Former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has subtly referenced the legacy of Wii Sports in tweets addressing the debate over Nintendo's decision to monetize Switch 2's Welcome Tour tutorial game.
While much attention focused on the Switch 2's $449.99 price point and Mario Kart World's $79.99 cost, Nintendo's choice to charge for the interactive manual Welcome Tour also sparked controversy.
During last week's Nintendo Direct, the company unveiled Welcome Tour - a software experience launching alongside Switch 2 in June that teaches console features through gameplay elements.
Nintendo describes Welcome Tour as an innovative "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware. Through technical demos, mini-games, and interactive experiences, players gain in-depth understanding of the console's capabilities.
The Direct presentation showcased an avatar navigating an oversized Switch 2 model while learning system features, complemented by activities like Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and the Maracas Physics Demo.
IGN has verified Welcome Tour's $9.99 digital-only pricing. While substantially cheaper than full Switch 2 titles, this has drawn criticism from fans who expected it to be included free like PlayStation 5's Astro's Playroom tech demo.
Fils-Aimé responded by tweeting clips from his 2023 IGN interview discussing his internal struggle with Shigeru Miyamoto regarding Wii Sports' inclusion as a free Wii bundle.
The first clip reveals Miyamoto's strong opposition to bundling Wii Sports, though Fils-Aimé ultimately succeeded in including it with all non-Japanese Wii consoles.
The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
A second clip highlights similar negotiations regarding Wii Play's Remote controller bundle, which again frustrated Miyamoto.
The final tweet reminds audiences of the successful outcomes: "In markets where Wii Sports was bundled, we saw significantly greater market impact. When we bundled the Remote with Wii Play, it became the Wii's fifth best-selling software title."
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
While not directly addressing current decisions, Fils-Aimé clearly references how inclusive bundling historically benefited Nintendo. Fans immediately recognized the implication regarding Welcome Tour's pricing.
Nintendo America's Bill Trinen recently defended the Welcome Tour pricing during Switch 2 preview events, stating the experience offers more depth than initially demonstrated, justifying the $9.99 price point for its detailed technical explorations.
"It's a robust software experience," Trinen explained, "particularly valuable for those interested in technical specifications. Given the development investment, $9.99 represents fair value for the product's scope and detail."
The Welcome Tour pricing remains just one facet of the ongoing Switch 2 pricing discussions, which also include Nintendo's strategic choices regarding $80 software and the $450 hardware cost.
