$$ Nintendo Objects! $$

[cimerians]

I've been following this little tidbit for a while only because I've spent GOBS of money on (Nintendo) accessories more than any other console I've ever had. (I can relate).

 

Pretty interesting....

 

Objection!

 

Original Article on BBC

[hex65000]

Interesting. My only complaint is that we see more about the REaction to rather than the action(s) of Nintendo. It's not that I am defending them, but I would like to see some more of the evidence the EU has accumulated to levy such a penalty. It would at least provide a better picture of what is going on.

 

Those wacky corporations... paying fines, but saying that they did no wrong in the same sentence. Who REALLY believes that noise?

 

Hex.

[ Has been wanting to do some kind of 'I can has cheezburger' joke all day... ]

[Atari5200]

i think i'm more surprised there's a Competition Commissioner over there.

[hex65000]

No, that's nothing new... I believe that the EU kicked Microsoft around for a while because they didn't buy the 'innovation' line like they did here in the states. I'm starting to think that they are more antitrust than we are. In some cases I suspect that the rules are still largely ignored... <cough> Airbus <cough>

 

Hex.

[ Remember kids: with enough money you can just buy new parents, so send me all your money to find out how... ]

[Seob]

Europe is making more work of antitrust laws. Here in the Netherlands we hear so every now and then that a company got fined for keeping prices up illegally, or for making agreements with competitors to keep the price high.

It's a law to protect the costumers against outrages prices. But it also makes it difficult for companies to get a monopoly onto the market.

If you got a monopoly, you can keep prices high, since there's no alternative.

It could be that Airbus is making benefit of rules that are ignored. But so are also Microsoft and Apple, and many more companies, but not in Europe but in the states. I would say every nation is trying to let there companies profit from a antitrust law, above companies of other countries.

[iswitt]

Ha, that's hilarious. Sucks for Nintendo, though. Everybody wants to price fix.

[Atari5200]

They manufacturer the shortage and then fix the price based upon the demand...ok. But still, nobody had to buy the stuff at the higher price, nobody put a gun to anybody's head saying BUY THIS NINTENDO PRODUCT NOW..if people would have waited, the price would have gone down, but people want everything NOW, it's still a pretty crappy practice no matter what company does it.

[rockman_x_2002]

Well, it's an interesting situation. Nitnendo isn't entirely innocent on the price fixing thing, whether it is or isn't in their hands to remedy the situation.

 

So, is Nintendo guilty of price fixing, directly or indirectly? Yes. Indirectly.

 

Should they be punished or penalized for it? Perhaps.

 

To the tune of $232 Million? That's a bit much, imho.

[shadow460]

I'm for Nintendo on this one. Sure, Nintendo brand N64 accessories still cost you a lot more than third party ones. You know why, though, right?

 

They're actually worth more. They work right the first time every time, and they have stood the test of time. Were it still 1998, I'd gladly pay 65% more for a first party controller with no special features than I'd pay for third party junk.