The Nintendo Switch 2 pricing reveal hasn’t exactly gone down well, and with the economic instability at the moment, many consumers are frustrated at the price and lack of communication. But as interviews with Nintendo of America reps were published yesterday, one of Doug Bowser’s comments in particular has stuck — and not in a good way.
The president of Nintendo of America spoke to CBC about the negative reaction to the price of the console. As Bowser has done in multiple interviews, he’s justified the price by listing off the new features available, here stating “the pricing is appropriate for the value of the machine and the gameplay experience overall,.”
But he acknowledged that the $449.99 cost of the console may well price out some consumers, and it’s this comment in particular that’s gone down like a lead balloon with some:
“We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2’s] price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.”
To some people, this comment is reminiscent of something Don Mattrick said prior to the Xbox One’s launch and the need for online connectivity — and we all know how that went.
If you don’t know what we’re talking about, Mattrick — who was president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft in 2013 — was interviewed by Game Trailers prior to Microsoft’s E3 2013 showcase. And, in response to online connectivity, he told Geoff Keighley “Fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity; it’s called Xbox 360,.”
Bowser’s comments are really just trying to highlight that the original Switch will still be supported after the Switch 2 is launched, but many have taken his words to mean something more dismissive.
This isn’t the first time people have drawn comparisons between the Switch 2 and Xbox One, either. Just last week, with the reveal of Game Key Cards, our sister site Pure Xbox dug up a number of tweets and social media responses comparing the new format — and the camera — to Xbox One’s digital game sharing, online focus, and Kinect.
It’s not quite the same there, and it isn’t here, in our eyes. Not that Bowser’s comments are completely clear cut, of course. We’re also in a very different economy now than we were in 2013 — where prices, inflation, and tariffs are affecting affordability.
Ultimately, it just feels like there’s too much uncertainty and too many questions over Switch 2’s… well, everything.
The Nintendo Switch 2 pricing reveal hasn't exactly gone down well, and with the economic instability at the moment, many consumers are frustrated at the price and lack of communication. But as interviews with Nintendo of America reps were published yesterday, one of Doug Bowser's comments in particular has stuck — and not in a good way.
The president of Nintendo of America spoke to CBC about the negative reaction to the price of the console. As Bowser has done in multiple interviews, he's justified the price by listing off the new features available, here stating "the pricing is appropriate for the value of the machine and the gameplay experience overall,."
But he acknowledged that the $449.99 cost of the console may well price out some consumers, and it's this comment in particular that's gone down like a lead balloon with some:
"We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2's] price point. That's why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in."
To some people, this comment is reminiscent of something Don Mattrick said prior to the Xbox One's launch and the need for online connectivity — and we all know how that went.
If you don't know what we're talking about, Mattrick — who was president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft in 2013 — was interviewed by Game Trailers prior to Microsoft's E3 2013 showcase. And, in response to online connectivity, he told Geoff Keighley "Fortunately we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity; it’s called Xbox 360,."
Bowser's comments are really just trying to highlight that the original Switch will still be supported after the Switch 2 is launched, but many have taken his words to mean something more dismissive.
This isn't the first time people have drawn comparisons between the Switch 2 and Xbox One, either. Just last week, with the reveal of Game Key Cards, our sister site Pure Xbox dug up a number of tweets and social media responses comparing the new format — and the camera — to Xbox One's digital game sharing, online focus, and Kinect.
It's not quite the same there, and it isn't here, in our eyes. Not that Bowser's comments are completely clear cut, of course. We're also in a very different economy now than we were in 2013 — where prices, inflation, and tariffs are affecting affordability.
Ultimately, it just feels like there's too much uncertainty and too many questions over Switch 2's... well, everything.
