As we all know, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom currently stands as one of the biggest game releases of this year. Nintendo certainly knows this, so much so that it decided to make it the first Switch exclusive to have a $69.99 USD price tag. Considering how controversial the $70 price tag already is among players, many understandably questioned this decision. The fact that the Switch boasts considerably less power than other current-gen platforms does not help in this regard. In the midst of the criticism, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser spoke to the Associated Press and explained the company’s thought process behind Tears of the Kingdom’s price tag.
Simply put, Nintendo felt that Tears of the Kingdom warranted this price tag because of the content it has to offer. According to Bowser, he believes that “fans will find this is an incredibly full, deeply immersive experience.” Additionally, he states that “the price point reflects the type of experience that fans can expect when it comes to playing this particular game.”
Tears of the Kingdom price is not quite the new standard
Having said that, Bowser clarifies that not all of Nintendo’s games will come with this price tag. Rather, the company will assess each game individually and determine whether it has enough content or value to justify an increase in price. Bowser went on to state that many gaming companies adopt this pricing method “either here or in Europe or other parts of the world.”
Even with this explanation, many players will likely still not feel comfortable spending more than the standard $60 price for Tears of the Kingdom. Of course, players could wait for a sale, but Nintendo has become rather infamous for the relative rarity of its sales. Although it does seem like Tears of the Kingdom will end up considerably bigger than Breath of the Wild, $70 is still a lot to give up.
Image via Nintendo
