Tariffs freeze board game production
And Nintendo announces US Switch 2 pre-orders
First, some news that hit my inbox when I was too busy to fire it off to you, sent from Nintendo’s US-based PR:
Retail pre-order for Nintendo Switch 2 will begin on April 24, 2025. At launch, the price for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will remain as announced on April 2 at $449.99, and the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle will remain as announced at $499.99. Pricing for both physical and digital versions of Mario Kart World ($79.99) and Donkey Kong Bananza ($69.99) will also remain unchanged at launch.
However, Nintendo Switch 2 accessories will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions. Other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions. Product and pricing information can be found at www.nintendo.com.
We apologize for the retail pre-order delay, and hope this reduces some of the uncertainty our consumers may be experiencing. We thank our customers for their patience, and we share their excitement to experience Nintendo Switch 2 starting June 5, 2025.
I’ve been asking my Nintendo contacts for weeks when pre-orders might resume. This answer sunk so deep into my psyche that I dreamt Costco started fulfilling preorders before the June 5th release date, and folks who got consoles early had the misfortune of hearing my rambly voice narrating their gameplay.
In all seriousness — the catch to this welcome news lies in its middle paragraph. Accessories from Joy-Cons to Pro Controllers to Cameras all got about $5 costlier. The press release also reiterates what Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser told me: prices could change (i.e., rise) as “market conditions” evolve (i.e., Trump’s trade war escalates).
Speaking of trade war, astronomical tariffs on China are grinding board game production to a halt. I produced a Here & Now segment with Gwen Ruelle and Sam Bryant, co-owners of Runaway Parade Games, on the deep freeze settling over their industry:
Bryant and co-owner Gwen Ruelle paused Chinese shipments of their game Fire Tower as tariffs against China climbed to 145%. They also delayed crowdfunding their next game, Punch Bowl.
“The uncertainty is one of the worst parts,” said Ruelle. “Not being able to make a new plan because the goalpost is always shifting and production takes a long time — it takes between four and six months to make a product.”
Ruelle and Bryant built their company on a lifelong, shared passion for the hobby.
“I have loved games since I was a kid — I was designing games out of rocks and sticks and whatever I could get my hands on,” said Ruelle. “I'm kind of in my dream job, where I get to make games for a living and spend a ton of time playing games as well.”
The recent industry contraction has discouraged her, not just as a designer, but as a fan. “I know of specific games that I was waiting to play that aren't going to be created now,” she said. “Hopefully we find another path forward or these tariffs change — but for now, I think we're just mourning the loss of this incredible era of board games.”
“A whole class of people who would have been the new designers are going to be wiped off the board and we won't see these new, unique ideas,” Bryant said. “And it will become kind of a stagnant industry and people will just have what they have.”
Listen to the full interview here.