Japan's Nintendo Fans Test Switch 2 ahead of Launch amid Tariff Worries
"Since Mr. Trump became president tariffs have gone up so I am concerned about a price hike not just for the game console but for accessories too," said Hidenori Tanaka, 55, a real estate company employee, who attended the event.
Consumers around the world could face higher prices for electronic devices as tariffs imposed by the US President Donald Trump's administration on trading partners including China raise costs for companies operating global supply chains. While Trump has rolled back some tariffs, the threat of a damaging trade war still looms, Reuters said.
Gamers at the pre-launch event began lining up outside the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo from mid-morning to play Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, and other titles on the Switch 2.
Despite the possibility of higher prices, there are early indicators of robust consumer demand for the successor to the Switch, which has sold more than 150 million units since 2017 and transformed Nintendo's fortunes.
The Kyoto-based gaming company said on Wednesday it had received 2.2 million applications in the lottery for Switch 2 in Japan and could not fulfil all the demand.
"Honestly, I didn't think I had a shot. Everyone on social media was saying they missed out, so I figured I would too," said Hyuma Hashiguchi, 28, who won the lottery to be among the first to buy the Switch 2.
Nintendo is holding hands-on events around the world including in New York, Berlin and Hong Kong.
The Switch 2 will sell for 49,980 yen ($350) for a Japanese-language-only version. In the United States, Nintendo initially paused pre-orders due to tariff concerns but later said it would maintain pricing at $449.99.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
5 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
US judge keeps block on Trump's birthright citizenship order
BOSTON — A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday upheld a nationwide injunction against President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship, rejecting the administration's bid to narrow the scope of the ruling. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that keeping the broad injunction in place is the only way to fully protect the 22 Democratic-led states and immigrant advocacy groups challenging the order. '(The evidence) does not support a finding that any narrower option would feasibly and adequately protect the plaintiffs from the injuries they have shown they are likely to suffer if the unlawful policy announced in the Executive Order takes effect during the pendency of this lawsuit,' Sorokin wrote. The executive order, signed by Trump on Jan. 20—the day he was inaugurated—directed federal agencies to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Opponents swiftly sued, arguing the move violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born in the United States, regardless of parental status. 'American-born babies are American, just as they have been at every other time in our nation's history,' said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. 'The president cannot change that legal rule with the stroke of a pen.' The Trump administration contended that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling supported a narrower injunction, but Sorokin rejected that interpretation. The White House said it plans to appeal. 'Courts are misinterpreting the purpose and the text of the 14th Amendment,' said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. 'We look forward to being vindicated on appeal.' — Agencies
Leaders
8 hours ago
- Leaders
Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress
The US and Israel pulled their negotiating teams from Qatar for consultation, hours after Hamas submitted its response to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. On the other hand, mediators Egypt and Qatar reported some progress in the talks and said they would resume, as international concern mounts over Gaza's worsening humanitarian situation and spreading hunger. Blaming Hamas The US President, Donald Trump, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday accused Hamas of not wanting a deal in Gaza, signaling that they would give up on the ceasefire negotiations, reported Reuters. 'Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job,' Trump told reporters. On Thursday, Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that Hamas was not acting in good faith and its response to the truce proposal showed a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Similarly, Netanyahu said that 'Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal,' according to a statement by his office. Alternative Options Both the US and Israel suggested they would look for alternatives to release the remaining hostages, without elaborating. Witkoff said that the US would 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister said that Tel Aviv and Washington were 'considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region.' With regards to this, the US State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, declined to reveal what options Trump and Witkoff were referring to. 'We've tried. The world has watched this. What the options are — clearly there are many tools in President Trump's tool chest, many options that Special Envoy Witkoff has,' she told CNN on Friday. 'So, they are very smart, adept individuals who know the players. And I expect that we'll have some success,' Bruce added. Constructive Gaza Talks In contrast, Hamas deemed the latest round of negotiations constructive, criticizing Witkoff's remarks as an attempt to pressure the Palestinian movement for the benefit of Israel in the next round of talks. 'What we have presented – with full awareness and understanding of the complexity of the situation – we believe could lead to a deal if the enemy had the will to reach one,' Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a statement on Facebook. He said that said the talks addressed several gaps, such as the ceasefire agenda, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered. Mediators Optimism Mediators Egypt and Qatar echoed Naim's comments. In a joint statement, the two countries said that the latest round of talks had seen some progress and that they would resume, without setting a date. 'It is normal to suspend talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more,' they said. Moreover, Egypt and Qatar reiterated their commitment to continuing their efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza in collaboration with the US. Negotiations have been taking place for months to reach a ceasefire deal that would release Israeli hostages, increase aid flow into Gaza and halt the fighting for 60 days. However, some sticking points have obstructed progress, including the redeployment of Israeli troops in Gaza and what would happen after the 60-day truce if no permanent agreement was reached. Looming Famine Gaza is facing a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, as international aid organizations warn of mass hunger in the Strip amid the restricted flow of aid. In response to mounting pressures, the Israeli military said on Friday it would allow countries to airdrop aid supplies into Gaza. 'The Gaza Strip does not need flying aerobatics, it needs an open humanitarian corridor and a steady daily flow of aid trucks to save what remains of the lives of besieged, starving civilians,' the director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, Ismail Al-Thawabta, told Reuters. As deaths related to malnutrition increased this month, around 28 countries and more than 115 aid agencies called for an immediate end to the Gaza war, criticizing Israel's restriction on aid flow and the delivery mechanism to deployed under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Short link : Post Views: 27
Al Arabiya
14 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
White House seeks fines from other universities after Columbia deal
The White House is seeking fines from several universities it says failed to stop antisemitism on campus, including Harvard University, in exchange for restoring federal funding, a Trump administration official said on Friday. The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the source said, confirming a report in The Wall Street Journal. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration is close to striking deals with Northwestern and Brown and potentially Cornell. A deal with Harvard, the country's oldest and richest university, is a key target for the White House, the official added. A spokesperson for Cornell declined to comment. Other universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump and his team have undertaken a broad campaign to leverage federal funding to force change at US universities, which the Republican president says are gripped by antisemitic and 'radical left' ideologies. Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year. Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay more than $200 million to the US government in a settlement with the administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored. The Trump administration has welcomed the Columbia deal, with officials believing the university set the standard on how to reach an agreement, the official said. Harvard has taken a different approach, suing the federal government in a bid to get suspended federal grants restored.
