Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has subtly weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nintendo's decision to charge for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, by referencing the story of Wii Sports in a series of tweets. The debate has been fueled by the high pricing of the Switch 2 at $449.99 and Mario Kart World at $79.99, with additional shock over the decision to charge for Welcome Tour, an interactive instruction manual.

Nintendo unveiled Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its recent Nintendo Direct, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June. This game serves as a guided tour of the console, presented as a "virtual exhibition" featuring tech demos, minigames, and interactive elements. Players will navigate a super-sized Switch 2, learning about its features through mini-games like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.

Priced at $9.99 and available only digitally, Welcome Tour has sparked criticism from fans who believe it should be included as a free pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom for the PlayStation 5. In response, Fils-Aimé tweeted clips from a past IGN interview where he discussed his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii console, despite opposition from Shigeru Miyamoto.

Fils-Aimé highlighted the success of bundling Wii Sports with the Wii in the Americas and Europe, noting that it significantly boosted the console's popularity. He also mentioned the successful bundling of Wii Play with the Wii Remote, which became one of the top-selling games for the Wii. These tweets subtly suggest that a similar strategy could benefit the Switch 2.

Fans have picked up on Fils-Aimé's hints, with many on social media platforms expressing their belief that he would have advocated for including Welcome Tour as a free pack-in. Meanwhile, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, defended the pricing of Welcome Tour in an IGN interview, emphasizing its depth and value. He pointed out that the game offers more than what was shown in the Nintendo Direct and hands-on sessions, justifying the $9.99 price as not exorbitant given the detailed content and the target audience interested in the system's tech and specs.

As part of Nintendo's next-generation strategy, the pricing of Welcome Tour is just one aspect of the broader discussion surrounding the Switch 2's $450 price tag and the $80 price point for other Switch 2 games. Trinen's comments provide insight into Nintendo's perspective on these pricing decisions.