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Why Nintendo’s games almost never go on sale

$59.99 forever

Clayton Ashley , senior video editor, has been producing and editing videos for Polygon since 2016. He is the lead producer of the tabletop gaming series Overboard.

Buying brand-new titles is always something of a waiting game. When you know the hottest game will be discounted after only a few months, why rush out to buy it on the day it’s released?

Unless of course it’s a Nintendo game.

When it comes to Nintendo’s first-party titles on the Switch and 3DS, waiting for a price drop seems pointless. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still $59.99 at most retailers. On the other hand, Horizon Zero Dawn, a PlayStation 4-exclusive title that was released only one month prior, can be had for $19.99 on the console’s online store (DLC included).

Why is that? To be frank, a lot of it is just because Nintendo can.

There’s obviously a lot more to it than that, which you can learn all about in our video. You can also learn about the so-called “Switch Tax,” why Disney and Nintendo have so much in common, and even a few tips for saving money on Nintendo games.