(The console is still scheduled for release June 5.)

I sat down with Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s president, the day before the tariff decision. Nintendo won’t address the tariffs beyond the delay announcement. But Bowser provided some insight into the company’s approach to pricing titles.

First off, Bowser noted that the other marquee title, “Donkey Kong Bananza,” remains at the standard retail price for premium games of $70.

“What you see right there is variable pricing,” Bowser told The Washington Post. “We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences.

“Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark.”

“World” is the follow-up to “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” the best-selling stand-alone Nintendo game of all time with more than 67 million sold.

Nintendo has been an industry pioneer since the advent of the video game age in the 1980s. The Game Boy introduced the concept of handheld gaming that proved so popular, even Hillary Clinton was playing. The Wii’s success in 2006 sparked the chase for motion-based control systems. The Switch in 2017 cemented the handheld video game device market with its “hybrid” design for portable and TV play, which created the runway for more portable gaming devices like Steam’s niche but beloved Steam Deck.

I asked Bowser if Nintendo breaking the seal on higher game prices is part of its role as an industry leader.

“I think it’s less about representing the industry … this is really about Nintendo deciding the right thing to do for its products or what the pricing should be for its products overall,” he said. “Even in the previous generation … we had some variability.”

Bowser pointed to various Zelda games being priced differently. “Tears of the Kingdom” in 2023 was massively popular and Nintendo’s first $70 game, while the previous game, from 2017, is $60. The remake of “Link’s Awakening” also cost $60, and while it’s an old Game Boy game, it was completely remade from the ground up with new technology, art style and content.

“I think for us, that’s really how we want to proceed and go forward,” he said. “I can’t speak for other games that might be released by other publishers or other platforms. It’s more about what we think is right for our content, what is the right value for the consumers as they come into our platform.”

Pricing has long been a point of debate in the industry, as retail prices struggled to keep pace with ballooning budgets for games. With new economic chaos, it’s hard to tell how much video games and consoles may cost in the coming years.

The Switch 2 was announced with a $450 price tag, which makes it the most expensive Nintendo console ever shipped. But the price is also reasonable given its capabilities and is consistent with how other PC handheld devices are priced. The first Switch remains $300, while an OLED-screen model is sold for $350. A Lite version that doesn’t “switch” to a home console is $200.

Bowser said Nintendo remains committed to selling the first Switch console. Four years ago, in our first conversation, Bowser said the Switch is “redefining what a console cycle can look like.”

“Now I even wonder what is the definition of a console cycle,” Bowser said. “We’ll continue to keep Nintendo Switch as part of the family, giving consumers a number of different entry points that they can come into the gaming universe.”

Currently there are no plans to reduce the price of the older devices, he said. But he leaves the door open to the possibility. At more than 150 million units sold, the Switch is the third-best-selling video game device of all time, behind Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s DS, respectively.

“What I would say is that we’ll continue to observe consumers and how they engage and enter into the platform at various levels to try to really understand what the future may look like,” Bowser said. “Here’s the other point. We have an install base [for the Switch] of 150 million plus units. We’ll probably announce more on May 8 when we have our next earnings call. We want to keep those players engaged. Not all of them may be ready to jump to Switch 2.”

The original Switch is scheduled to release additional games, with several more announced just the other week.

“Hopefully with time and with the right games, it’ll be compelling for them to want to come on to Nintendo Switch 2. We know there’s a group of consumers that will be absolutely ready on day one to come on to the platform,” he said.

Despite the pricing controversy, Nintendo’s one-hour announcement last week thrilled fans across a variety of genres and interests. More than 40 Switch 2 games, including ports and rereleases, were announced, with many planned for release this year. The most shocking announcement was about an exclusive game by celebrated studio FromSoftware, the makers of “Elden Ring.” “The Duskbloods” will be a multiplayer-focused game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Dark Souls series.

“It was funny when it was announced,” Bowser said. “My son texted me right away and was like, ‘What was that!?’”

Bowser said Miyazaki’s confidence in the system speaks to the hardware’s expanded capabilities to create new gameplay experiences. Past Nintendo consoles struggled with getting broad support from third-party publishers, but the Switch’s popularity has reeled several of them to dedicate games back with Nintendo.

The Switch’s portability and dedication to gaming experiences drew millions of players who aren’t interested in gaming on smartphones and other general purpose mobile devices.

“They’re used for communication, whether it’s audio, emails or other forms of entertainment. They’re multiuse,” Bowser said. “The Nintendo Switch is the device designed for playing video games only, and I think that for people has been very attractive.”