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FYI: This article is from early 2009. The industry has moved a lot since then. Game prices on Steam are now much more flexible, although console game prices hav

• bluedanieru 15y ago
  That's not an entirely fair comparison though: digital distribution where the cost per unit is virtually zero vs. costly ROM modules.
  • Lewisham 15y ago
    It's Nintendo's decision to create a system that requires such modules, and cause games to be priced accordingly. It isn't like they haven't had five years notice on portable digital distribution.
    • bluedanieru 15y ago
      Providing enough storage on the device itself for the kind of games you expect on a system like the 3DS might not be feasible. Ideally I'd like to purchase a few flash cartridges and write games I've purchased to them as I see fit, from the market app they've got on there now. There is definitely room for improvement.
      • dazzawazza 15y ago
        In Japan in the 90's Nintendo had ROM burning booths installed in Japanese malls. Kids could write games to a cartridge for the equivalent of a few dollars. It was a huge success. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it. When looking at the Nintendo eco system you really need to remember that Nintendo primarily make a system to play Mario, Zelda and Pokémon on. They want a robust system. Cartridges, despite their inherent costs, offer child friendly, robust distribution that limits returns, copying and maximises their revenue. Having said that I can't see them continuing with cartridges for much longer as their cash cow is being decimated by cheaper devices.