Nintendo said that it will evaluate the $70 price tag for its games on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the company clarified that the $70 price for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will not set a precedent for every Nintendo title.
In a statement to Game Informer, Nintendo explained the reasoning behind the higher price for its most anticipated game of 2023 so far. “We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis.”
When asked whether the $70 price tag will be the trend for first-party games going forward, Nintendo reiterated, “No. We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis.”
During the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo showed off a brand new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. When preorders for the game appeared shortly after, the updated price tag of $70 was revealed. It also has the highest file size at of any first-party Nintendo game, sitting at 18.2 GB. Hopefully, this means that the amount of content in the game justifies the higher price.
Nintendo is the latest company to join others such as Sony, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts to charge $70 for its newest games. However, it seems like Nintendo is staying true to its case-by-case philosophy for now, as the upcoming Pikmin 4 and Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon games are still $60.
Nintendo also revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is receiving a new Link amiibo as well as a $130 Collector’s Edition.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey