Gaming is a relatively new market compared to many other products of the current day, thus trends and patterns in the pricing of gaming-related products are, in many cases, unreliable and inconsistent. After watching the new Nintendo Direct, many fans caught of a glimpse of this phenomenon when the prices for the games and amiibos were revealed to be higher than most predicted.

The recent jump of AAA games from $60 to $70 was something that Nintendo was quick to take advantage of with the release of Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and other subsequent titles. Although some fans were irked by this price increase, many were understanding that as gaming quality increased and the market changed around them, prices would also need to change. The conversation only began to turn sour as the price for the Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World, was revealed to be $80, a jump that many believed to be both premature and unjustified.

The latest Nintendo Direct has shown that Mario Kart World was not an isolated event. The most immediate backlash came for the Super Mario Galaxy bundle priced at $70. Some have pointed out that the games could previously be purchased on the Wii U store for about half the current price. Others have offered explanations for the price, given the new content between the games and the greater costs associated with producing games today.

Talk over the newly revealed amiibo has gone very similarly to the Mario Galaxy games, with many worried that the figures will not provide nearly enough content to justify their prices, which are only slightly less than the games they are compatible with. Finally, many fans have expressed annoyance over the $20 DLC for Donkey Kong Bananza, the first of these products that is currently playable. Some fans site the departure from free DLC that was common for Mario games during the Switch 1’s lifespan, while others compare it to the recently released Hollow Knight: Silksong, which is also available for the Switch 2 at $20.

Nintendo, being a gaming company, must decide how to make the most money while also appeasing fans. The recent price increases have caused many to lose faith in the company, but sales numbers will be the deciding factor in determining how wise these decisions are.