Publishers are saying this, eh? I don’t think it’s actually the market that’s in decline, but that there’s an oversaturation of RPGs on the DS, splitting sales in an already pretty small niche. It’s like the go-to platform for new, “too traditional,” risky, or low-budget RPGs that would otherwise never see the light of day. In a sense, it’s fantastic for taking the reins and letting more ideas and games get made that wouldn’t even get past pre-production concept brainstorm napkin-drawing sessions. I think that’s the first step, anyway.
But if publishers are saying this because they aren’t quite seeing the profits from a handheld with a userbase of 110+ million, it’s probably due to the pricing structure implemented by Nintendo and retailers. It seems like the “king” of any console generation has the most unfriendly pricing structure; meaning they ask for a fairly significant monetary percentage of each game sold. It would be rude to discuss specifics, but depending on the type of cartridge/disc you need, and how many units you feel you can sell or order, and the retailers you’re trying to get to carry any particular game… it’s not uncommon for the “king” platforms to absorb quite a chunk of potential profit, under the assumption their more vast userbase will lead to more vast sales. Which, coupled with my previous comment on oversaturation, makes it increasingly difficult to do. - Script Editor, NIS America – Nick Doerr
Man, those are some pretty brazen comments for a publisher to make. I bet Nintendo won’t be too happy if they catch wind of these statements.
Here is the original:
NIS America - DS market is oversaturated with RPGs, both Nintendo and retailers make it hard to make a buck
