The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has received a price hike that will see it launch at a higher price than the typical Nintendo Switch game, but Nintendo has indicated not all upcoming first-party games will employ the same approach. Fans already believe The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to be something special, and Nintendo apparently wants the game's pricing to reflect that perceived value.
Fans have been waiting for the next big Zelda game for years, almost since the moment they finished The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That older game arrived as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch, after spending years in development for Wii U. Now, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom tops a lot of fans' lists of what to expect from Nintendo in 2023.
Nintendo recently announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will cost $70 instead of the usual $60, but has since assured Game Informer the price is not a trend for future Nintendo titles. "We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis," a company spokesperson said in response to inquiries. There is some evidence to support that claim, since not every prior Nintendo release hit store shelves with a $60 price tag. The majority of them did, however.
Even if The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom winds up being the first in a string of high-profile Nintendo Switch games to cost $70 at launch, Nintendo isn't the only company adopting a premium pricing model for its biggest games. Major games for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have shipped at $70, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 cost $70 even on last-gen consoles. The industry seems to have concluded that gamers are ready to pay $70 for the games they want most.
Critics of the $70 price for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are quick to point out that Nintendo Switch hardware is not as technologically advanced as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which is true. The question becomes whether a game experience can still justify a price of $70, even when it doesn't run at 120 FPS or feature Hollywood-class production values. While that price falls short of what some gamers used to pay for new Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, modern audiences often either don't recall those days or don't care. In any event, Sony's boss thinks $70 is a fair price for PS5 games, and now Nintendo believes it is also a reasonable price for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Consumers can reach their own conclusions and vote with their wallets.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12 for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Game Informer