Nintendo - NES Classics, Metroid Prime 2 Movies

An anonymous reader writes "Game Informer has broken the news that there will be four new NES Classic titles released for Game Boy Advancein the States this October 25th: 'The four titles will include Dr. Mario, Metroid, Castlevania, and Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link. Each title will retail for a suggested price of $19.99.' [We've previously covered the Japanese re-release of some of these.] Also, Game Informer has put up 15 movies from the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes demo disc that ships with the new Metroid Prime GameCube bundle. The movies cover every single second of the disc, from beginning to end."

Comments

Two of these already on GBA

[R2P2]

Metroid is an unlockable on Metroid: Zero Mission (and Metroid Prime on the Cube), and Dr. Mario is unlockable on WarioWare, Inc. as "Dr. Wario". And Nintendo expects people to pay $19.99 for the old games on their own? They really ought to be releasing these "classics" in compilations, not one game to a cartrige.

Re:Two of these already on GBA

[Anonymous Coward]

Every time these classics come up, the same sentiments are repeated.

If it's too much, why do you care? Do you sit around fuming at how an airplane costs millions of dollars more than it could be sold for? What is the problem? If someone asked for two thousand dollars to buy a piece of tissue paper, you'd just walk by.

The problem is that you want them just enough for the fact that you can't reasonably justify them to be painful. That's what you mean by "milk"... it IS worth it, and you just might buy it. IT's touch and go.

Re:Two of these already on GBA

[gl4ss]

they know people will go for it.. ..and people will buy those things.

and who are we to judge if they're ripped off.

Re:Two of these already on GBA

[Metsys]

I think Nintendo found a great way to get people more incentive to buy their games. It comes with the classics as an added feature! After realizing how popular things like MAME are, they probably got some guys to write an emulator which could be used for any GameCube game.

As far as why they won't just put all the roms onto one disc is the same reason why they didn't put all of the NES games in Animal Crossing. They put a lot of the lesser-known ones there and let the classics like Metriod, Mario, etc. be added as a special feature in thier modern sequels.

Yup, it's all about money.

Re:Two of these already on GBA

[galaxy300]

Another common feature of the free market is variable pricing. Sell an item for $20. Everyone who is willing to pay $20 for that item will buy it. Then, lower the price to $15. A whole new group of people will express interest in the item and buy it. Eventually, you'll see the carts used as pack ins and premiums, or being sold at the low low price of 2 for $20.

Nintendo has every right to use their intellectual property in any way they wish. You also have every right not to pay $20 dollars for it.

Re:Two of these already on GBA

[galaxy300]

I don't understand your point, exactly. I mean, I get your argument that the extension of copyright laws to near perpetuity may be artificially stifling the market. I don't have a strong opinion one way or another on copyright law - I can see that indefinite extensions and restriction on fair use could certainly stifle the creative community, but on the other hand, Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong are Nintendo inventions and that should be respected. Anyway, that's not really my point.

Nintendo is simply charging the maximum price that the market will bear, for maximum profit. It's what any company would do - it's certainly not immoral in any way. Once they get everyone who is willing to pay the $20, they'll drop the price by a few more dollars and pick up more customers. That's not spoilage, that's simply stimulating demand through price cuts.

On the other hand, IANAE (I am not an economist) so maybe I am missing some of the finer points of your argument.