Unless you’re reading this from the accounts section of Nintendo, we may never know. But experts in the field can estimate, and they estimate that the 3DS costs Nintendo $US101 to manufacture.
If that’s correct – and even if it’s not, it’s likely to be damn close – there’s a big gap between the handheld’s $US101 parts bill and its $US249 retail price.
Which is your cue for INDIGNATION and OUTRAGE, yes? Perhaps, but remember, that’s just an estimated cost for the “raw materials” needed to manufacture a 3DS. It’s not including research and development costs, shipping costs, advertising costs, the cuts retailers may take, etc.
Nor is it including the fact that Nintendo refuses to sell its hardware at a loss, so there’s pure profit to be had in the $US148 price gap, too.
How much pure profit? Who knows. But hey, if you don’t like it, you could always not buy it!
Why the Nintendo 3DS costs £230 [Eurogamer]
Republished from Kotaku