Nintendo has publicly debunked a report claiming that the company is allowing Japanese retailers to earn more from each Nintendo Switch 2 console sold.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 looks poised to be a success no matter how you shake it, Nintendo has taken some unconventional approaches to the launch of its new console. For example, a Japanese-only version of the console which is selling for 20,000 Yen less than the multi-language version. Even the Mario Kart World bundle is a bit of an unconventional choice, since the last Nintendo console to come bundled with a game at launch was the Wii back in 2006 (and even then, Wii Sports was only a pack-in after Reggie Fils-Amié fought for it).
Just ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 launching later this week, Bloomberg reported that Nintendo would be giving a bigger cut of every Nintendo Switch 2 sold to retailers. "Store operators will be able to make a gross margin of about 5% on each Switch 2 sold, higher than the informal industry standard of roughly 2%" the report said, adding "The decision will help bolster domestic retailers and ensure the new console is given prominent placement at outlets across the country."
Around four hours later, Nintendo took to Twitter to debunk the rumour: "A news report related to the wholesale price of Nintendo Switch 2 in the Japanese market was published. We want to clarify that this report is not true. Nintendo does not disclose any information regarding business conditions with distribution and retail partners."
While Nintendo is well known for not commenting on rumours, on Monday (when this report was published) Nintendo shares dropped which likely led the publisher to make a public statement about the report.
The list of Nintendo Switch 2 launch games is pretty packed, huh?
