Rime will be more expensive for Nintendo Switch because developers have no choice
Switch console is a little paradise for indie developers - dev kit console for testing games is not much more expensive than the basic model, but Nintendo has promised to indie games to give attention and visibility what kind of on any other platforms often they do not get. However, as case demonstrated in the upcoming game Rime, there is one problem in the whole story - some titles have to be expensive on Switch.
Rime like that will be 10 euros more expensive in version for Switch than for the PC, XBO and PS4. This unsettled the owners of Nintendo's new console so with a rather negative attitude accused developers Tequila Works that they unfairly charged a higher price of the game. At the time when the price information appeared it was not known who is to "blame" for this and what is the reason behind it that Switch owners have to pay 10 euros more for the game - in the case Rime a total of 40 euros. However, the portal Eurogamer has unearthed an interesting truth to light.
In fact, nor Tequila Works nor Nintendo are not completely to blame for the made situation. Nintendo allows manufacturers and publishers of games that on their own determine its sale prices. On the other hand, the producer determines the price by the cost of production. It is known that the cartridges on which games to Switch come cost more than Blu-ray media for PS4/XBO games. Cartridge price depends on two factors - how big the game is and in how many copies is being multiplied. Larger games on cartridges of 16 and 32 GB cost more to produce, and the price is even more expensive if they are reproduced in small quantities.
But, the complications come with that the same game in digital form on the eShop may not be more expensive than the versions for other consoles. In fact, this is only true if the game is released exclusively in digital form. Just as digital content on other consoles after releasing are nothing cheaper than a physical copy, so Nintendo cannot afford to sell digital games cheaper if there are physical copies of the same in the stores.
To the developer on Switch therefore is practically cost-effective to release the game just digitally, but to that jumps the other problem - to the Switch player now is not cost-effective to buy the digital version of the game because if something happens to the console, there is likely a risk that the player for some time will not be able to access digital purchased games not even if purchases a new console.
Tagged with: indie, controversy, Nintendo
