You know, I've noticed that MarioKart DS is still the $35 it's been since I got it over two years ago, and it'll most likely be that price come the three-year anniversary, but I've noticed that this is the same with just about every game on the Wii and DS out now. Apart from the games destined for the bargain bin (shovelware titles for the most part or the occasional game that just doesn't sell well), just about everything is still full retail price. Now, this got me to thinking. I remember the Player's Choice line coming out during the SNES era, seeing how I didn't really get into the console gaming until then and I'm more than sure that the NES didn't have anything of that sort. And the last generation to get anything of the sort was the previous Gamecube/GBA era.
In fact, the only GBA game I've seen with the distinctive PC boxart change was Super Mario Advance 1. I mean, I have no idea when that was rereleased, but I'm thinking by now, there have to be some titles that can be price-dropped, right? I mean, I remember the SNES/GB ones having the gold ribbon on them saying "Player's Choice - Million Seller" and I'm certainly more than sure that some titles have sold more than a million here. =P
This applies to Sony and Microsoft too as the Wikipedia Player's Choice article points out. I mean, I've seen Greatest Hits for the PSP now (but not the PS3 as far as I know) and I know of 360 Platinum Hits too, so where's Nintendo in all of this?
Of course, I'm expecting at least one "They're making too much money to drop the price!" and I can understand that given that you don't drop the price on something still selling well, you drop the price to snare the bargain hunters and people who were reluctant to pay $50+ for the game. But even with that in mind, are people really that willing to pay full price for something that's been out there for almost three years now (as the example of MarioKart above)? I'm not someone who pays diligent attention to the market so I have no idea how long it takes for a game to get that lower pricetag apart from the "ohshit sales are bad" stage.
I've actually been burned by this as well. Like, I bought F-Zero GX at a retail store for maybe $45 thinking it was a good deal on a quickly-rare game, but then Ninty drops it to $20 literally the week after I get it. Dammit. But that aside, I have benefited from it more than anything since stores would actually have the carts and whatnot and plenty of them, and I'd be able to afford them as a kid.
In fact, the only GBA game I've seen with the distinctive PC boxart change was Super Mario Advance 1. I mean, I have no idea when that was rereleased, but I'm thinking by now, there have to be some titles that can be price-dropped, right? I mean, I remember the SNES/GB ones having the gold ribbon on them saying "Player's Choice - Million Seller" and I'm certainly more than sure that some titles have sold more than a million here. =P
This applies to Sony and Microsoft too as the Wikipedia Player's Choice article points out. I mean, I've seen Greatest Hits for the PSP now (but not the PS3 as far as I know) and I know of 360 Platinum Hits too, so where's Nintendo in all of this?
Of course, I'm expecting at least one "They're making too much money to drop the price!" and I can understand that given that you don't drop the price on something still selling well, you drop the price to snare the bargain hunters and people who were reluctant to pay $50+ for the game. But even with that in mind, are people really that willing to pay full price for something that's been out there for almost three years now (as the example of MarioKart above)? I'm not someone who pays diligent attention to the market so I have no idea how long it takes for a game to get that lower pricetag apart from the "ohshit sales are bad" stage.
I've actually been burned by this as well. Like, I bought F-Zero GX at a retail store for maybe $45 thinking it was a good deal on a quickly-rare game, but then Ninty drops it to $20 literally the week after I get it. Dammit. But that aside, I have benefited from it more than anything since stores would actually have the carts and whatnot and plenty of them, and I'd be able to afford them as a kid.
)