In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser acknowledged that pricing of Nintendo Switch 2 is higher than some consumers would like or can afford. In doing so, critics panned his statement as condescending towards the Nintendo fanbase. Bowser said:
“We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2’s] price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.”
While Bowser’s statement brought some readers back to the infamous quote by Former Xbox head Don Mattrick when he stated in an interview with Geoff Keighley at E3 2013 that:
“Fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity: it’s called Xbox 360.”
This statement was in reference to Xbox One requiring a persistent internet connection, whereas the previous console, Xbox 360, did not require such connection.
While both seem like similar statements, Bowser was more careful in his wording, making it clear that Nintendo wants to continue to grow their fanbase and want their ecosystem to be accessible as possible. Mattrick, however, came across as someone who didn’t care about the fanbase that had no internet connectivity.
History shows how that statement worked out for Mattrick, as he resigned from Xbox later the same month.
