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. Amid discussions about the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price tag for Mario Kart World, the decision to charge for the interactive instruction manual, Welcome Tour, has sparked significant debate.
During last week's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game offers players a guided tour of the console through a video game format, described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware. It features tech demos, minigames, and other interactive elements to help users get acquainted with the system. The Nintendo Direct showcased a player avatar navigating a large-scale version of the Switch 2, learning about its features and engaging in mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.
IGN confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is priced at $9.99 and is available only digitally. While this is less than other Switch 2 games, many fans have expressed frustration over having to pay for it, arguing it should have been included as a pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.
In response, Fils-Aimé took to Twitter to share 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. He highlighted his internal battles with Shigeru Miyamoto, emphasizing that making Wii Sports a pack-in was a successful strategy in the Americas and Europe, significantly boosting the console's popularity.
In the first clip, Fils-Aimé mentioned how Miyamoto resisted the idea of making Wii Sports a pack-in. Despite this, Fils-Aimé's strategy prevailed outside Japan, contributing to the Wii's phenomenal success. He also shared his push to bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote, another move that paid off, making Wii Play the fifth best-selling software for the Wii.
The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
Fils-Aimé's tweets suggest a subtle critique of Nintendo's current strategy with the Switch 2, hinting that including Welcome Tour as a free pack-in could have been beneficial. Fans have picked up on this, with some humorously noting 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 emphasized that the game offers more than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct and hands-on events, suggesting it provides substantial value for those interested in the technical aspects of the Switch 2.
Trinen highlighted that Welcome Tour is a robust piece of software, designed for those who want in-depth information about the system. He argued that the $9.99 price reflects the care and effort put into the product, making it a good value for what it offers.
The controversy over Welcome Tour is just one aspect of Nintendo's next-generation strategy, which has also faced scrutiny over the $80 price for Switch 2 games and the $450 price for the Switch 2 itself.
