'Why Would You Make People Pay for That?' Nintendo's Decision to Charge for Switch 2 Tutorial Game Welcome Tour Sparks Backlash

Amid the furore astir the $449.99 terms of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World's $79.99 terms tag, determination is daze astatine Nintendo’s determination to complaint for the console’s tutorial game, Welcome Tour.

Nintendo revealed Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its Nintendo Direct. It’s a crippled acceptable to motorboat alongside the Switch 2 successful June, and offers a guided circuit of the console itself successful video crippled form.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is described arsenic a "virtual exhibition" of the caller hardware. Per Nintendo, "through tech demos, minigames and different interactions, players volition get to cognize the caller strategy wrong and retired successful ways they whitethorn ne'er person known astir otherwise."

The Nintendo Direct showed footage of a tiny subordinate avatar exploring a super-sized Switch 2, speechmaking astir the antithetic features and facts astir the console. It besides includes mini-games specified arsenic Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.

While Nintendo has yet to denote a terms for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour successful the U.S., it has confirmed a terms of ¥990 yen successful Japan, which presently converts to astir $6.76.

Still, fans are bemoaning the information it costs immoderate wealth astatine all. “This is simply a literal tech demo of your console, wherefore would you marque radical wage for that?” said redditor Trabless.

“Audibly laughed erstwhile they called this a paid title,” added KMoosetoe. “Hope cipher buys this bulls**t.”

"When they were showing it I was like, 'Nice. A neat small happening to get you acquainted with the system,' " commented Opening_Proof_1365. "As soon arsenic they said paid I virtually laughed retired large and said, 'why would idiosyncratic wage for that?' "

Many are present pointing to Sony’s assorted PlayStation console pack-ins, saying Nintendo should person followed suit. Astro's Playroom, for example, comes pre-installed connected each PlayStation 5 console, serving additionally arsenic a escaped tech demo for the DualSense controller.

“Yet PS5 came with a escaped crippled conscionable to showcase the capabilities of the DualSense,” Radical_X75 said. “I thought this was the aforesaid until they said this is paid. It makes nary sense.”

“Steam Deck came retired with Aperture Desk Job,” added Zanytiger6. “Nintendo is brainsick for charging for a circuit of a console you conscionable purchased for implicit $400.”

Pricing is the blistery taxable pursuing the Nintendo Direct, with immoderate baulking astatine the Switch 2 terms and the $79.99 outgo of Mario Kart World, among different Switch 2 games. For much context, beryllium definite to cheque retired IGN’s nonfiction revealing what the experts person to accidental astir Nintendo’s Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing.

And, successful lawsuit you missed out, cheque retired each the quality announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].