Last week, Nintendo kept the media threw train on its next new The Switch 2 game system, with a series of live difficulties showing the new device as well as very awaited games like Mario Kart World And Donkey Kong Bananza.
The players, however, had something in mind. The live cat alongside Livestream Youtube was flooded with people publishing “Drop the Prix” and similar pleadings for hours.
The US price of $ 449 from the new system – $ 629 in Canada – is a difficult to swallow. The original switch was launched in 2017 at US $ 299 ($ 399 CDN).
Adding to concerns was the list of American sites in Nintendo Mario Kart World At US $ 80, which is $ 10 higher than normal for current flagship games. The Canadian Nintendo store does not currently list the retail price suggested by the manufacturer (MRSP), but direct conversion would put it at $ 110 CDN or more.
Friday – two days after the showcase of Switch 2 – Another bomb: Nintendo took a pre -order break for the console in the United States, “in order to assess the potential impact of changes and market conditions,” according to a press release.
“Nintendo will update the calendar on a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged,” continued the press release.
Although he did not mention the American president Donald Trump by name, the use of the word “price” alone is a brutal gap in relation to the preference of the Japanese games company to avoid current events or politics from its products or messages from afar.
Analysts and defenders of the industry have expressed their concern that the unpredictable tariff situation could lead to price increases at all levels, which makes Switch 2 – and games in general – less accessible in the middle of a wider crunch on accessibility.
The pre-order break only seems to affect the United States at the moment. A Nintendo representative of Canada has confirmed to CBC that pre -orders in this country should start on April 9.
Change 2 “appropriate” prices, explains Nintendo America Boss
Nintendo has not yet commented on the negative reaction to the price of Switch 2. During a round media table with the material architects of the Switch 2 last Wednesday, a moderator quickly deviated a question on the price, saying that the panel was there to answer questions about “funny things”.
The president of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser (unrelated to Mario’s Nemesis) was a little more to come that day.
“While we are looking at Nintendo Switch 2 and you think of the sets of features I have spoken … We believe that the price is appropriate for the value of the machine and the experience of the gameplay overall,” he said.
Bowser, who spoke with CBC before the American pre -order break, noted that the previous generation of Switch devices will always be taken care of, including with a selection of new games that were released later this year.
“We recognize that there are people who cannot afford [the Switch 2’s] price. This is why we wanted to make the other switching platforms available, so [people] Always have the opportunity to come to our game universe, be one of these characters in these worlds and see the value, if you want, whatever its level of the platform in which they enter. “”
Bowser would not share the target numbers, but he said that Nintendo thinks that the Switch 2 can be as successful as its immediate predecessor. It is a high bar, because the original switch has sold more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the best -selling game console of all time.
“Of course, there are external circumstances that could affect positively or negatively affect. And we cannot necessarily control them. What we can control is that we think that we have a more developers on the platform, we can rely as a developer or an editor ourselves.
On these “external circumstances”
Speaking before pre -orders stop, Analysts told Gamesindustry.biz They thought that the high price was probably set in anticipation of the announcement of Trump’s world prices.
“The higher cost of the console in the United States compared to Japan is probably a calculated decision on the part of Nintendo, driven by pricing impacts, the Conditions of the Japanese Yen and the low local market”, ” said Daniel Ahmad, director of research and information for Niko’s partners.
“The reciprocal prices on Vietnam and Japan have arrived higher than expected, and Nintendo will feel the impact of this if the prices come into force.”
Nintendo has moved part of its China switching 2 production in Vietnam To partially avoid the effects of American prices. But the price of 46% of Trump on Vietnam has arrived higher than expected by market observers, and may have completely erased the advantages of the decision.
Nintendo has doubled its mega popular switch by revealing a sequel – The Switch 2 – in New York this week. We got their hands on the new console.
A spokesperson for the US Based Entertainment Software Association said to the IGN game site They expect Trump’s prices to have major effects on the entire game industry and beyond, although it is “an unhappy and coincided moment” that the revelation of Nintendo Switch 2 came on the “Liberation Day” of Trump of pricing ads.
Paul Fogolin, president of Software Association of Canada entertainment, told CBC News that “the world prices announced by the Trump administration earlier this week will have a real and harmful impact on our industry and the millions of Canadians who like to play games”.
Fogolin noted that, like the other consumer goods, game consoles and other consumer electronics that people use to play games are built with parts from several countries and could pass several borders that end up affecting prices during construction.
A price of more than $ 600 in Canada is one of the new details on the next Nintendo Switch 2 console, as well as a launch date on June 5 and some of the games that will be available. Will this cost dissuade buyers?
“The industry is based on affordable consoles, because the objective is to provide players with the latest technologies to play the latest games, we therefore plan that the prices cause a training effect that will have an impact on players and businesses from the whole ecosystem,” said Fogolin.
Nintendo is found in a tight place not entirely of its own manufacture. Competitors like Microsoft and Sony undoubtedly look closely at the pricing situation and how it can affect future material versions.
For players of all ages, Jonesing for the next stroke of Mario Kart Or MetroidThe question of switch 2 may not be: “Is it worth it?” But rather simply, “Can I afford it?”
