Fans Call To Action To Boycott Nintendo

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It seems that Nintendo is facing growing dissatisfaction from its fanbase due to a perceived shift towards less consumer-friendly practices. It’s not only about the cost of upcoming titles, but also other aspects that fans find problematic.

You Can’t Afford A Switch 2? Shame On You

Nintendo persists in justifying the high cost of the Nintendo Switch 2, attributing it primarily to its successor boasting significantly greater processing power. Enhanced Joy-Cons and rising costs due to inflation are additional factors contributing to the price tag. However, this still leaves us questioning why the overseas version is approximately $100 pricier than its Japanese counterpart. Bill Trinen, Nintendo’s Vice President of Player & Product Experience, addressed the pricing of the games in this regard.

The price of video games has been very stable for a very long time. I actually have an ad on my phone that I found from 1993, when Donkey Kong Country released on the SNES at $59. That’s a very, very long time where pricing on games has been very stable. And so obviously, it would be great if we didn’t live in an era when everything is getting more expensive, so there’s that reality of it.

Nintendo believes that the cost of the upcoming console, the Switch 2, is quite fair. Don’t worry if you find it hard to purchase; you can always opt for its previous model instead!

Other Opinions

It has been argued that gamers have already signaled their preference with their purchases in the past. For years, PlayStation and Xbox games have been costly and yet remain popular. Consequently, Nintendo’s decision to price its new console similarly can be seen as a strategic move to keep up with market trends. When adjusted for inflation, the SNES was actually pricier than the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, though it didn’t require additional controllers, subscriptions, or SD cards. However, even without these extra costs, the SNES still appears more expensive to us today.

You Don’t Own Your Games… Literally

As a passionate gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but voice my concerns about an issue that’s close to my heart – the preservation of classic video games. Recently, Nintendo unveiled a new approach to purchasing their games, which I believe might impact the longevity of these cherished titles.

As a gamer myself, let me share an interesting twist on buying games: Instead of finding the actual game within the cartridge, what you really get is a virtual key. You still need to insert this cartridge into your console to download the game, which feels oddly retro but costs you an extra $10 for a fancy case and plastic cartridge. Now, imagine Nintendo one day shutting down the Switch 2 servers. That’s when the lights will go out on all your beloved games.

At the airport, you’ve just purchased the latest Donkey Kong video game. The concern now is whether the Wi-Fi speed is sufficient enough for a swift download of its 70GB file size, or else you’ll spend your entire flight gazing out the window and pondering your decisions in life. After all this, there might be a need to delete the game again to free up space for another one.

Pirates Everywhere

It’s unfortunate that Nintendo persists in restricting emulation in all forms. However, it’s good news that they’ve unveiled a few Gamecube games for the Nintendo Switch Online & Expansion Pack! The catch is, there are only three games. This wouldn’t be such an issue if we had other means to play these titles. While emulators themselves aren’t illegal, sharing game files remains a punishable offense. So, if you yearn to revisit the world of ‘Animal Crossing: Wild World’, you can either purchase the game (from which Nintendo no longer receives any profit), navigate a tricky process to download it onto your PC and play it on an emulator, or buy a discontinued Nintendo DS and new cartridges, none of which benefit Nintendo financially. In this way, Nintendo’s strategy could lead to the extinction of many games that will never be accessible again.

What’s Next?

People strongly feel that, as customers, we have the power to express dissatisfaction and bring up issues when necessary. Given the rising costs in today’s world, it’s time for us to exercise our purchasing decisions more carefully. Even if we might say something like, “Gaming is my hobby, and I can afford this console, so why not?”, our actions suggest that despite increasing prices, we will still purchase their product.

How do you feel about this call-to-action? Does the price of the Nintendo Switch seem prohibitive to you, or do you believe that Nintendo is undeserving of the criticism it’s receiving?

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2025-04-11 17:10