It turns out that one of the many factors that Nintendo, and CEO Satoru Iwata, looked at when determining the dream device’s final price point was the fan-response after it was revealed at this year’s E3. It seems that as gamers were drooling over themselves while watching the pretty three-dimensional images Nintendo was showing off during their press conference, Iwata and company were secretly watching us right back and doing a bit of drooling of their own. However, their drool was likely wiped away with hundred dollar bills as they contemplated just how much to charge wide-eyed gamers for this new toy.
I’m not trying to paint Nintendo as greedy, corporate Scrooge McDucks because, at the end of the day, can we really blame them for letting us influence their pricing decision? Both media and fans who have had the chance to get the 3DS between their excited digits have not done the best job of showing a poker face regarding their excitement levels. In fact, for the most part, the general vibe surrounding the device has been one of, “Oh my goodness, how many people do I need to kill in order to get one of these things right now,” rather than the usual amount of skepticism and questions that surrounds most new tech.
Even with the divided reaction towards the 3DS’ price, Nintendo doesn’t seem worried and is apparently willing to call any naysayer’s bluff about not buying one since they are projecting to sell 4 million units in the first month of release.
How do the Ranters feel about Nintendo’s pricing strategy? Are we to blame for not doing a better Lady Gaga impression when the 3DS was finally unveiled? Or is the Big N doing a little price gouging at the expense of our gadget lust?
We’ll find out if Nintendo’s pricing was a wise decision when the 3DS is released February 26th in Japan, and March in the U.S.
Source: Andriasang
