Nintendo cries over $232 million “price-raising collusion” EU fine
By Triston McIntyre
Occasionally, after reading the comment discussions of you readers, I am forced to step back and re-evaluate my position on Nintendo; after all, everyone deserves a second chance, right? I can officially say I’m back to a pitiless position on Nintendo, because the gaming giant got caught with a hand in the business cookie jar back in the 1990s, was penalized $232 million for colluding to raise prices by the EU commission, and won’t stop whining about it.
An article written by Chron.com documents Nintendo’s feelings over the 2002 decision to fine Nintendo $149.1 million euros for colluding with distributors to raise console and game prices back from 1991 to 1998. Nintendo complains, “The penalty was unfair, illegal, even shocking.”
A glean a little personal satisfaction from Nintendo being penalized for trying to raise console prices, as a recent article written over at Tech.Blorge.com suggests that Nintendo is doing the very same thing with the Nintendo Wii right now. This is just proof that the powers-that-be at Nintendo have a firm grasp on manipulating console and game prices to improve its market image.
However, the EU is quite sure the ruling was decent. A lawyer for the commission by the name of Xavier Lewis said, “The fine was not of a capricious nature, or based on wild estimates…this fine was for an infringement that was considered very serious.”
Perhaps if the Nintendo Wii shortages continue, and retailers continue to pair video games and extras with the sparsely available consoles so that consumers are forced to pay more to obtain the viral console, other consumer protection groups can begin investigated the underhanded way Nintendo is manipulating the market to simulate demand.
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Stumble It!
Tips N4G
May 20th, 2008
Nothing new here. Nintendo was for years a crooked, ham-fisted monopoly and they’ve never stopped thinking that way.
Perfect example: the Wii. An uninspired, cheap and ultimately cruel trick to play on consumers and (especially) gamers. Why bother pushing the envelope when a cheap gimmick you can overcharge for brings in the money?
Sure the casual “sheep” market loves that Wiimote and Wii Sports, but I can’t think of a single game on the Wii where the Wiimote was anything but an obstacle to enjoyment.
Burn me at the stake if you like, but that’s my stance.
-Arvis
May 21st, 2008
New console resellers:
http://gamernow.blogspot.com/2008/05/artificial-sales-of-wii.html
May 22nd, 2008
Arvis - wow..i had no idea you hated the wii so much. I think ninty did the very smart thing. they knew they couldn’t compete head to head with the 360 and ps3 so they basically created an entirely new type of gaming. it would have been considered stupid if they failed, but their sales underscore their ingenuity.
on the flip side; they should shut up and pay.