A newly surfaced internal document from The Pokémon Company has revealed that the company previously explored raising the price of mainline Pokémon games while also encouraging players to purchase both versions of each release. The presentation outlines several pricing strategies that were considered during the Nintendo Switch era, when first-party Nintendo titles retailed for $60.
Nintendo Everything first reported on the document, which originates from the Game Freak “Teraleak,” the large-scale 2024 data breach that exposed internal planning materials and development files. The leak has previously uncovered information related to projects such as Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Pokémon Champions, with newly surfaced documents continuing to emerge months after the initial breach.
Internal Proposal Considered Higher Pokémon Game Prices
According to the leaked document, The Pokémon Company evaluated three different pricing strategies during the Nintendo Switch era, when standard first-party Nintendo games launched at $60. One proposal suggested keeping prices unchanged, while two others involved increasing the retail price to improve royalty revenue.
However, the document notes that maintaining the existing price would
“maximize the sales figures that form the base for DLC sales,”
while a global price increase could negatively affect overall sales because higher-priced Nintendo games were not yet standard in North America. Another concern raised internally was that higher domestic prices could encourage parallel imports and make double packs appear too expensive.
Company Also Wanted More Players to Buy Both Versions
The same presentation outlines efforts to increase sales of Pokémon’s dual-version releases through discounted double packs. The document states that
“to increase sales in Japan, it’s crucial to stimulate demand for purchasing two items at once,”
highlighting the company’s goal of encouraging simultaneous purchases.
Internal figures included in the presentation show that 41% of players purchased both Pokémon Sun and Moon, while 50% bought both Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. By comparison, 23% purchased both versions of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!.
The company reportedly hoped to reach between 1.65 million and 2 million double-pack sales, warning that lower adoption similar to the Let’s Go titles could reduce total sales by as many as one million copies.
While the document provides insight into past internal discussions, there is no indication that these pricing proposals were ultimately adopted. Instead, they offer a rare glimpse into how The Pokémon Company evaluated pricing strategies and consumer purchasing habits during the Nintendo Switch generation.
