"Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Pricing Sparks Crisis for Nintendo, Ex-PR Managers Say"

Amid the intense backlash to Nintendo’s surprising pricing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have labeled the situation as a "true crisis moment for Nintendo." In a video on their YouTube channel, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, both former Nintendo of America PR managers, expressed strong criticism towards Nintendo's announcement of the Switch 2 at $449.99 and Mario Kart World at $79.99.

"I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo," Ellis remarked, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Mario Kart World isn't the only game priced at $79.99 for the Switch 2. Other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, are also set at this price point. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2's tutorial video game experience, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be included for free, similar to Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5, which serves as a complimentary tech demo for the DualSense controller.

The backlash has even affected Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have flooded the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE."

Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo unveiled the pricing for the Switch 2 and its games. They pointed out the absence of pricing information in the Direct presentation, describing it as a "deliberate" omission that led to widespread confusion and misinformation as fans sought to confirm the prices elsewhere.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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Yang suggested that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution, stating, "but handled poorly in terms of the information being in all these different places and you’re expecting the fans or the consumer to piece it all together."

Ellis echoed this sentiment, saying, "It just shows some disrespect to the consumer, where, ‘oh, you just saw the Direct you’re so excited, you’re just gonna throw your money at us blindly, you’re not going to even ask the question of how much it cost because you’re so excited, aren’t you?’"

Yang added, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications staff further discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing issues publicly or through the press, which has fueled rampant speculation and misinformation. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang stated, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo may have lost the consumer mindfulness it once had, following the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the tragic loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Nintendo’s communications team is expected to recommend an official statement, but Yang noted that the approval process would be lengthy and involve many people before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. The company is also out of practice in communicating with its community and press, and hasn't faced this level of negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011.

Concerns are also rising for staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions, where fans may ask reasonable questions about pricing. Any response could be misconstrued online as Nintendo's official stance.

What happens next remains uncertain, but neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price drop for either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For more insights, explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and see what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.