Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has subtly weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, by sharing clips from an old IGN interview. In the interview, Fils-Aimé discussed his successful push to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii console, highlighting its significant impact on the console's success.
Amidst the uproar over the Switch 2's $449.99 price tag and the $79.99 cost of Mario Kart World, fans were also shocked by the decision to charge for Welcome Tour, an interactive instruction manual set to launch with the Switch 2 in June. During the Nintendo Direct, Welcome Tour was showcased as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, featuring tech demos and mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo. Despite its digital-only price of $9.99, many fans argue it should have been a free pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.
Fils-Aimé's tweets indirectly suggest that Nintendo might have benefited from offering Welcome Tour as a free pack-in, drawing parallels to the success of Wii Sports and Wii Play. His posts resonated with fans, many of whom believe he would have advocated for a free Welcome Tour.
In a recent interview, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, defended the pricing of Welcome Tour, stating that it offers more than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct and hands-on events. He emphasized the game's detailed content and value, suggesting that $9.99 is a reasonable price for what it offers.
Reggie fought for Wii Sports as a Wii pack-in. Photo by Susan Goldman/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Trinen also addressed other controversial aspects of Nintendo's next-gen strategy, including the $80 price point for Switch 2 games and the $450 cost of the console itself. As Nintendo continues its next-gen push, Welcome Tour remains a focal point of debate among fans and industry observers alike.
