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. His tweets, referencing the story of Wii Sports, have sparked discussions amid the backlash over the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price tag for Mario Kart World. The surprise came when Nintendo announced that they would charge for the interactive instruction manual, Welcome Tour.
During the recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game serves as a virtual tour of the console, offering a comprehensive introduction through tech demos, minigames, and other interactive elements. Nintendo describes Welcome Tour as a "virtual exhibition" that allows players to explore the new hardware in depth.
The Nintendo Direct showcased a small player avatar navigating a larger-than-life Switch 2, learning about its features through interactive elements and mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo. Despite its educational purpose, IGN confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour will cost $9.99 and be available only digitally. While this is less expensive than other Switch 2 titles, many fans expressed disappointment, arguing that it should be included as a free pack-in, akin to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.
Reggie Fils-Aimé's tweets drew attention to his past efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in for the Wii console. He shared clips from a two-year-old IGN interview where he discussed his internal battles with Shigeru Miyamoto to make Wii Sports a standard inclusion with the Wii. Fils-Aimé noted that although Miyamoto resisted, the decision to bundle Wii Sports with the Wii in regions outside Japan significantly boosted its success.
The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
In another tweet, Fils-Aimé highlighted a similar struggle to bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote, which also met with resistance from Miyamoto but ultimately proved successful. His final tweet underscored the positive outcomes of these decisions, noting that Wii Sports and Wii Play significantly contributed to the Wii's success in markets where they were included.
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
While Fils-Aimé did not directly address Nintendo's current strategy with the Switch 2, his tweets suggest that including free pack-ins like Welcome Tour could have been beneficial, as evidenced by past successes. Fans on social media quickly caught on, with some playfully suggesting that Fils-Aimé would have opted to include Welcome Tour for free.
In a recent interview with IGN, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, defended the pricing of Welcome Tour. Conducted before the announcement of delayed pre-orders due to Trump's tariffs, Trinen emphasized the game's depth and value, stating that it is not just a simple tutorial but a robust piece of software. He highlighted that Nintendo Treehouse Live segments would showcase more of what Welcome Tour offers, suggesting that its $9.99 price point is justified given the level of detail and effort put into the game.
Trinen's comments also touched on the broader context of Nintendo's pricing strategy for the Switch 2, including the $80 price for Switch 2 games and the $450 price for the Switch 2 itself, which have also stirred controversy. As Nintendo continues its next-gen push, these decisions remain a focal point of discussion among fans and industry observers alike.
