Why is Nintendo's Online Expansion Pack So Expensive?
Channel: Video Game Story Time
Date: 18/10/2021

Nintendo has made the bold move to price the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack at a cost that even their most dedicated fans feel uncomfortable with.


An online service which many see as essentially an opportunity to play Ocarina of Time and Sonic 2 on Switch costs double the price of the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership - more than double in some parts of the world.


Some have suggested that the high price is due to licensing costs, and we suspect that this may well be a contributing factor. Getting the rights to third party games will only get more expensive as Microsoft continues to throw money at building up Xbox Game Pass.


That said, we credit Nintendo with the wisdom to recognise that nobody was crying out to pay $50 a year for yet another way to play Golden Axe on Switch.


Instead, it feels like the real draw here is the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC, which is included with an Expansion Pack subscription, or $25 when purchased outright.


Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the game that made Nintendo Switch Online viable. The majority of subscriber are paying primarily for Animal Crossing, and it seems that the goal is to entice them to pay a little extra.


So why not make the Expansion Pack cheaper than paying for Happy Home Designer? Well, Nintendo likely plans to add more to the service over time, to justify the price. Plus, this is Nintendo - the company that refused to bundle 1-2 Switch with the Switch at launch. If Nintendo can get away with charging extra for something, they most certainly will.


Lots of love,
BretonStripes (http://twitter.com/bretonstriped) and Kotor (http://twitter.com/kotorcomics)


Sources:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nintendo-online-reaches-10m-subscribers-212200524.html
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2019/qa1906e.pdf
https://kotaku.com/nintendo-details-switch-online-service-will-be-20-yea-1795743981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBtoTARzsKs
https://nintendosoup.com/nintendo-investor-qa-discusses-the-switchs-lifespan-new-mobile-titles-and-more/
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2021/qa2106e.pdf
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2020/qa2006e.pdf