For any who still don’t view Apple as Nintendo’s biggest competitor, read this

Acutely summarized by 1up:

Some would argue that the model used by Nintendo is outdated; people would rather spend $0.99 on an app than $39.99 on a new game. While the average App Store game might not have the same level of quality as a retail 3DS titles, many are quite good — and even if they aren’t, users can buy another 39 cheap App Store games and potentially get as much, if not more, play time and enjoyment out of them than they would from one 3DS game.

Face it: Video games are now a commodity. Yes, you can still sell a brand-name game at a premium. But like Perrier water, just don’t expect it to sell as well. Unless of course it reinvents the definition of “game” – which doesn’t happen often (think Mario, Zelda, Wii Sports, etc).

As for us fans: We win! Game prices are gonna get a whole lot cheaper in the next several years.

Of course, games might get a little crappier too as a result. One could argue the same happened to music and movies after they were digitally commoditized over the last 15 years.

But overall, I think cheaper games are a win for the consumer. Even high-profile developers have been clamoring recently for AAA retail games that cost no more than $15-20. And we’ll soon get them, if not cheaper, thanks to digital, which further reduces the price of goods sold.

Moving forward, it’ll be game on… for less. What’s not to like about that?