An internal pricing document from The Pokemon Company has surfaced online, revealing that the publisher once considered raising the retail price of Pokemon titles during the early Nintendo Switch era.
The file, shared as part of a broader set of materials linked by fans to the so-called "Teraleak," outlines three pricing scenarios and evaluates how a higher price point might affect sales, royalties and the performance of bundled "double pack" products.
The report also cites historical purchase behavior across multiple Pokemon releases.
According to the document, the company weighed three options but recommended maintaining existing prices to maximize unit sales.
In journalistic terms, the document argued that keeping the base price steady would maximize the install base—crucial for downstream revenue such as DLC—and avoid the complications of higher, non-standardized pricing in North America.
The file explicitly notes the risks of price increases: parallel imports, weaker individual sales, and the perception that double packs would be overpriced compared with other Nintendo software.
The document includes concrete data on how frequently players bought both versions of certain Pokemon games.
It lists that 41% of purchasers bought both Pokemon Sun and Moon (released for Nintendo 3DS on November 18, 2016), 50% bought Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (released November 17, 2017 for Nintendo 3DS), and 23% bought Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee (released for Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018).
The file also uses the codename "Beluga" to refer to Let’s Go.
On pricing strategy, the report laid out the trade-offs: option one keeps Beluga’s price unchanged to protect base sales and DLC potential; option two raises prices but keeps the double pack discounted to encourage dual purchases while warning of resale and import issues; option three increases prices across the board but flags potential negative impacts on overseas sales and royalties.
This leak supplements public knowledge about Pokemon pricing decisions and mirrors broader industry conversations about premium pricing on major console platforms.
The Pokemon Company and Game Freak, the long-standing developer of the main series, did not provide an official comment in the materials released.
For readers tracking Nintendo Switch-era releases and pricing, these internal figures offer a rare look at how publishers weigh price, bundles, and buyer behavior when launching major franchise entries.
The file, shared as part of a broader set of materials linked by fans to the so-called "Teraleak," outlines three pricing scenarios and evaluates how a higher price point might affect sales, royalties and the performance of bundled "double pack" products.
The report also cites historical purchase behavior across multiple Pokemon releases.
According to the document, the company weighed three options but recommended maintaining existing prices to maximize unit sales.
In journalistic terms, the document argued that keeping the base price steady would maximize the install base—crucial for downstream revenue such as DLC—and avoid the complications of higher, non-standardized pricing in North America.
The file explicitly notes the risks of price increases: parallel imports, weaker individual sales, and the perception that double packs would be overpriced compared with other Nintendo software.
The document includes concrete data on how frequently players bought both versions of certain Pokemon games.
It lists that 41% of purchasers bought both Pokemon Sun and Moon (released for Nintendo 3DS on November 18, 2016), 50% bought Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (released November 17, 2017 for Nintendo 3DS), and 23% bought Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee (released for Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018).
The file also uses the codename "Beluga" to refer to Let’s Go.
On pricing strategy, the report laid out the trade-offs: option one keeps Beluga’s price unchanged to protect base sales and DLC potential; option two raises prices but keeps the double pack discounted to encourage dual purchases while warning of resale and import issues; option three increases prices across the board but flags potential negative impacts on overseas sales and royalties.
This leak supplements public knowledge about Pokemon pricing decisions and mirrors broader industry conversations about premium pricing on major console platforms.
The Pokemon Company and Game Freak, the long-standing developer of the main series, did not provide an official comment in the materials released.
For readers tracking Nintendo Switch-era releases and pricing, these internal figures offer a rare look at how publishers weigh price, bundles, and buyer behavior when launching major franchise entries.
