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Nintendo may not be directly competing with the current-gen consoles, but it seems they will adopt at least one of their hallmarks. However, it is one that most fans will be disappointed with.
Recent reports suggest that Nintendo games could be priced at $70 in the future. The first of this trend seems to be the upcoming open-world action-adventure The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
As spotted by netizens, the eShop store page for the game was briefly updated to reflect a $69.99 price tag. This was soon reverted to the default "Releasing in 2023" placeholder.
It seems to have been an error on the company's behalf. However, considering we have a Direct showcase looming overhead, there is likely more to it.
What does this mean for fans and the Nintendo Switch gaming ecosystem as a whole?
This change was even seen on the Canadian eShop page for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with the final pricing being $89.99. To add to that, Gamestop and other retailers have halted pre-orders.
Fans have thus far been eagerly pre-purchasing the game. The fact that third parties are making these changes implies that something big is coming. And it's certainly not something to look forward to for fans.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set for release on May 12, 2023, so to see this price change reflected this close to release will upset many. Will current pre-orders be canceled or refunded? We have no word on that yet. However, one thing is clear; the upcoming Nintendo Direct should shed some light on the situation.
Fans are bound to receive new information about the upcoming ambitious open-world game, especially given that it has been a while since any footage or trailers were released.
It would not be surprising to see the debut of in-engine gameplay so players can have a look at how the title is coming along at this point in time. Furthermore, it should also be clear if this price hike will be exclusive to the game or other major offerings from the publisher as well.
If nothing, this could also allude to a Switch successor being in the works. The easiest line of thought would suggest Nintendo has beefed up hardware waiting to be unveiled to justify this sudden increase in game pricing.
The upcoming showcase promises to only focus on Switch games coming in the first half of 2023, so players will have to wait longer for a Switch 2 confirmation.
The Direct will air on February 8, 2023, at 2:00 pm PST/5:00 pm EST/11:00 pm CET and can be viewed on Nintendo's official YouTube channel.
