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 referencing the story of Wii Sports. This comes amidst widespread discussion about the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price tag for Mario Kart World, with fans expressing shock over the cost of 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. Described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware, Welcome Tour offers a guided tour of the console through tech demos, minigames, and other interactions, helping players become familiar with the system. The Nintendo Direct showcased a player avatar exploring 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 cost $9.99 and will be available only digitally. While this is significantly less than other Switch 2 games, there has been backlash from some Nintendo fans who believe it should be included for free, similar to how Astro's Playroom was bundled with the PlayStation 5.

In response, Fils-Aimé took to X (formerly Twitter) to share clips from a past IGN interview where he discussed his efforts to include Wii Sports as a free pack-in with the Wii console. He highlighted the internal struggle with Shigeru Miyamoto, ultimately succeeding in having Wii Sports bundled with the Wii in all regions except Japan. Fils-Aimé also mentioned his push to include Wii Play with the Wii Remote, which became the fifth best-selling piece of software for the Wii.

The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3

— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025

And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf

— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025

Fils-Aimé's tweets, while not directly addressing the Switch 2 strategy, suggest that including free pack-ins has proven successful for Nintendo in the past, implying it could be beneficial for the Switch 2 as well. Fans have picked up on this, with some humorously noting that Fils-Aimé is likely aware of their sentiments regarding Welcome Tour's pricing.

In a recent interview with IGN, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, provided more insight into Welcome Tour. Conducted at a Switch 2 preview event in New York before Nintendo announced a delay in pre-orders due to Trump's tariffs, Trinen emphasized that Welcome Tour is more comprehensive than what was shown in the Nintendo Direct or during hands-on sessions. He argued that the $9.99 price is justified given the depth and detail of the product, which is designed for those interested in the technical aspects of the system.

Trinen noted, "It's an interesting product. We're actually getting ready today, we're going to be doing some Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a lot of games in detail. That's one of them. And I think people will be able to see through Treehouse Live probably a little bit more maybe than you were able to see on the show floor. It's a pretty robust piece of software. There's a lot of great detail in there."

He further explained that Welcome Tour caters to those keen on understanding the system's tech and specs, and praised the team's effort in creating the product, suggesting that $9.99 is a fair price for the value it offers.

Welcome Tour is just one aspect of Nintendo's next-generation strategy that has sparked controversy. IGN also covered Trinen's responses to questions about the $80 price point for Switch 2 games and the $450 price for the Switch 2 itself.