"Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Price Backlash: A Crisis for Nintendo, Say Ex-PR Managers"

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo's surprising 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."

In a recent video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang expressed strong criticism regarding the announcement of the Switch 2's $449.99 price tag and Mario Kart World's $79.99 cost. "I don’t want to overstate things, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo," Ellis remarked.

Mario Kart World is not the only game for the Switch 2 priced at $79.99. Other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also carry this price point. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Welcome Tour tutorial video game, which fans argue should be included for free. By comparison, Astro's Playroom comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5, serving as a complimentary tech demo for the DualSense controller.

The frustration with pricing has even spilled over into Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, where viewers fill the chat with messages demanding "DROP THE PRICE."

Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo disclosed the pricing for the Switch 2 and its games. They criticized the absence of price information in the Direct presentation itself, suggesting it was a "deliberate" omission that led to confusion and misinformation as fans sought pricing details elsewhere.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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Yang argued that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but the execution was poor, leaving fans to piece together the information from various sources. Ellis added, "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 suggested that this approach was "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications team also highlighted Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns, either through a public statement or in media interviews. This silence, they noted, has led to rampant speculation and misinformation filling the void.

"They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang stated. "They have lost control of this," Ellis added.

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo's current approach lacks the consumer mindfulness it once had, particularly 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 now likely to recommend an official statement, Yang said, but the approval process will be challenging, involving many people before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. Additionally, the company is out of practice in communicating with its community and the press, having not faced such negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011.

There is also concern for staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Fans may pose reasonable questions about pricing, and any responses from staff could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance if shared online.

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

For more information, 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.