"I Just Don't Understand": Shuhei Yoshida Talks About Nintendo Switch 2's Paid Welcome Tour

Since the official reveal of Nintendo Switch 2, the discussions about its technological advancements over its predecessor are buried in ones regarding the pricing strategies — a true crisis moment as its former PR managers said. Not only are the games pushing the industry standards to new heights, but they also decided to charge for the tutorial "game" Welcome Tour instead of making it a free pack. Many have considered this "an immediate red flag," and it is also confusing for PlayStation legend Shuhei Yoshida.

The industry veteran joined the Easy Allies podcast to express his feelings, directly saying it's beyond his comprehension that the company will charge for a product designed to show users the console's functionalities (around the 41-minute mark). "I just don’t understand. You would want everyone to experience that, right? You would have a better understanding of the Switch and become a fan of the system."

"People, pay or not pay $10 for the Welcome Tour, and people who decide not to pay $10, they don't know what they missed, right?" He continued, admitting that it's "an opportunity loss for Nintendo."

Well, he didn't put things too strictly and offered some reasons, such as the preservation of "the value of software" and the company's stance "against free to play," which might have led to their decision. 

In the same podcast, when asked about their feelings about the grand reveal presentation (around the 8-minute 30-second mark), the Switch 2 Direct, Shuhei admitted that he had a mixed and confused feeling.

He said, "To me, it was a bit [of a] mixed message from Nintendo. In a sense, I think Nintendo is losing their identity, in my opinion." On the one hand, it's indeed a powerful device, yet on the other hand, for gamers, the games they show, especially those from third parties, what they show off wasn't that impressive.