Oct 2005
By: Chris Leyton
Will Nintendo price itself out of the conflict waged between Sony and Microsoft...
Since the unveiling of the Revolution’s controller split opinions right down the middle, rumours on Nintendo’s next-gen offering and the intensity of blogs from “inside sources” has dampened down to a trickle.
Today forums and fanboys sparked into action however with the allegation that the Revolution would be hitting the market for $99.99 yet at the cost of being the least powerful of the three next-gen platforms.
Again it’s worth bearing in mind the unhealthy dosage of salt required alongside such speculation although it’s hardly comes as a big surprise; there’s no doubt that such a pricing strategy would put Nintendo well out of the race that Microsoft and Sony are gearing up for - at their own request!
Dating right back to the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Nintendo’s policy has always focussed around attractive prices over cutting-edge technology, so the suggestion that Nintendo would sacrifice the power to match the Playstation3 and Xbox 360 in order to find an attractive price for a new audience of “lapsed gamers” certainly seems plausible despite the fact that Nintendo will never allow a console to be sold at a loss.
On the flip side such a pricing can also have a negative impact with the current gamer audience, leading many to believe it’s inferior in some shape or form as the GameCube found to its peril across Europe after the drop to £99.99.
If such a strategy is currently within the final stages at Nintendo’s headquarters it represents a brave decision on a risky venture for the Japanese giant. In the seminal year of the GameCube and GameBoy Advance, Nintendo proudly proclaimed the “Nintendo Difference” at E3’01. The subsequent failure of Nintendo’s home console however saw the slogan fizzle out, but the goals behind it gain even more significance four years later – namely to focus on innovation, the best first and second-party games, familiar alongside new franchise characters and a legacy of quality and creativity.
Such a policy never did the business the first time around for Nintendo, however the Revolution is in a completely different proposition to the GameCube, it dares to be different from the rest. Whether or not such a change is enough to convince people however when a $99.99 price-point could send out the wrong signals, particularly in a time when visuals are more important then ever remains to be seen – but then again so does an official announcement from Nintendo on the subject.
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Let look at the current Console War: Gamecube was price lower at all times. Gamecube is in third place. Public AKA Mass Market AKA Casual Gamer, Average GAmer, Power Gamer all perceive Nintendo as inferior due to the kiddy image and game titles.
Nintendo has a history of poor relations with Developers, Retailers, Gamer and Public.
Selling it at $99.99 will not help the image with already negative perception of Nintendo.
Selling at $99.99 maybe perceive at some brilliant Business Strategy. Remember Gamecube was at $99.99 and it did not help sales of the console overall.
Nintendo Fanboys will diagree and make all kind of justifications. Market will determine it and Historically, Market always left NIntendo in last place in both current console and PS1/N64 console war.
Nintendo will repeat it self as last place. PS3 and Xbox 360 will be (1st and 2nd) again or )2nd and 1st)
Posted: 17:34 on 08 Oct 2005
By: Chris Leyton
Will Nintendo price itself out of the conflict waged between Sony and Microsoft...
Since the unveiling of the Revolution’s controller split opinions right down the middle, rumours on Nintendo’s next-gen offering and the intensity of blogs from “inside sources” has dampened down to a trickle.
Today forums and fanboys sparked into action however with the allegation that the Revolution would be hitting the market for $99.99 yet at the cost of being the least powerful of the three next-gen platforms.
Again it’s worth bearing in mind the unhealthy dosage of salt required alongside such speculation although it’s hardly comes as a big surprise; there’s no doubt that such a pricing strategy would put Nintendo well out of the race that Microsoft and Sony are gearing up for - at their own request!
Dating right back to the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Nintendo’s policy has always focussed around attractive prices over cutting-edge technology, so the suggestion that Nintendo would sacrifice the power to match the Playstation3 and Xbox 360 in order to find an attractive price for a new audience of “lapsed gamers” certainly seems plausible despite the fact that Nintendo will never allow a console to be sold at a loss.
On the flip side such a pricing can also have a negative impact with the current gamer audience, leading many to believe it’s inferior in some shape or form as the GameCube found to its peril across Europe after the drop to £99.99.
If such a strategy is currently within the final stages at Nintendo’s headquarters it represents a brave decision on a risky venture for the Japanese giant. In the seminal year of the GameCube and GameBoy Advance, Nintendo proudly proclaimed the “Nintendo Difference” at E3’01. The subsequent failure of Nintendo’s home console however saw the slogan fizzle out, but the goals behind it gain even more significance four years later – namely to focus on innovation, the best first and second-party games, familiar alongside new franchise characters and a legacy of quality and creativity.
Such a policy never did the business the first time around for Nintendo, however the Revolution is in a completely different proposition to the GameCube, it dares to be different from the rest. Whether or not such a change is enough to convince people however when a $99.99 price-point could send out the wrong signals, particularly in a time when visuals are more important then ever remains to be seen – but then again so does an official announcement from Nintendo on the subject.
-------------------------------------------------
Let look at the current Console War: Gamecube was price lower at all times. Gamecube is in third place. Public AKA Mass Market AKA Casual Gamer, Average GAmer, Power Gamer all perceive Nintendo as inferior due to the kiddy image and game titles.
Nintendo has a history of poor relations with Developers, Retailers, Gamer and Public.
Selling it at $99.99 will not help the image with already negative perception of Nintendo.
Selling at $99.99 maybe perceive at some brilliant Business Strategy. Remember Gamecube was at $99.99 and it did not help sales of the console overall.
Nintendo Fanboys will diagree and make all kind of justifications. Market will determine it and Historically, Market always left NIntendo in last place in both current console and PS1/N64 console war.
Nintendo will repeat it self as last place. PS3 and Xbox 360 will be (1st and 2nd) again or )2nd and 1st)