Project Shield won't be sold at a loss, says NVIDIA
NVIDIA's Tegra 4 powered handheld looks a lot like a typical game console, but it isn't. You could say that its operating system sets it apart, or its knack for streaming PC games, but that's not it -- it's that Shield won't be sold at a loss. Although many consumer game devices eventually turn a profit, they often hit the market as a loss leader, herding gamers into a closed ecosystem and securing a revenue stream for the manufacturer -- every Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation game made funnels a small licensing fee to the owner of the platform. NVIDIA, on the other hand, isn't a game company, it's a hardware manufacturer. "We'll make our money by selling the device to gamers," NVIDIA stated on the company blog, explaining how Sony and Nintendo do business. "This time-honored approach isn't one we're taking with Project Shield... ...our goal with it is to design and sell a truly great piece of hardware, one that fits comfortably in your hand, delights your eyes and blows out your ears." NVIDIA's still dancing around the subject of price, of course, but the message is clear: Shield is probably going to hit your pocketbook more like a tablet than a portable games console.
