Nintendo has finally spoken out regarding its controversial decision to charge forWelcome Tour, a game designed as a tutorial for theNintendo Switch 2. While the initial reveal ofWelcome Tourwas received well by players, with many comparing it to the PlayStation 5’sAstro’s Playroomor the Steam Deck’sAperture Desk Job,the community was stunned to discover that it would not be included as a free game with every Switch 2. With many accusing Nintendo of greedy pricing, the company shared why it feelsWelcome Touris worth the $9.99 price tag.
Speaking toIGN, Bill Trinen, Vice President of Player & Product Experience of Nintendo of America, describedWelcome Touras “a pretty robust piece of software,“noting that the company thought the $9.99 price was justified due to the value players will get out of the experience:
For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it’s going to be a great product.It’s really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick introto everything it does. And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, ‘Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you’re getting out of the product.’
Beyond the brief snippets of gameplay shown off during the Switch 2 Direct and the following Treehouse Live broadcast, Nintendo hasn’t shown off a great deal of what players can expect fromWelcome Tour. Despite the company’s justification of the price,many players are still not convinced by the decision.
Welcome Tour Feels Like A Pack-In Game
Nintendo’s Choice To Charge For It Feels Odd
By Nintendo’s own description ofWelcome Tour,the game is designed as a means of illustrating everything players will want to know about the Nintendo Switch 2. Besides including various points of interest that break down some of the tech and hardware of the console, it also includes mini-games to show offthe Switch 2’s new features. Some of the highlighted experiences include a game of minigolf, whereplayers use the Joy-Con 2as a mouse to putt the ball, or a “Maracas Physics Demo” that uses the controllers' motion sensors.
Followingthe excellentAstro’s Playroom, which was seemingly a more fleshed-out “tutorial” for the PlayStation 5, it’s bold for Nintendo to charge users to playWelcome Tour. While players will have to wait to see the full scale of the game,it’s certainly odd to charge extra for what is, effectively, a manual on how to best use the Switch 2. Nintendo has a track record of offering excellent pack-in games, likeWii Sportsfor the Wii, so going a different route withWelcome Tourhasrubbed the community the wrong way.
Nintendo Switch 2 Has Me Worried For The Future Of Physical Games
With Switch 2 games becoming more expensive in multiple regions, one concerning change paints a bleak future for physical releases in general.
Welcome Tour Won’t Be An Essential Experience
That Doesn’t Mean It’s Worth Charging Extra
There will undoubtedly be an abundance of guides on how to get the most out of theNintendo Switch 2when it launches, so playingWelcome Tourwon’t be necessary for many consumers. Having said that,I do find it concerning that Nintendo is charging players for what looks like, by all accounts, a pack-in tutorial game. Whether or notWelcome Tourmanages to make the company money remains to be seen, but I hope it doesn’t set an unfortunate precedent for the future.
