Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour was a nice little surprise in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, giving the new system its own little Astro's Playroom-style experience to let players learn more about their new console. But all the excitement was quickly washed away when it was revealed that – unlike Astro – it's going to be a paid title rather than a free pack-in.
While Welcome Tour is only going to be $9.99, many are perplexed as to why Nintendo would charge for this at all, including ex-PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida. During an appearance on the Easy Allies podcast, host Daniel Bloodworth asked Yoshida what he thought of the decision to charge $10 for the game, to which he simply replied, "I just don't understand." He continued, "you would want everyone to experience that, right? You would have a better understanding of the Switch 2 and become a fan of the system."
However, despite not being a fan of the decision, Yoshida thinks it won't be that big of a deal, saying, "people decide not to pay $10, they don't know what they missed, right? So I don't think it will become a backlash."
He called it an "opportunity loss for Nintendo," not that I imagine Welcome Tour would spawn a game of the year winner in a few years, but Astro's Playroom turned the little bot into a star in its own right and paved the way for Astro Bot.
Yoshida did offer a counterpoint, saying, "I think in a positive way, maybe Nintendo is probably a fan of preserving the value of software," adding that Nintendo is also being careful not to overcharge for it.
While Welcome Tour is probably not getting DLC (although it wouldn't be the first time a pack-in game has, as the Nintendo 3DS' StreetPass Mii Plaza had some), Yoshida said he can see a situation where Nintendo charges upfront to avoid charging more on subsequent purchases.
Regardless, I think I'd rather spend $10 on this than the $50 that 1-2-Switch was going for, even if it was also a way to show off new hardware.
