Shawn Layden on $80 Switch 2 Games: ‘If It’s the Only Place You Can Play Mario, You Get Your Wallet Out’
by
William D’Angelo
, posted 1 hour ago / 329 Views
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden in an interview on the PlayerDriven podcast discussed the Nintendo Switch 2 and the higher price of software on Nintendo’s next console.
“They poked through the ceiling of price elasticity, where we thought none existed before,” said Layden (via VideoGamesChronicle). “Recently it went to 70, and people went crazy, I think Nintendo’s pulling the Band-Aid right off and saying ‘looks like it’s $80 for a frontline game on the new platform.’
“But right here you see, ‘wow, that’s kind of a hefty price hike from Switch 1 to Switch 2 wow, $80 for a game?’ If it’s the only place you can play Mario, then you get your wallet out and you buy into it. That first-party exclusivity kind of mitigates the sticker shock, if you will, of these price hikes, because you want the content so bad.”
Mario Kart World is priced at $80 and will launch alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. Donkey Kong Bananza is priced at $70 and will launch on July 17.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on Thursday, June 5 for $449.99 USD / $629.99 CAD / £395.99 / €469.99 / 49,800 yen in the US. A Mario Kart World Bundle will also be available for $499.99 USD / $699.99 / £429.99 / €509.99 / 53,980 yen.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Bluesky.
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