Nintendo launched the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment game for Switch 2 and, as a result, opened the doors to the undisclosed Imprisoning War. The game can be played instantly; however, along with it, there was the announcement which sparked an intense debate online many players ranting about the rumored $100 price tag.
In fact, the official Nintendo Twitter account did share the news, along with some stunning artwork and a link to purchase the game. “A war full of secrets” and “Get on the front lines” were the messages from the tweet, right? It definitely sounds epic. However, if you take a look at the comments section, you will find out that it is telling a totally different story — the clash of point of views is still going on out there.
Let’s walk through it. The first reaction was an absolute mixed bag of excitement and doubt. “IM SO HYPED” was the outburst of one user, SpeederLight, and that is the energy we all want. But just in the same line, another user Anael outrightly stated, “I would buy this game if it cost 40-50$. But 100$ for this is too much.” That thought received a lot of support. ShaunV2, a user, proclaimed, “I will never buy any game whose base price exceeds $59.99,” so he is really demanding a discount before even thinking about a purchase.
The whole price issue has become a serious problem. It is no longer a matter for one or two people; a large number of the community is in total opposition and fighting hard. LetsPlayNintendoITA was very active in the replies and practically mocked the very concept of paying that amount, saying things such as “thats why you dont pay 100 lmao” and “exactly wont buy games anymore now lmao.” It is definitely a vibe. The moment a new game crosses the threshold of a three-digit price, it forces players to reconsider and validate the worth of the game again. Is a game like a Hyrule Warriors sequel that has a great graphic really worth that much? A big portion of the players say ‘no.’
Moreover, people are also taking into account the technical aspect. Bolt_NotReal, a user, put Nintendo on the spot by saying, “when y’all gonna stop limiting your consoles’ capabilities behind a switch 2 cartridge and actually give people the PS4 experience they paid a fortune for.” Ouch! That was a stab at the hardware implying the Switch 2 might not be either robust enough in terms of performance or might not be justified in terms of price. Even another reply from LetsPlayNintendoITA accused them of ‘fucking up this one too in technical capacity’, though this time there were no specifics provided. Nevertheless, it just adds to the uncertainty surrounding the release.
Despite all the mess, Nintendo fans showed their classic moments. One asked for “Nintendo Switch 2 Achievements Please,” which request is always made. Another user, CoolerShredder, praised getting a “Starfox wish” done, which is… puzzling? And, naturally, you had the “SECRET STONE????? DEMON KING?????” meme spam, which some things in Zelda fandom are immortal, because everybody expected that.
But most humane aspect of the thread was the question if Nintendo is even listening. A user geudb16, writing in Portuguese explained his rationale for commenting in English, saying, “If I write in Portuguese then they won’t have the desire to click on my message and press translate… At least in English they might maybe look at my message.” It is a minor detail that is kinda sad but it nevertheless shows how much players want to be heard. But, then, Evan Brooke offered a rather harsh reality: “Bro I’ve seriously never once seen Nintendo reply to a single message in all the years I’ve ever followed them. Trust me they aint ever responding.”
And you know what? He is probably right. Corporate accounts with big size very rarely enter the messy replies. But the dialogue, however, continues anyhow. It is gamers conversing with one another, arguing over the price, the value, and what they should expect from a company they have been supporting for years. User TH3MAF1A narrated personal experience where they said that the first Hyrule Warriors game was “too much of a grind” and they did not proceed far with it, though they usually enjoy the Warriors genre. That is good feedback, the one easily forgotten in the shouting.
Now, how does it make us feel? Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has been released. It looks cool. But the Xbox and PlayStation communities are watching closely too.
