Hardware eShop Prices are Shitty!

[the_randomizer]

Maybe I could agree that VC isn't overpriced if Nintendo at least provided some more options, basic things like filter/smoothing options that emulators elsewhere have and also not have inferior color output to FCEUGX on Wii. These games are fucking ancient which isn't to undermine their quality in any way but god damn that shit stacks up quick too when there's tons of good games across all these old platforms plus they have the usual DRM that goes with digital distribution, this isn't even factoring in that you can get far better deals on Steam.

Funnily enough NES games have filtering, as to GBA games (they're being handled by a company call M2, who wrote the Genesis/Megadrive emulator for the Wii VC). Snes games look horrible compared to the unofficial emulators, yes, and that's just pathetic that hackers do what Nintendont do, there needs to be more variety, and as such, I've all but given up hope on the VC on the Wii U. If they mysteriously released N64 games, then maybe, just maybe, I'd continue to buy from the eShop. Other than that, I just don't even bother with it anymore.

 

[AkiraCast]

Funnily enough NES games have filtering, as to GBA games (they're being handled by a company call M2, who wrote the Genesis/Megadrive emulator for the Wii VC). Snes games look horrible compared to the unofficial emulators, yes, and that's just pathetic that hackers do what Nintendont do, there needs to be more variety, and as such, I've all but given up hope on the VC on the Wii U. If they mysteriously released N64 games, then maybe, just maybe, I'd continue to buy from the eShop. Other than that, I just don't even bother with it anymore.

I should've clarified that I take issue with the filtering itself, I apologize for that, I want the option to turn them off. I'm aware the GBA ports are by the awesome dev that is M2 but the prices are just too high for my tastes, although the ports are great and I appreciate that for GBA they let you turn off smoothing the options still aren't up to par with what I'd say is ideal. For N64 I'll again probably just buy my favorites if the price is higher than PS1 Classics on PSN.

 

[the_randomizer]

I should've clarified that I take issue with the filtering itself, I apologize for that, I want the option to turn them off. I'm aware the GBA ports are by the awesome dev that is M2 but the prices are just too high for my tastes, although the ports are great and I appreciate that for GBA they let you turn off smoothing the options still aren't up to par with what I'd say is ideal. For N64 I'll again probably just buy my favorites if the price is higher than PS1 Classics on PSN.

Snes has no filtering on the games, but NES games do, which is odd and inconsistent. I'm partial to the unofficial emulators personally, the filtering looks more like my CRT did back in the 90's than it does in the VC, but that's just me I hope we get Genesis/MD games, N64 and the alleged DS games. I think the fact M2 did it shows they care more about options than NOA does.

 

[Apex]

Given that many Snes and GBA games on eBay or Amazon are more expensive, the prices are reasonable given the content of said games. Can you find Castlevania IV, Contra 3, Super Mario World, or Golden Sun for less than 10 dollars in good condition? I highly doubt it. Games that are short, like sports games or less than 1 hour of content, are overpriced.

Super Mario World - Used is $12, $240 new
Super Castlevania IV - $32 used, $208 new
Earthbound - $171 used (cart alone), $1000 new with box and manual
Contra 3 - $37 used, $199 new
Golden Sun - $15 used, $150 new
Superstar Saga - $12 used, $80 new

And you're telling me that eight dollars for each of these games is overpriced? Are you kidding me? That's just BS man.

I agree that they're over priced.

Depreciation of value over time should not reflect rarity of something if it's in digital form. The reason those games are the prices they are now are because of their value to collectors, not because of the actual manufacturing cost in today's market. They should be priced based on what they are: a convenience. The digital version of these games on a platform that you'd like to play it on is what you're paying for, because what companies like Nintendo and Sony are doing with these older games is no different than using an emulator and roms, you are just paying to play them on your shiny new videogame system instead of your computer.

With games sold through virtual console, the profits are near 100%, therefore the prices are somewhat arbitrary. They are priced the way they are because that's what companies like Nintendo think they can get away with charging. So I pose this question (which simple mathematics could solve.) How would Nintendo make more money, selling to an smaller audience that's willing to pay $8 for a few classics from their childhood, or selling them for $3, to a larger audience of impulsive shoppers? Platforms like Steam that have sales sometimes exceeding 90% off make profit from people who impulsively shop and would have otherwise never considered the game they've just bought.

If the e-shop had SNES games for $1, I can think of at least 10 games I would buy without second thought. But as they stand ($9.50ish where I live.) I wouldn't consider buying a single one. They are not competitively priced, I can play them for free on the same television with a different (and debatablely better PS3) controller via my computer.

 

[the_randomizer]

I agree that they're over priced.

Depreciation of value over time should not reflect rarity of something if it's in digital form. The reason those games are the prices they are now are because of their value to collectors, not because of the actual manufacturing cost in today's market. They should be priced based on what they are: a convenience. The digital version of these games on a platform that you'd like to play it on is what you're paying for, because what companies like Nintendo and Sony are doing with these older games is no different than using an emulator and roms, you are just paying to play them on your shiny new videogame system instead of your computer.

With games sold through virtual console, the profits are near 100%, therefore the prices are somewhat arbitrary. They are priced the way they are because that's what companies like Nintendo think they can get away with charging. So I pose this question (which simple mathematics could solve.) How would Nintendo make more money, selling to an smaller audience that's willing to pay $8 for a few classics from their childhood, or selling them for $3, to a larger audience of impulsive shoppers? Platforms like Steam that have sales sometimes exceeding 90% off make profit from people who impulsively shop and would have otherwise never considered the game they've just bought.

If the e-shop had SNES games for $1, I can think of at least 10 games I would buy without second thought. But as they stand ($9.50ish where I live.) I wouldn't consider buying a single one. They are not competitively priced, I can play them for free on the same television with a different (and debatablely better PS3) controller via my computer.

This is precisely why I've given up on eShop and VC altogether and use unofficial emulators on the Wii/Wii U's Wii mode. Those emulators are much better anyways.

 

[AkiraCast]

Snes has no filtering on the games, but NES games do, which is odd and inconsistent. I'm partial to the unofficial emulators personally, the filtering looks more like my CRT did back in the 90's than it does in the VC, but that's just me I hope we get Genesis/MD games, N64 and the alleged DS games. I think the fact M2 did it shows they care more about options than NOA does.

Yeah I agree, praised be M2, I also hope we get those Sega games, PCE and all that good stuff cause at the end of the day Wii U VC is still the only option for playing with the actual gamepad buttons.

 

[avran89]

For the most part e-shop prices are high, that's on the devs since they control the price. There are occasional sales (in the US region that i know of) that are steals like AAA titles for 10 or 20 bucks.

 

[the_randomizer]

Yeah I agree, praised be M2, I also hope we get those Sega games, PCE and all that good stuff cause at the end of the day Wii U VC is still the only option for playing with the actual gamepad buttons.

I can see them handling Genesis games again and write a good emulator, but at this rate, with only one game per week (which is asinine), ugh. XD

For the most part e-shop prices are high, that's on the devs since they control the price. There are occasional sales (in the US region that i know of) that are steals like AAA titles for 10 or 20 bucks.

Virtual Console games' prices do need a revamp for sure, there are games that has content that doesn't justify the price.

 

[stomp_442]

I payed 10 bucks for a stupid pokedex. HUGE waste of money.

Didn't Nintendo give that title away on the DSi? Some how I ended up with it (I know I didn't buy it) and then transferred it to my 3DS.

 

[Thirty3Three]

Didn't Nintendo give that title away on the DSi? Some how I ended up with it (I know I didn't buy it) and then transferred it to my 3DS.

Not sure! But it was either that or a (VERY) overpriced eshop copy of "Link's Awakening", which I've beat numerous times already and would NOT be buying over a decade later for 6-8 dollars.