Iwata went on to explain that the price would remain the same between digital and physical products because he wants to make sure consumers don’t devalue digital games, he wants them to feel that they got their money’s worth.
For games in highly recognizable franchises like Mario, or Pokèmon Iwata said that prospective customers see one of these games and instantly know that they will be getting more than what they paid for.
He said titles like Pokèmon X/Y and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon had strong sales both in physical and digital platforms.
The Nintendo president also said that many consumers tended to notice the convenience of digital purchases, such as not having to carry around multiple game cards, and as such consumers who made one digital purchase were more likely to make another.
Interestingly Iwata concluded saying that the company would be open to lowered prices on new intellectual properties, or for games from existing properties with new gameplay mechanics. This would be an attempt to boost sales for lesser known games that may otherwise quickly fade from consumers’ consciousness.
While I applaud Nintendo for using price parity as a form of quality assurance, would it kill them to drop prices every now and again?
