Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo of America, has subtly weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour. Amidst the uproar over the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price tag for Mario Kart World, fans were particularly shocked by the decision to charge for what many consider to be an interactive instruction manual.
Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its recent Nintendo Direct, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game serves as a guided tour of the console, presented in a video game format. Described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, it allows players to explore the system through tech demos, mini-games, and other interactive elements. The Nintendo Direct showcased a player avatar navigating a larger-than-life Switch 2, learning about its features and engaging in mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.
IGN has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is priced at $9.99 and will be available digitally only. While this is significantly less than other Switch 2 games, many fans have expressed frustration over having to pay for it at all, arguing that it should be included as a free pack-in, similar to how Astro's Playroom was bundled with the PlayStation 5.
In response, Fils-Aimé has shared clips from a two-year-old IGN interview where he discussed his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii console. In the first clip, he recounts the resistance he faced from Shigeru Miyamoto, stating, "it is an understatement to say that Mr. Miyamoto pushed back" on the idea. Despite this, Fils-Aimé succeeded in having Wii Sports bundled with the Wii in all regions except Japan.
The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
The second clip Fils-Aimé shared highlighted a similar struggle to bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote, which also met with Miyamoto's disapproval. In the final clip, Fils-Aimé emphasized the success of these decisions, noting that "in the Americas and in Europe Wii Sports was packed in with the Wii proposition... It was obvious that in the markets where Wii Sports was packed in that we became much more of a phenomenon."
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
Fils-Aimé's tweets, while not directly addressing the Switch 2 strategy, suggest that including free pack-ins has historically been beneficial for Nintendo, hinting that a similar approach could be advantageous for the Switch 2. Fans have picked up on this, with some humorously noting on social media that Fils-Aimé seems to be responding to their comments about the Switch 2.
In a recent interview with IGN, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, defended the $9.99 price of Welcome Tour. He explained that the game offers more than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct and hands-on events, describing it as a "pretty robust piece of software" with detailed information about the system. Trinen emphasized that the price reflects the value and effort put into the product, particularly for those interested in the technical aspects of the Switch 2.
Trinen also mentioned upcoming Nintendo Treehouse Live segments that will provide a deeper look into Welcome Tour and other games, suggesting that the game's value will become more apparent to consumers. He concluded by stating that the $9.99 price "feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product."
The controversy over Welcome Tour is just one aspect of Nintendo's next-generation strategy, which has also drawn scrutiny for the $80 price point for Switch 2 games and the $450 price of the Switch 2 itself.
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