Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former head of Nintendo of America, has subtly referenced the success story of Wii Sports in a series of tweets that appear to address the ongoing controversy over Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2's tutorial game, Welcome Tour. Amidst the uproar regarding the $449.99 price tag of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 cost of Mario Kart World, many fans were taken aback by the decision to make the interactive instruction manual, Welcome Tour, a paid product.
During the recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo unveiled Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a game designed to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game serves as a guided tour of the new console, presented in a video game format. It's described by Nintendo as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, where players can explore the system through tech demos, mini-games, and other interactive elements to learn more about its features.
The Nintendo Direct showcased a player avatar navigating a large-scale version of the Switch 2, interacting with different features and learning about the console. Mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo were also featured. IGN confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour will cost $9.99 and is available only digitally. While this price is lower than other Switch 2 games, there's been significant backlash from fans who believe it should be included for free, similar to how Astro's Playroom was a pack-in with the PlayStation 5.
Fils-Aimé's tweets included clips from an IGN interview from two years ago, where he discussed his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii. In the first clip, he mentioned the resistance he faced from Shigeru Miyamoto, saying, "it is an understatement to say that Mr. Miyamoto pushed back." 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
A second clip highlighted another battle over bundling Wii Play with the Wii Remote, where Fils-Aimé admitted to again upsetting Miyamoto with his proposal. Finally, in the third clip, he shared the outcomes of these decisions, noting the significant success of Wii Sports in regions where it was included as a pack-in, and the strong sales performance of Wii Play.
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
Though Fils-Aimé did not directly critique Nintendo's strategy for the Switch 2, his tweets suggest that free pack-ins have proven beneficial in the past, hinting that a similar approach might be advantageous for the Switch 2. Fans on social media picked up on the implication, with comments like, "Hahaha, guys I think Reggie is watching our comments about the Switch 2," and "We know you would have packed in Welcome Tour."
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. Trinen explained that the game offers much more depth than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct and hands-on sessions. He emphasized that Welcome Tour is designed for those interested in the technical aspects of the Switch 2 and stated that the $9.99 price point was justified given the amount of effort and detail put into the product.
Trinen also mentioned upcoming Nintendo Treehouse Live segments that would delve deeper into Welcome Tour, suggesting that viewers might gain a better understanding of its value. He concluded that the price reflects the comprehensive nature of the software, tailored for those who want a detailed exploration of the system's capabilities.
The controversy surrounding Welcome Tour is just one facet of the broader discussion around Nintendo's next-gen strategy, which also includes debates over the $80 price for Switch 2 games and the $450 cost of the Switch 2 itself.
