DS LCD screen makers investigated for price fixing
When video game makers fix prices for consumers, it's considered the normal state of business. When LCD makers fix prices for game makers, they get raided by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission. So it goes.AFP has the report on the investigation on screen-makers Sharp and Hitachi, which have long been suspected of organizing a bid-rigging cartel to limit price competition for portable screens. Between them, the two companies provide all the LCD screens used in the Nintendo DS, though Nintendo couldn't confirm that they were the ones that complained to the commission. No one else involved, included the commission itself, had much comment on the actual investigation, but if it bears any fruit you'll be sure to read about it here.
[Via Engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike @ Feb 28th 2008 4:57PM
Consumers don't have the kind of bribe money that a multi-million dollar company has.
Matt B @ Feb 28th 2008 4:59PM
How about a cheaper DS then?
Vidikron (FU) @ Feb 28th 2008 5:07PM
Haha... doubt it. Even if Nintendo benefits from this they will likely collect any winnings, start paying less for the LCDs, and keep the DS the same price.
Shimrra @ Feb 28th 2008 5:05PM
Interesting news feed I am curious to know how this ends.
Purple Haze @ Feb 28th 2008 7:25PM
Okay, why can't I read any comments? Can everyone else read them? If you can, reply to this. Everything is faded below the post for me at the moment.
ThornedVenom (Patapornographer) @ Feb 28th 2008 10:12PM
Before all of the comments were gone and faded.
Now I can see comments for only some of the pages: seems like fixes are arriving.
LordMinogue @ Feb 28th 2008 7:57PM
i can't see the comments!
jamesFF @ Feb 29th 2008 1:20AM
Nintendo is loosing so much money on the DS.
Mischa @ Feb 29th 2008 6:09AM
Hopefully they'll tighten that up.
albinogoldfish @ Feb 29th 2008 2:01AM
What make you think these companies arent fixing prices, lcd screens are in everything why the hell are they still so expensive? They are no longer new technology, there have been multiple reports on this subject, if I were a smarter, more disciplined man I would not be typing this on my LCD computer creen while watching my LCD HD TV
32_Footsteps @ Feb 29th 2008 9:51AM
Anyone know if this affects the PSP at all? It's possible Sony builds their own. But it's also possible they also buy from Sharp and Hitachi.