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. In a series of tweets, Fils-Aimé referenced the story of Wii Sports, which was included as a pack-in game with the Wii console, hinting at a possible strategy for the upcoming Switch 2.
The announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 at a price of $449.99, along with Mario Kart World at $79.99, has sparked considerable debate among fans. Adding to this, the decision to charge for Welcome Tour, an interactive tutorial set to launch with the Switch 2 in June, has caused further uproar. During the Nintendo Direct, Welcome Tour was presented as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, featuring tech demos, mini-games, and interactive elements to familiarize players with the console.
The gameplay footage showcased a player avatar navigating a larger-than-life Switch 2, exploring its features through activities like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo. Despite its educational value, the decision to price Welcome Tour at $9.99 as a digital-only product has led to significant backlash from fans who believe it should be a complimentary pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.
Fils-Aimé's tweets featured clips from an IGN interview where he recounted his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii. In the clips, he mentioned the resistance he faced from Shigeru Miyamoto, yet emphasized the success of the strategy in markets where Wii Sports was included. Fils-Aimé's tweets, which also touched on the success of bundling Wii Play with the Wii Remote, suggest that a similar approach might benefit the Switch 2.
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
Fans quickly picked up on Fils-Aimé's indirect commentary, with many expressing on social media that they believed he would have advocated for Welcome Tour to be included as a free pack-in with the Switch 2.
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 a delay in Switch 2 pre-orders due to Trump's tariffs, Trinen highlighted the depth and value of the game, suggesting that the $9.99 price point was justified given its comprehensive nature and the detailed exploration of the Switch 2's features.
Trinen emphasized that Welcome Tour is more than just a quick tutorial, offering in-depth information for tech enthusiasts and those keen on understanding the system's capabilities. He also mentioned upcoming Nintendo Treehouse Live segments that would further showcase the game's features.
As part of Nintendo's next-generation strategy, the pricing and inclusion of Welcome Tour, along with the overall cost of the Switch 2 and its games, continue to be hot topics among the gaming community. Trinen also addressed the broader pricing strategy, including the decision to price Switch 2 games at $80 and the console itself at $450.
