Good news: one of 2020's best games, Hades is now available for pre-order on the Nintendo Switch in India. Bad news: you'll be paying Rs. 4,499 for a copy despite having a US price of $35 (around Rs. 2,534). Independent retailer Mcube Games has Hades listed for pre-order on the Nintendo Switch for Rs. 4,499 with a release date of March 25.
According to the retailer, the reason for the high price has to do with limited supply which may not be the case. A quick check on Amazon US suggests that the $35 retail price is being adhered to. It's close to double when you select shipping to India.
Mcube has also confirmed to IGN India that these are its own imports of Hades and will be of Region 2. Internationally, Hades is published by Supergiant Games with distribution handled by Nintendo, much like we saw with Skyrim and Monster Hunter Rise, both of which skipped India on the Nintendo Switch.
While the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo’s own first-party exclusive games are not officially available in the country, the console has developed a rabid fan following and a vocal community around it.
Sources at retail tell IGN India that despite price hikes and supply issues due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, India sale of the console have surpassed the PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S in 2020 with close to 100,000 sold by March 2021. A year prior, it was estimated that the Nintendo Switch had sold between 55,000 to 60,000 units in the nation lifetime to date. A near 100 percent increase in a year, particularly one fraught with the challenges it had is tremendous to say the least.
When Nintendo decides to take India seriously is anyone’s guess. Industry insiders tell us that the current BIS policies are seen by it as a deterrent from entering the market. Odd when you consider that Sony and Microsoft have adhered to such rules just fine.
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