Nintendo is making games cheaper with its new price policies

Nintendo is breaking the old console pricing model and, on balance, making games cheaper. This year it has moved to a multi-tier pricing system: Star Fox launches at $50, Rhythm Heaven Groove at $40, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book at $60, Switch Sports Resort and Splatoon Raiders at $50, and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave at $70.

That marks a turnaround from earlier pricing this year, when Mario Tennis Fever was $70 and the Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder cost $80, while Mario Kart World reached $79.99. Nintendo appears to be matching prices to a game's content and development effort — $50 for a high-production-value remake with a short runtime or a casual sports minigame collection can make sense.

Surprisingly, apart from Rhythm Heaven Groove, all the above titles are $10 cheaper on the eShop. Nintendo has chosen to pass the savings of digital distribution on to consumers, rather than raising physical prices, a move few other console platform holders have made.

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