- Nintendo has developed a reputation for seldom discounting its flagship games.
- According to a former executive, this is the case because the company launches feature-complete titles from the beginning.
- As an example of this approach, a game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has never gone on sale digitally.
Nintendo has long been famous for rarely discounting its games, and the company has frequently received criticism over this approach. Compared to other gaming giants like PlayStation and Xbox, Nintendo games almost always retain full price, especially when looking at digital prices.
Discussing this philosophy, a former Nintendo executive recently admitted that this happens because the company launches feature-complete games, an approach that most others in the industry don’t follow.
Why it matters: Previously, a Nintendo PR manager commented on the matter, highlighting Nintendo’s unique position among other gaming giants as a key reason its games rarely go on sale.
Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former Nintendo of America President, was recently invited to speak at New York University. On the subject of games that require day-one or future updates to function at their best, Reggie Fils-Aimé described Nintendo’s differing philosophy in this regard.
He confirmed that even though Nintendo might sometimes follow this practice itself, the company typically hates doing so. Moreover, the former executive went on to compare the company’s approach to Kyoto craftsmanship, which is known for being some of the finest in the world and aiming for perfection.
The Nintendo mentality is we’re shipping the game complete. It’s ready to play. There’s no day-one update that’s gonna take 3 hours.
Reggie Fils-Aimé then elaborated on how this approach results in Nintendo barely discounting its games, especially the biggest first-party blockbusters. As the former Nintendo of America President himself describes, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has never been discounted digitally by the company.
As a result, this is where sometimes customers push back; we don’t discount our games. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild never received a price discount from the day it was launched.
Of course, the Japanese gaming giant could still find itself diverting from this approach following the harsh economic conditions of today.
This is something Reggie Fils-Aime also believes needs to be addressed, so it will be worth keeping an eye on the pricing policy moving forward, especially since very few others can match the creativity of Nintendo’s output.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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