Brand new releases and three-year-old classics both retail for the same price.

新發行的遊戲跟三年前的經典遊戲，在零售商的價格都一樣。

Meanwhile, you can buy most other games a couple months after they release at a 20, 30, or even 40 dollar discount.

而同時，別的平台的遊戲在發行後幾個月，便會開始打八折、七折甚至六折來販售。

So what makes Nintendo different?

所以，任天堂為何可以如此？

Part of the answer lies in their hardware.

有部分原因是因為他們的硬體。

The Switch and the 3DS both use solid-state cartridges instead of discs.

Switch 和 3ds 都是用卡匣，而不是光碟。

These cost more than the blu-ray discs used by the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

卡匣的成本比 PS4 與 XBOX One 所使用的藍光光碟高。

Sometimes a lot more.

有時高出許多。

An eight-gigabyte Switch cartridge cost a publisher as much as a 50 gigabyte blu-ray disc.

一個 8GB 的 Switch 卡匣的成本，就等於一片 50GB 的藍光光碟。

And a 32 gigabyte cartridge costs 60 percent more than a blu-ray disc.

而一個 32GB 的卡匣則比藍光光碟成本多出 60%。

So, if a developer's game is more than eight gigabytes they actually earn less selling the game on Switch

因此，如果一個遊戲超過 8GB，那製造商在 Switch 上面其實會賺比較少。

See the problem?

看出問題了嗎？

Why take the risk?

為何要冒險？

It's a simple business transaction, dear boy.

親愛的，這只是簡單的商業交易。

Now you might be thinking: "I download all my Switch games, who cares how much the cartridge costs?"

可能會有人想：「我都買數位版遊戲，誰在乎實體版的價格？」

Unfortunately retailers do.

可惜，零售商就很在意。

They won't stock a game if the publisher is just selling it online at a discount.

他們不會願意囤一片在網路上大打折扣的遊戲在店裡。

This isn't an issue limited to Nintendo either.

這問題不只任天堂有。

All publishers have to play by these rules if they want to sell their games in physical stores.

如果遊戲發行商想要在實體店面發售，他們都得遵守這些規定。

But that didn't stop an online uproar over the so called "Switch tax," where certain games cost 10 dollars more on Switch than on other platforms.

但這並沒有停止一場在網路上的紛爭「Switch 稅」，指某些遊戲在 Switch 平台上賣比別人貴 10 美元。

Of course, formats don't explain the bigger issue of why Nintendo's first party games seemingly never drop in price.

當然，到底為何任天堂最初的那些派對遊戲們，從來都不打折這件事還是沒有被解釋到。

But there's a very good reason for that: It's because they know you'll pay.

但很有可能的原因是：任天堂知道你還是會買。

Let me put it another way.

讓我換個說法。

Do you want to play Assassin's Creed 2?

你想玩《刺客教條 2 》嗎？

Cool—it's on six different platforms.

很好，它在六個平台都玩得到。

Do you want to play an Assassin's Creed style open-world game?

你想玩《刺客教條 》風格的開放式世界遊戲？

Awesome, here are 20.

讚，這裡就有 20 種。

But if you want to play a Mario or Zelda game there's only one way: a Nintendo device.

但如果你想玩瑪利歐或薩爾達系列的遊戲，你只有一個選擇，那就是任天堂的裝置。

Yes, Sony and Microsoft also produce exclusive games with millions of fans, but they simply don't have Nintendo's decades of consistency.

沒錯，索尼與微軟也有自己的獨家內容，但就是沒人有任天堂數十年來累積的持續性。

From the arcade era, to the first home consoles, to the advent and perfection of 3D graphics Nintendo has persevered where other companies have faltered.

從遊戲機世代、第一代家機到 3D 世代的來臨與優化，任天堂都保留了它們一直以來的系列，而其他公司卻做不到。

Nintendo games have a lineage that distinguishes what they do from everything else and it leads to the type of brand loyalty that their competitors would kill for.

很多任天堂遊戲都是有家族，會以家族為中心出各種各式各樣的遊戲，這就會累積消費者的忠誠度，而這就是其他競爭者最想要的。

You can also see this in the Switch's attachment rate, which is the percent of console owners who also bought a specific game.

你也可以從 Switch 的黏著度來看出，意思是擁有 Switch 的人當中，有幾成都買了某些特定的遊戲。

By January 2018 more than half of Switch owners have bought the latest Mario Kart, Zelda, or Mario game.

統計至 2018 一月，超過半數的 Switch 玩家都買了最新的《瑪利歐賽車 》、《薩爾達 》或《瑪利歐 》遊戲。

This is probably the biggest reason they can keep their prices high.

這可能是他們價格可以一直那麼高的原因。

Literally, because they can.

他們就是可以。

"I guess it's time to pay up."

「我想是時間付錢了。」

But there is another reason Nintendo doesn't like to discount their own games and it has to do with the quality of their products.

但任天堂不喜歡幫自己的遊戲打折，可能還有個原因，而這跟它們產品的品質有關。

The Nintendo logo is practically a guarantee that this is a good game.

任天堂的商標基本上就是好遊戲的保證。

Setting aside the fact that Metacritic may be an imperfect measure of game quality, it's notable that in 2017 Nintendo's average score on the review aggregator is one of the highest in the industry.

先撇開 Metacritic 可能不是遊戲品質的最好基準，但我們仍可以看得出來，任天堂在 2017 年得到的平均分數是產業中數一數二高的。

Nintendo's quality standards are what set them apart.

任天堂的品管標準是拉開差距的原因之一。

When's the last time you could remember Nintendo releasing a buggy unfinished game?

你能講出任天堂什麼時候發表了未完成、有許多問題的遊戲嗎？

This speaks directly to the business philosophy of a late president and CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata.

這與任天堂的前執行長岩田聰的商業哲學有直接關係。

In an era of cheap low-quality mobile games, he pushed high value games at Nintendo.

在那個充斥著品質價格低廉的手機遊戲的世代中，他鞭策任天堂做出高品質的遊戲。

-Quality experiences the developers take time to polish, thus providing value to the customer. -["We make platforms designed to demonstrate the high value of high quality video game software.]

遊戲商花越多時間做出遊戲，消費者便更能享受到好遊戲。

And justifying that consistent MSRP.

也為那從不打折的定價做出了無聲的辯護。

But that intangible sense of Nintendo quality can't be sustained if its games are also in the bargain bin.

而如果遊戲都在特價花車裡，任天堂便很難保持它們的遊戲品質。

This is psychology as much as it is marketing.

這是心理學，同時也是行銷學。

Price is not always but often a signal of quality.

價格不是一定，但通常是判斷品質的基準。

Which is one reason many people won't buy generic painkillers.

這也是很多人不買沒牌子的止痛藥的原因。

Even though it's literally the same stuff as the name brand.

即使兩者基本上根本就是同一個東西。

There's actually another major media company that operates in a similar way.

其實有個大型媒體公司，也以類似的模式經營。

Disney.

那就是迪士尼。

Just like Nintendo, Disney's brand is something people are willing to pay for.

就像任天堂，人們會願意掏錢買迪士尼的東西。

But don't take it from me.

別只聽我的說法。

This is Rob Enderle, a veteran analyst with over 20 years in the technology industry.

這是 Rob Enderle，在科技產業有著 20 年經驗的分析師。

Disney movies don't really get cheaper, it's the... it's the one movie kids buy.

迪士尼影片不會變便宜，因為這是孩子們都會買的電影。

Over and over again, they'll pay the same price.

不斷地，消費者都會願意付那個錢。

Disney will repromote it and drive it through the... drive it through the channel.

迪士尼也會重新再製推銷，再推出一次。

Nintendo's much more like that.

任天堂也差不多是如此。

Disney like Nintendo knows how to exploit its own storied history.

迪士尼與任天堂都懂得如何好好利用它們的過去。

"Don't miss your chance to own these magical Disney videos before they disappear."

「別錯過擁有這些迪士尼電影的機會，否則它們就要消失了。」

Back when video cassettes were all the rage, Disney didn't make all their old movies consistently available.

回到影片卡帶很盛行的日子，當時迪士尼並沒有讓它們的電影時時都買得到。

They'd keep them in the "Disney Vault, get them before they're gone"

他們會把電影保存在「迪士尼金庫！趁它們消失前快買！」

And rerelease them every 10 years.

然後每十年重新開放一次。

By limiting supply Disney was able to create demand amongst their customers.

以限量供應的方式，迪士尼便能創造出消費者的需求。

Allowing them to sell their movies at full price over and over and over again.

讓他們可以不斷地用原價來銷售電影。

In fact, Disney's have been doing that online now, by moving away from the Netflix and Amazon Primes and starting to bring out their own service.

事實上，迪士尼已經開始做自己的串流服務，從 Netflix 與 Amazon Prime 手上收回自己的影片，並開始發展自己的服務。

Just like Nintendo, they want to control the platform, not just the content.

就像任天堂，迪士尼想要控制整個平台，而不是只有內容。

And that's not even all that Nintendo and Disney have in common.

這還不是任天堂與迪士尼唯一的共同點。

They're also after the same demographic.

它們的目標群眾也一致。

Tends to be a younger more G audience than the other ones.

目標為年輕、Ｇ世代的人。

The games are relatively safe, fairly low violence or the violence is cartoony if they've got it.

遊戲內容通常會比較安全，暴力程度會較低，就算有暴力畫面也通常是卡通化的。

Nintendo and Disney both design their products to be fun for all ages, but they also know who's actually buying them—the parents.

任天堂和迪士尼都把產品設計為全年紀都會覺得有趣，但他們也知道誰才是付錢的人——爸媽。

I think that they kind of feel Nintendo's safe.

爸媽們都認為任天堂的產品很安全。

Where a lot of the game titles from either Sony or Microsoft you know you don't have that same familiarity and you don't feel quite as safe.

但索尼與微軟出的很多遊戲，可能比較沒有那種家庭感或安全感。

Just like Disney, you kind of buy a Disney movie, and you don't figure you're gonna walk in and find, you know, woman's body parts all over the screen, it's just you...

就像迪士尼，你買一部電影，你絕對不會看到充斥著女性身體部位的畫面。

It's gonna be... it's gonna be safe because it's got Disney on it.

迪士尼做的，就代表安全。

Not to mention the culture of nostalgia these two companies have cultivated over their lifetimes.

更別說這兩間公司所創造出來的懷舊文化感。

Nowadays, many new parents have their own fun memories of growing up with a Nintendo console.

時至今日，有許多新手爸媽對任天堂主機都有自己的有趣回憶。

They may not have played the latest Zelda game, but they probably grew up with one.

他們或許沒有玩過最新的薩爾達，但或許成長過程有玩過某一代。

They trust that Nintendo's games are good.

他們相信任天堂的遊戲是很優質的。

Because they've experienced that quality for themselves.

因為他們之前就有親身體驗過。

So if Nintendo doesn't lower its prices because of its more expensive formats.

因此，就算任天堂無法降低價格的原因是因為使用卡匣。

Or because it might hurt their quality-based brand identity.

或是因為可能會傷害往後的遊戲品質。

Or, well, because they can.

或是，這個嘛，他們就是可以。

Then what hope to you the thrifty gamer have?

那如果是節儉的玩家，可以怎麼辦？

Well, there's honestly not much, but, here are a few tips to saving money on Nintendo games.

這個嘛，還真的不能怎麼辦，但這兒有些小撇步可以讓你省一些錢。

Use your Nintendo points.

使用任天堂點數。

You earn these every time you buy a new Nintendo game.

每次買任天堂的遊戲都會獲得點數。

They're not worth much and they expire pretty quickly, but hey, it's free money.

它們換不了多少錢，而且很快就到期，但不管怎麼說都是免費的錢。

If you buy physical copies of your games and rarely return to them, you might want to consider selling them.

如果你買實體遊戲片，又很少玩，也可以考慮轉手賣掉。

Since Nintendo's prices rarely drop, their trade-in values rarely do, either.

因為任天堂的價格很少降，所以二手價格保值也很好。

So even if it's a couple years old, it should still be worth around 20 dollars.

因此，就算是好幾年的遊戲，還是可以賣個 20 美元左右。

Beyond that, there's not much else you can do besides keep an eagle eye out for coupons and discounts at major retailers.

此外，你沒什麼可以做的了，除了睜大眼睛，看哪個零售業者有折價券或折扣。

Or you could stop playing Nintendo games.

或你可以不要玩任天堂的遊戲。

Yeah, we feel the same way.

對，我們也怎麼想。

Thanks for watching, if you like this video, be sure to subscribe to our channel where you can learn more about Nintendo.

謝謝觀看，如果你喜歡這部影片，記得訂閱，我們會介紹更多關於任天堂的事。

Like in this bite-sized look at the company's surprisingly risqué history.

像是這部影片，介紹任天堂的驚奇歷史。

Or in this video about why Nintendo made Luigi into a punching bag.

或是這部在講為何任天堂把路易吉變成一個像沙包的角色。