Daily Debate: Is Nintendo Missing Out On Profits By Not Distributing Their Music More Aggressively?
Posted on September 30 2021 by Sean Gadus
When I was a teenager and started to have more disposable income, I started assembling a collection of video music on CD and digital platforms. However, very quickly, I started to run into the issue that some Nintendo soundtrack CDs were absurdly rare (and thus absurdly expensive) and some soundtracks were completely unavailable legally like Donkey Kong Country: Tropic Freeze. I have used OverClocked ReMix and other similar projects to close some of the gaps for Nintendo music, but there are still some blank spots I cannot fill. This was the reason I recently rejoiced that Nintendo was releasing a Skyward Sword collection in Japan, as it remains one of the physical soundtracks I have been desperately wanting them to release.
Overall, do you think Nintendo is leaving profits on the table by not disturbing their music more aggressively? While I know many fans have resorted to different methods to obtain music from these games, I still feel like there is a huge market for Nintendo music. If Nintendo was willing to release music from evergreen series like Super Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, and Mario Kart, I feel like many fans would still be willing to shell out some Rupees for easy access to music from their favorite games. I understand there might be some legal situations to parse through, but it seems like something Nintendo is capable of handling.
I know that Nintendo offered some official CDs as part of their Club Nintendo rewards programs in the mid 2000s and 2010s, but that system does not exist anymore. With that in mind, digital distributing their music seems like the ideal strategy to get music into fans’ hands. This is something other companies like Ubisoft and Sony are doing; they sell some of their soundtracks for anywhere between 10 and 15 U.S Dollars. Even soundtracks for exceptional games from smaller studios like Oxenfree, Gris, and Hollow Knight are available for digital purchase on sites like Bandcamp. Like some other issues related to Nintendo, the company seems stuck in the past with this topic.
Is Nintendo leaving profits on the table by not being more aggressive in their approach toward selling their music? Or do you prefer that Nintendo stays out of this business and maintain the status quo? Additionally, how much would you be willing to pay for music from Nintendo’s best franchises? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
