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, by sharing insights from the story of Wii Sports. Amidst the uproar over the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World's $79.99 price tag, fans were also taken aback by Nintendo’s choice to monetize the interactive instruction manual, Welcome Tour.
Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its recent Nintendo Direct, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game serves as a comprehensive guided tour of the new console, presented in a video game format. Described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, Nintendo explains that "through tech demos, minigames, and other interactions, players will get to know the new system inside and out in ways they may never have known about otherwise."
The Nintendo Direct showcased a small player avatar navigating a giant-sized Switch 2, exploring various features and facts about the console. The game includes engaging mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo. Despite its digital-only nature and a price tag of $9.99, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour has sparked complaints from some Nintendo fans who believe it should have been included as a free pack-in, similar to the DualSense tech demo game Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.
In response, Fils-Aimé took to Twitter to share clips from an IGN interview conducted two years ago, where he discussed his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii console. In the first clip, he mentions the resistance he faced from legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto, stating, "it is an understatement to say that Mr. Miyamoto pushed back” on the idea of making Wii Sports a Wii console pack-in. Fils-Aimé's persistence paid off, as Wii Sports was 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
In another clip, Fils-Aimé recounts a similar battle to bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote, which also met with resistance from Miyamoto. He humorously notes, “He was not happy about that either.” Finally, in a third tweet, Fils-Aimé emphasizes the success of these decisions, stating, "In the Americas and in Europe Wii Sports was packed in with the Wii proposition. It was not in Japan, which created a bit of a test market. It was obvious that in the markets where Wii Sports was packed in that we became much more of a phenomenon. Wii Sports itself became much more of a phenomenon. We did pack the Remote with Wii Play. And it became the fifth best-selling piece of software in the history of the Wii."
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
While Fils-Aimé does not directly address Nintendo's strategy for the Switch 2, his tweets imply that free pack-ins have historically boosted console success, suggesting a similar approach could benefit the Switch 2. Fans have picked up on this message, 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,” circulating on social media.
In an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, discussed Welcome Tour further. Conducted at a Switch 2 preview event in New York, Trinen emphasized that Welcome Tour offers more than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct or during hands-on media sessions. He argued that the $9.99 price "is not an exorbitant price," considering the depth and detail included in the game. Trinen highlighted that Welcome Tour is particularly appealing to those interested in the technical aspects of the system, offering a robust experience rather than just a quick introduction.
Trinen also mentioned upcoming Nintendo Treehouse Live segments that will delve deeper into Welcome Tour and other games, providing more insight into its value. He stressed that the extensive work and care put into Welcome Tour justify its price, stating, "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 intro to everything it does."
Welcome Tour is just one aspect of Nintendo's next-gen strategy that has stirred controversy. IGN also covered Trinen’s response to questions about the company's decision to price Switch 2 games at $80 and the console itself at $450.
