In a recent interview, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser explained why The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be worth its higher price tag. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will cost $70 instead of the $60 price found on a majority of Nintendo Switch first-party releases, and the Nintendo president believes the game's price is well justified.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the highly-anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, the Nintendo Switch's major first-party launch title from March 2017. This past February, Nintendo Switch players discovered Tears of the Kingdom was already up for pre-order in the Nintendo eShop. However, Tears of the Kingdom was listed with a $70 price tag instead of the standard $60 price that was normally expected from new first-party releases. Nintendo would temporarily remove the pricing before the February 2023 Nintendo Direct aired, and the company would send out a statement confirming the game's $70 price alongside the reveal of a new Collector's Edition and Link amiibo.
When interviewed by the Associated Press, Bowser states the current price point for Tears of the Kingdom reflects the experience that Zelda fans can expect when playing this new Nintendo game in particular. Nintendo looked at what Tears of the Kingdom has to offer and believes fans will find the game to be a deeply immersive experience when it launches. Bowser reiterates that the $70 price tag will not be present on all Nintendo first-party releases and believes Tears of the Kingdom will be worth its price due to what the game offers.
Bowser's comments on the $70 price tag insist that the price hike will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The Nintendo of America president says the pricing model is common in the U.S, Europe, and other parts of the world where pricing may vary depending on the particular game. In this case, the Tears of the Kingdom price hike was decided internally at Nintendo after evaluating several factors such as the game's volume of content and the current pricing model.
A portion of the Nintendo community was angry about the increased price of Tears of the Kingdom, and the recent remarks by Bowser may spark some more debates. Fortunately, the $70 price tag for Nintendo Switch games appear to be limited to Tears of the Kingdom in 2023 thus far. For example, upcoming titles like Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon and Pikmin 4 will be $60 releases.
Tears of the Kingdom is on track to be another highly successful title for Nintendo despite the higher price tag. Breath of the Wild is one of the highest-selling Nintendo Switch games of all time, and the game's lasting impression may encourage players to purchase the sequel at $70.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases May 12 for Nintendo Switch.
Source: VGC