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

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo's shock pricing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have described the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo." Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, previously with Nintendo of America's PR team, took to their YouTube channel to voice their concerns about the pricing strategy and the way it was communicated. The Switch 2 is priced at $449.99, while Mario Kart World comes with a hefty $79.99 tag.

Ellis expressed his worry, stating, "I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo." The pricing isn't limited to just Mario Kart World; other titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the Switch 2 are also priced at $79.99. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be a free pack-in, much like Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5, which serves as both a free tech demo and a showcase for the DualSense controller.

The frustration has even affected Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with "DROP THE PRICE" messages. Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo revealed the pricing, pointing out the omission of price details from the Direct presentation. This lack of transparency led to confusion and misinformation as fans sought pricing information elsewhere.

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Yang highlighted the deliberate omission of pricing from the Direct, saying, "The Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was 'intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason,' 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 added his perspective, suggesting that the approach showed a lack of respect for consumers: "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 echoed this sentiment, saying, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications staff criticized Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns through official channels, which has led to rampant speculation and misinformation. Yang noted, "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo's current approach lacks the consumer mindfulness it once had, attributing this shift to the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. Yang mentioned that Nintendo's communications team would now recommend an official statement, but the process would be challenging and involve many layers before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

Furthermore, the pair noted that Nintendo is out of practice in dealing with such negativity, referencing the last significant backlash during the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011. There is now concern for staff at public demo stations for the Switch 2, as fans might pose difficult questions, and any responses could be misconstrued as official statements.

As for what happens next, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price drop for the Switch 2 or its games before launch. For more insights, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and expert analyses on the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.