A Rockstar game returning to current-gen consoles is always exciting news. L.A. Noire – Rockstar’s 2011 version of the 1940s – will see a modern re-release this Nov.14th on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, with The VR Case Files launching alongside.
Nintendo fans buying physical will pay the most however, being charged an additional $10 USD ($15 CAD). Like the N64, Nintendo has chosen a more expensive medium than the industry standard.
Daniel Ahmad’s tweeted a few explanations regarding the Switch’s manufacturing costs compared to PS4/XB1/PC.
“For those who always ask why, blame the price of game carts that Nintendo charge to publishers.
32GB carts are ridiculously expensive.”
“If a publisher wants to put a game on a 32GB cart on Switch it costs 60% more for them then it would for a 50GB Blu-Ray on PS4/XB1″
“Your game needs to be less than 8GB (because 8GB carts are cheaper) if you want to make the same margin as PS4/XB1 Blu-Ray disc”
Since LA Noire is a PS3 era title with hours of voice-acting and cutscenes, there’s no way it’s fitting on a smaller flash card. NBA2K got around this by forcing a download add-on, but Rockstar appears to be taking the traditional approach and passing the extra costs to the consumer.
The Switch version of Noire will include a few platform-specific features like HD rumble, touch-screen and motion controls. The PS4/XB1 versions however will see updated visuals. All versions will come with the full suite of DLC content previously released.
In the past, Microsoft and Sony have cut prices to the point where they break even or even lose money on consoles for example. Microsoft’s backwards-compatibility intitiative makes them zero-upfront-money while still costing resources to develop. It’s a long-term strategy that Nintendo is not willing to adopt. Nintendo games hold their prices far longer than any other platform and rarely see the kind of rock-bottom flash-sale prices Steam has gotten the industry used to.
Does this tax influence your decision on picking up a Switch? Let us know in the comments below.
