Pokemon Company document shows wanting to increase price from $60, encouraging people to buy both versions
An internal document from The Pokemon Company has surfaced which shows past interest in increasing the price of Pokemon games as well as encouraging people to buy both versions.
Going back to the original Nintendo Switch era, Pokemon titles were $60 for each version. However, there was at least some consideration to go higher than that back in the day. One thing that prevented a higher price point was the fact that higher prices were not standardized at the time in North America.
The same document also reveals percentages for a few games in which consumers bought both versions:
– 41% of players bought both versions of Sun/Moon
– 50% of players bought both versions of Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon
– 23% of players bought both versions of Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee
The latest information comes from the Game Freak Teraleak, which previously led to a ton of Pokemon leaks, including the discovery of Winds and Waves before they were announced. Here’s a machine translation of the document (note that Beluga was the codename for Let’s Go):
Price proposal
Regarding pricing, there are three possible patterns, but to maximize sales, we will choose option 1.
1. Beluga’s prices remain unchanged.
– This maximizes the sales figures that form the base for DLC sales.
– There is no room for royalties to increase compared to Beluga.
2. Price increase (W pack price remains unchanged)
– The purchase of the discounted double pack is encouraged.
– Individual sales are not progressing. There is a high possibility that the software will be sold separately (resale).
– Prices will be higher only domestically, and parallel imports may become a possibility.
– While royalties for individual releases are likely to increase, royalties for double packs are likely to remain unchanged.
3. Price increase
– Royalties increase
– It will be more expensive overseas than other Nintendo software, which will significantly impact sales figures.
– The double pack feels significantly overpriced.
Encouraging purchase of both versions
To increase sales in Japan, it’s crucial to stimulate demand for purchasing two items at once.
The double pack is positioned as a strategic product, and the aim is to encourage simultaneous purchase with the main product, but the price may be a barrier, potentially preventing customers from buying both.
Of the target of 4 million units, if you buy two…
I want to achieve sales of 1.65 million copies (SM record: 41%) to 2 million copies (USUM record: 50%).
If the ratio becomes similar to that of Beluga, sales will drop by 800,000 to 1,000,000 units.
We recently published our thoughts on the best Pokemon games available on Nintendo Switch. In case you missed it, we’ve got that here.
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