The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will cost US $69.99

Nintendo has officially announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be its first product priced at an increased US $69.99 (AU $101) after merchants allegedly disclosed a price hike. At a premium cost of US $129.99 (AU $187.54), a collector's edition will come with a steel case, a poster, badges, and an art book. Many people will notice that this is the first time Nintendo has charged more than its standard US $59.99 price in the country since the Nintendo Switch arrived in 2017. Although no specific cause for the increase has been given, it is safe to presume that inflation is to blame.

As a result of changes in the world economy, Nintendo recently reported a general reduction in operating profit for Q1-Q3 FY23. Although software sales continued consistently during the reported period, with blockbuster titles like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet selling 20.61 million copies, hardware sales experienced a significant fall that significantly contributed to this loss.

When it debuts on May 12, 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is likely to reach comparable heights—and even surpass these overall sales. Having said that, gamers must take into account the higher price point, which jeopardises the game's larger appeal.

Strangely enough, the newly-dated Pikmin 4 was also recently updated on the Nintendo eShop in the US, and this game is still costing US $59.99 as a standard title. That seems Nintendo may be deliberately raising the price of "Tears of the Kingdom" in anticipation that players will still buy it.

Even if it reflects worldwide conditions—inflation genuinely implies that games need to earn a bigger profit to properly make money—it is still an odd decision given that preorders have already been made in some global locations at the usual price.

As of this writing, it is unclear what effect this choice will have on neighbourhood merchants.

Tears of the Kingdom costs AU $79 in Australia, with Amazon having the lowest prices at AU $74.99. Preorders for EB Games are available at the premium price of AU $89.95, but this is typical for the retailer. Although there has been a modest increase in these preorder costs, it doesn't seem that the enormous $10 increase has been entirely passed on.

Given the success of Pikmin 4, it's uncertain if Nintendo will continue to pursue its newly established, higher pricing point for further game releases, but as long as economic volatility persist, change may be here to stay.