Reggie Fils-Aimé Highlights Wii Sports Success Amid Switch 2 Tour Backlash

Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo of America, has subtly addressed the controversy surrounding Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, by drawing parallels to the story of Wii Sports. Amidst the uproar over the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price tag for Mario Kart World, fans were particularly shocked by Nintendo's choice to monetize an interactive instruction manual like Welcome Tour.

During last week's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour was unveiled as a game set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. It serves as a guided tour of the new console in video game form, described by Nintendo as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware. The tour features tech demos, mini-games, and other interactions to familiarize players with the system. Footage from the Nintendo Direct showcased a small player avatar navigating a larger-than-life 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 Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour will be available for $9.99 as a digital-only product. Although this is less expensive than other Switch 2 titles, some fans have expressed disappointment that it isn't a free pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5.

Fils-Aimé took to social media to share clips from a previous IGN interview, where he discussed his efforts to make Wii Sports a free pack-in for the Wii console. In one clip, he mentioned the resistance he faced from Shigeru Miyamoto, yet ultimately succeeded in having Wii Sports bundled with the Wii in markets outside Japan. Another clip highlighted a similar struggle with Wii Play, which was eventually bundled with the Wii Remote and became a top-selling title.

Fils-Aimé's tweets subtly suggest that including free pack-ins like Welcome Tour with the Switch 2 could have been beneficial, a sentiment echoed by fans on social media who believe he would have advocated for such a strategy.

In a recent interview with IGN, Bill Trinen, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, emphasized the value of Welcome Tour. He noted that the game offers more depth than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct and hands-on sessions, justifying the $9.99 price as not exorbitant given the detailed content and educational value it provides to tech enthusiasts interested in the system's specifics.

As part of Nintendo's next-generation push, Welcome Tour has become a focal point of controversy, alongside decisions about the $80 price for Switch 2 games and the $450 cost of the Switch 2 itself.

Reggie fought for Wii Sports as a Wii pack in. Photo by Susan Goldman/Bloomberg via Getty Images.