Updated
Updated · Nintendo Everything · Jul 11
Pokemon Document Weighed Price Hikes Above $60, Targeted 50% Dual-Version Purchases
Updated
Updated · Nintendo Everything · Jul 11

Pokemon Document Weighed Price Hikes Above $60, Targeted 50% Dual-Version Purchases

1 articles · Updated · Nintendo Everything · Jul 11

Summary

  • An internal Pokemon Company document from the Switch era shows it considered raising game prices above $60 while using discounted double packs to push buyers toward owning both versions.
  • The plan tied pricing directly to sales goals in Japan: out of a 4 million-unit target, the company wanted 1.65 million to 2 million copies sold through two-item purchases, matching 41% to 50% dual-buy rates.
  • The document warned higher prices were not standardized in North America, could make Pokemon costlier than other Nintendo software overseas, and might spur separate resale or parallel imports.
  • Past dual-purchase rates cited in the leak were 41% for Sun/Moon, 50% for Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, and 23% for Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, code-named Beluga.
  • The material surfaced through the Game Freak "Teraleak," which has already exposed multiple unreleased or unannounced Pokemon details, including Winds and Waves before their reveal.

Insights

How does Pokémon justify premium prices for double packs when the core games are nearly identical?
How did Pokémon's global pricing strategy adapt after finding North America initially resisted price hikes?
As cards become investments, is Pokémon risking alienating its younger fanbase with rising game prices?