It’s been just over a month since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s $69.99 price point was quietly leaked and then officially announced, and it’s been a fairly hot topic of discussion ever since. Speaking with the Associated Press for an Insider Q&A, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser explained some of Nintendo’s reasoning behind the price hike:
“We look at what the game has to offer. I think fans will find this is an incredibly full, deeply immersive experience. The price point reflects the type of experience that fans can expect when it comes to playing this particular game. This isn´t a price point that we´ll necessarily have on all our titles. It’s actually a fairly common pricing model either here or in Europe or other parts of the world, where the pricing may vary depending on the game itself.”
Nintendo clearly has a lot of faith in Tears of the Kingdom’s ability to justify its higher price tag, but makes sure to reiterate that not all 1st party Switch titles will be $70 going forward, which they made sure to note in the days after Tears of the Kingdom’s price was announced, stating that they “determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis.”
When asked if Nintendo had set any sales goals for Tears of the Kingdom, Bowser responded that “There are [goals], but they’re not publicly disclosed yet.” Time will tell how many copies Tears of the Kingdom can sell, but considering that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has sold over 30 million copies to date, you have to wonder if its sequel will make the same waves as its predecessor. After all, 30 million copies sold with a $10 price hike would be an impressive additional $300 million in sales.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to launch for Nintendo Switch in a few short months on May 12th, 2023, and is available for pre-order now.
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Written by Jaxson Tapp
As a lover of gaming and the written word, Jaxson currently fills his time not only with playing games, but also writing about them. Ready for anything, Jaxson’s passion for puzzle games, JRPGs, tough platformers, and whimsical indies helps him bring a well-rounded opinion to Nintendo Wire’s reporting.
