Another “analyst” predicts that the Revolution will retail for $200. From the article: “Perennial US analyst PJ McNealy predicts that the Nintendo Revolution will hit shelves at a modest $200 price tag. Of course we all know the official announcement that the Revolution will retail at ‘less than $300.'”
Where do I sign?
[Source: GameShout]
Anonymous
Does Nintendo selling their systems for less money cause a percieved sense that they are inferior in the market? You’ve got the 360 which for all intents and purposes is 400 dollars, then you have the PS3 which will probably be at least that much. By selling their product for 200 does Nintendo risk sending the signal, for the second console generation in a row, that they have a system which is not as good as the others?
You have the statement from Sony claiming that the PS3 is something to make you want to work extra hours to get. Does this make the Rev look like something not even worth spending your money on or does that just make in the perfect second system for those Microsoft and PS3 owners?
I’ll be getting one the first day I can, and the less expensive the better, and I hope that more people feel like me. I would view a 200 dollar Revolution as an incredible value. I just worry that if not enough other people see it that way it will be hard to convince developers to spend extra time and money to write games for Nintendo’s notably different console.
Silent K
Analysts can predict all they want – I could care less about what this perticular analyst says – we won’t know for sure until it’s announced.
The lower cost could infer a perceived less value as far as the product is concerned – however, more importantly – a low price tag will [a] mean that it’s an easy buy for everyone that’s waiting for the next N-toy & [b] the low price tag will make it easily approachable to casual or first time gamers [a market that Nintendo wants to capture much more of], to that particular consumer, a lower price of admission – a lower investment – is not as intimidating of a wallet burner than a $700 playstation.
mis
$200 is a given I think. For that price I think we’ll almost certainly see some ‘free’ content with the Rev package.
anon#1 – I see what you’re saying but a DS at half the price of the PSP has not really hurt it’s chances has it? People know it’s a games machine – like GB is a games machine.
I don’t think that issue that you cite should be an issue where Rev is concerned either.
David
With a wireles, motion-based controller, wi-fi connectivity, and free online multiplayer network, I can’t imagine the Revolution selling for less than $250. I plan on paying $300 for it, honestly. Even that seems like a bargain to me.
accelaexp
dont forget one thing : if you pay 200 us dollars for the revo in usa, we, in europe, will pay 200 euros which is equal to 240-260 us dollars.
iwata said that the revo will cost less than 300 us dollars i think, or did he say less than a core x360, considering the price differences between all regions ?
anyway, 200$ may seem a bit low, but 200 euros is just fine and we all know that if the revo sells at 250$ we will pay 250 euros in europe.
thenotoriousB.E.N.
I totally agree w/ the first comment. I think inferiority is the first thing that the xbox and ps3 crowd thinks when they see the lower price tag. On the other hand, a lower price is attractive for non-gamers. I think 250 us dollars is a happy middle ground.
Anonymous
I made some estimates on the technology that is suspected to be in the machine and if the system is what Nintando have stated and nothing new on top, then it should cost around $190 to manufacture and package. This wouldn’t include retailers margins, and shipping etc. (nor did the estimate include a rechargable battery for the controller), but it would make $200 dollars a fairly good bet at retail. If however there are significant undisclosed functions to the system, such as a writable disk drive, or a camera, or full on media playback capabilities, or combinations of those, then they might charge $250 and also break even or take a small initial loss. In both circumstances they may pack in a game to sweeten the deal (perhaps a “cheap” game such as a Revolution version of Brain Training).
My prognostication?: $200 for the system bundled with some retro games (1 NES, 1 SNES, 1 N64) and they reveal:
1. the controller has as yet un-announced microphone abilities.
2. You can read and write encrypted game files onto sd-cards (duh) and standard USB 2.0 device (such as ipods!).
3. A $50 SD-card format add-on will give the system full on media playback functionality, enabling the DVD player and allowing streaming of pictures, music and videos wirelessly over home networks, off cards and USB 2.0 devices.
Frisby
I disagree with the idea that the system will look inferior to the 360 or PoS3. The Game Cube was saw as an inferior system not because of price but because of lack of internet and lack of 3rd party games (both of which they say they have fixed).
Now the DS is consisdered inferior because it dosent do anything but play games…but isnt that why I bought it.
The fact is everyone is goint to find something to talk trash on twards Nintendo. yThe always have and always will. If they are going to bitch that its too inexpensive (cheap implies that it is cheaply made) then let them bitch.
I want games, not an extra $200 for stuff I don’t want or need. Ninteno is giving us an option to play games. I will take advantage.
Rollin
“Frisby said…
I disagree with the idea that the system will look inferior to the 360 or PoS3. The Game Cube was saw as an inferior system not because of price but because of lack of internet and lack of 3rd party games (both of which they say they have fixed).”
Nope. It was the price that did it. You say 3rd party games and internet because ur in the know. It’s the casual purchasers who are in question here. They don’t know about internet features or 3rd party games. They see the low price, a tiny toy-ish box, they think it’s some weak tech. Casual buyers think alot differently than we do.
Domino
I see both of the last comments as being true, but what both seem to forget is that Playstation One kicked major ass in the video game landscape. It did not matter very much how nintendo was viewed by price, people still said damn I want a playstation 2 everyone has a playstation so I want to join in. That is the major factor, the average consumer looks more at what is hot and sony did an excellent job of making their system hot. I know every single person remembers “It’s Thinking”. Just remember price is a factor but trends a la “ipod” are vastly important.
Wai-Tung Leung
I’m quite amazed by the amount of guessing we’re doing about what the general public thinks. Well if you can all make an assumption then it’s my turn! 😛
I reckon unless you’re rich, people don’t go around dismissing something on the grounds of it being cheap (at least not necessarily). I mean I did not buy an iPod and iMac on the grounds that it was expensive therefore it was good and I most certainly did not look at a little PC and other MP3 players and thought “oh it’s cheap so it must be rubbish.” I brought the more expensive items cus I liked it better and I would expect people chose PS2 and Xbox cus they precieved it as better than the GameCube. If you asked them if they wished they had brought it for a cheaper price I’m sure they would say ‘Yes!’
cvh
What exactly did this guy “analyze”?
Rollin
“Wai-Tung Leung said…
I would expect people chose PS2 and Xbox cus they precieved it as better than the GameCube. If you asked them if they wished they had brought it for a cheaper price I’m sure they would say ‘Yes!'”
The thing with most casual buyers is they already know names like Xbox and PS2. They see that both have an $150 price tag and add that fact to whatever mental image they have of those systems from what they’ve heard about them, thinking that 150 bucks is the price this tech needs to be at. When they see a small little Cube that’s unfamiliar to them in name and form, then see that it’s cheaper than the other 2 they actually know, they’ll dismiss it with no question. The price does give off a perceived inferiority.
Frisby
Rollin said…
Nope. It was the price that did it. You say 3rd party games and internet because ur in the know. It’s the casual purchasers who are in question here. They don’t know about internet features or 3rd party games. They see the low price, a tiny toy-ish box, they think it’s some weak tech. Casual buyers think alot differently than we do.
Ignorance is bliss…and expensive too.
Okay, really valid point. But look at the controller intimadation factor and that Nintendo will have demos in every Walmart and Gamestop. Once a casual or even a new game plays the they will see that it more like chosing expensive apples and inexpensive oranges.
Also Rollin, I remeber buying a PS2 while I was not in the know because it had more wall space taken up with games and said “Damn look at all the selection!” (after buying a sega saturn you know blockbuster can be your enemy if you buy the wrong system). The selection was a direct connection with the third party avalibility.
But now I don’t have as much time to play games as I did then so I know quality over quantity. Also the Rev has a all new functionality. I am really off subject but I am just excited.
Wai-Tung Leung
OK let’s get down to the thick of it, none of us are suggesting that Nintendo should raise the price up just so it looks more “superior?”
Anyway it seems Nintendo has no choice but to set it at a low price cus the PS3 is rumoured to have huge multimedia facilities, so Nintendo is hoping to become a ‘second buy’ console. Joystiq did a poll and although it doesn’t represent the world it’s still a useful guide.
Anonymous
Nintendo has never sold a $300 item in its life! A $299 price tag just doesn’t seem very Nintendo-y.
$199 seems like the sweet spot judging from what the Revo will contain hardware wise.
As always, Nintendo will keep up guessing until the very end. I love how they are able to keep us all in heavy anticipation. (I think MS lost a lot of interia by revealing too much 360 info before E3 last year)