Nintendo boss Doug Bowser has defended the cost of games for the Switch 2, with Mario Kart World set to cost players £74.99.
READ MORE: Every confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 launch game
The Switch 2 was unveiled earlier this year in a hardware-focused teaser trailer while at the start of April, an hour-long direct showcased the bigger, more powerful console and a handful of launch games.
Shortly afterwards, the price was revealed via Nintendo’s own website and fans were shocked at the “insane” cost of the Switch 2. The base console will set you back £395.99 while a physical copy of Mario Kart World will cost £74.99. New 3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza will cost £66.99 at launch while a digital-only version of the game is priced at £58.99.
In a new interview with The Washington Post, Nintendo Of America’s President Doug Bowser said Switch 2 games would use “variable pricing,” to determine their cost.
“We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences,” he continued. “Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark.”
Earlier this year, it was rumoured Rockstar were looking to charge $100 for Grand Theft Auto 6 with other studios hoping to follow in their footsteps and charge more for a game. Bowser said Nintendo’s new variable pricing strategy wasn’t designed to be the new industry standard.
“This is really about Nintendo deciding the right thing to do for its products or what the pricing should be for its products overall,” he explained. “I can’t speak for other games that might be released by other publishers or other platforms. It’s more about what we think is right for our content, what is the right value for the consumers as they come into our platform.”
In an interview with IGN, America’s Vice President Of Product And Player Experience, Bill Trinen defended the $9.99 price-tag of Switch 2 tutorial Welcome Tour. “$9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you’re getting out of the product,” he said.
Pre-orders for the Switch 2 went live in the UK last week and have already started selling out, however American fans will have to wait after Nintendo delayed pre-orders following Donald Trump’s new import tariffs.
In other news, Sabrina Carpenter has finally arrived in Fortnite with a collaboration inspired by her ongoing ‘Short n’ Sweet’ world tour – and fans are loving it.
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