Pachter, HMV, more explain Nintendo 3DS UK Pricing

Wondering why Nintendo 3DS costs such a chunk more than the original DS or Game Boy Advance did when they first launched? Wonder no more.

With a standard retail price of £230, the 3DS is by far the most expensive Nintendo handheld on debut, with its direct predecessor DS only costing £99.99 in the UK on day one.

Eurogamer's posted an incredibly in-depth article to explain where all that money is going to, and spoken to analysts from companies like EEDAR and Wedbush Morgan as well as gone directly to representatives from retailers including HMV to find out their thoughts on the pricing scheme for the new handheld.

Don McCabe, CEO of CHIPS went on the record about how he feels the recent cut-throat price war that's been taking place before launch is devaluing the console before it even hits the streets, asking "What does that tell you as a customer if a product is discounted before it hits the shelves?"

"If you see one retailer selling at £230 and another is selling for £197, you think, what's going on here? Is it not as good as it should be? Is one retailer dumping their stock?"

Michael Pachter says that supply constraints will see the units move even at the higher price. "The fact is the device will be in tight supply, with probably fewer than 500,000 available for the UK market, and so Nintendo is charging what it thinks the market will bear."

There's plenty more on this at the link.

Nintendo is set to launch 3DS in the UK tonight with midnight launches across the UK and Ireland, with the main event happening in London. Keza MacDonald will be in attendance for VG247 at its main launch party, and Lauren Wainwright will be covering the HMV launch on Oxford Street.