The video game industry is living a silent but forceful transformation, with an increase in prices of not only its games, but of consoles. And although many have pointed out Nintendo as the culprit, after revealing that some titles of his next console, Switch 2, will cost up to $ 80 dollars, a former PlayStation chief argues that the price increase was simply a matter of time.
An announcement that unleashed a wave of increases, according to part of the community
The controversy broke out on April 2, 2025, when Nintendo officially presented the expected Switch 2 along with several launch titles, including Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Baniza. The emotion for the news was soon overshadowed by the price of Mario Kart World, which will reach $ 80, thus becoming the most expensive Mario game in history.
The announcement did not go unnoticed and social networks quickly filled with complaints, analysis and fears about the future of the cost of video games. Sagas followers such as Grand Theft Auto expressed their concern about what this could mean for titles such as GTA 6, whose arrival has already been delayed and that many also fear joined this high pricing trend.
You can read: President Bowser says that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on June 5 “because Podemos”, and reports that they will only earn 4 dollars per console
In this context, Yoshida, recognized for her key role in the golden era of PlayStation, was consulted about it during an interview with the specialized medium PlayStation Inside.
The former playstation leader ensures that price change is not Nintendo’s fault
Far from criticizing Nintendo’s strategy, the Executive offered a pragmatic and realistic vision: “I think this was going to happen sooner or later, perhaps not from Nintendo, but eventually it was going to happen,” he said, adding that the problem goes far beyond a timely commercial decision.
“We live in contrasting times, where inflation is real and significant, but at the same time people expect the games, more and more ambitious and expensive to develop, maintain the same prices. It is an impossible equation,” he said.
The former director explained that the current technological sophistication in the industry requires increasing investments: from hyperrealistic graphics to immense open worlds, through advanced artificial intelligence and film production. As he believes: “Everything in video games today is more advanced and technologically demanding than ever”
“That requires more resources. Each developer or manufacturer defines the price of their titles, but in the end, the heart of the matter is in production costs,” he said.
Shuhei YoshidaThis is how in the end, although some accuse Nintendo of having broken a psychological barrier with its prices, Yoshida’s reflection points to an uncomfortable truth: the business model of the traditional video game is being challenged by the global economic reality and by the consumer’s own expectations.
And now, what remains to be seen is how the market will react in general and if other companies, such as Rockstar with GTA 6, will follow the path drawn by Nintendo, although of moment, what seems clear is that the times in which large -budget video games maintained moderate prices could be coming to an end.
Chilean stores inflate the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 and then lower it to the officer to make it go through discount: “Recommended for you, but not for me”
A few weeks ago, we told you that the expected Nintendo Switch 2, will officially arrive in Chile on June 5, 2025, with a value suggested by the mark of $ 629,990 pesos and $ 689,990 with the Mario Kart World game, which you can reserve here at its official price.
And in addition, it was reported that its presale would begin during the last days of April, which was, but with some stores initially not respecting the suggested price and then lower it, making this “normal” value look like an offer.
