Iwata: Publishers divided on digital pricing

Publishers are “completely divided” on the price point for digitally distributed games, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said.

Speaking in a Q&A after the console giant’s latest financial results, Iwata defended Nintendo’s plans to set retail boxed products and digital prices at the same level on Wii U, stating downloaded games should not necessarily be cheaper.

He said that publishers around the world had different opinions on the issue, with some believing games should cost less to download, whilst others believing it should be set at the same price as the boxed market.

He claimed that many customers gained value in being able to store a number of titles on the system for easy access.

“I find the value in being able to store a number of software titles in a hardware system and being able to bring them with me wherever I go and, therefore, I may choose this option” said Iwata.

“We do not hold such a premise that digitally distributed software has less value. In fact, as we have discussed this with a number of software publishers around the world, we have found that their opinions are completely divided on the topic of the price points of the digital distribution of packaged software.”

Nintendo recently revealed that it would release many of its first-party titles at retail and through digital download on the same date.