Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has referenced the history of Wii Sports—the bundled title for the Wii console—through subtle tweets that address the ongoing debate over Nintendo's choice to charge for the Switch 2's instructional software, Welcome Tour.
Amid widespread reaction to the Switch 2’s $449.99 price and the $79.99 cost of Mario Kart World, many were also taken aback by Nintendo's move to require payment for Welcome Tour, an interactive tutorial experience.
Nintendo introduced Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during last week's Nintendo Direct. This title, set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June, provides a video game-style guided introduction to the new hardware.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is billed as a "virtual exhibition" of the new console. According to Nintendo: “Through tech demos, minigames, and other interactive elements, players will explore the system's capabilities in depth, potentially uncovering features they might otherwise miss.”
The Nintendo Direct presentation featured a player avatar navigating an oversized Switch 2 model, learning about various console features and trivia. The software also incorporates minigames such as Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.
IGN has verified that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is priced at $9.99 and available only as a digital download. Although it costs less than other Switch 2 games, IGN has received multiple complaints from Nintendo fans who believe Welcome Tour should not carry any fee, arguing it ought to be included with the console—much like the DualSense showcase Astro's Playroom was for PlayStation 5.
Now, Fils-Aimé has tweeted three excerpts from IGN's interview with him two years ago, in which he detailed the internal disagreement he had with famed developer Shigeru Miyamoto over making Wii Sports a free pack-in title for the blockbuster Wii console.
In the first clip, Fils-Aimé recalls that "it’s an understatement to say Mr. Miyamoto pushed back" on the proposal to bundle Wii Sports with the Wii. Ultimately, Fils-Aimé partly prevailed—Wii Sports was included with the console in all regions except Japan.
The story of Wii Sports pack in ...https://t.co/LhflSFWaL3
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
The second excerpt Fils-Aimé shared involved a comparable effort to bundle Wii Play with the Wii Remote. In the interview clip, he admits the idea “pissed off” Miyamoto once more, saying, “He was not happy about that either.”
Lastly, by tweeting “and the results,” Fils-Aimé highlighted the portion of the interview where he emphasized that the strategy proved successful.
“In the Americas and Europe, Wii Sports was bundled with the Wii,” he explained. “This wasn't the case in Japan, which created something of a test market. It was clear that in regions where Wii Sports was included, the Wii became a much bigger phenomenon—and Wii Sports itself exploded in popularity.
“We also bundled the Remote with Wii Play. That title ended up becoming the fifth highest-selling software product in the Wii's history.”
And the results.https://t.co/xrFTDeJMQf
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) April 9, 2025
Fils-Aimé’s message is unmistakable. Although he doesn’t explicitly critique Nintendo’s current Switch 2 plans, he highlights how free bundled titles benefited past Nintendo hardware—suggesting the same could hold true for the Switch 2.
Fans quickly grasped the implication. “Hahaha, I think Reggie has seen our thoughts on the Switch 2,” one X/Twitter user remarked. Another commented, “We know you would have made Welcome Tour a pack-in.”
Earlier this week, IGN released its interview with Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, which took place at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York—prior to the delay in pre-orders caused by Trump’s tariffs.
Trinen emphasized that Welcome Tour contains more substance than what was shown during the Nintendo Direct or recent hands-on sessions with the press. Considering the actual content, Nintendo felt $9.99 “is not an unreasonable price,” he noted.
“It's an interesting product,” Trinen said. “We’re preparing today to run several Nintendo Treehouse Live segments, covering numerous games in detail—Welcome Tour among them. I believe viewers will get a clearer picture via Treehouse Live than they might have from the show floor. It’s quite a robust piece of software with a great deal of thoughtful content.
“For those especially curious about the technology and system specifications, I think it’s going to be a great fit. It’s tailored for users seeking deeper insight into the hardware, not just a brief introduction.
“Given the level of care and effort the team invested, we concluded that $9.99 is not excessive. It represents fair value for what the product delivers.”
Welcome Tour is only one facet of Nintendo’s next-generation approach that has drawn criticism. We’ve also covered Trinen’s response to questions about the company’s decision to set Switch 2 game prices at $80, as well as the $450 asking price for the Switch 2 console itself.
