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

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo's surprising pricing strategy for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, have labeled the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo." In a video on their YouTube channel, they criticized Nintendo's approach to announcing the $449.99 price for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price for Mario Kart World.

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

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

The backlash has been so intense that it has even disrupted Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE."

Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo revealed the pricing. They noted the absence of pricing information in the Direct itself, describing it as 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 pointed out that the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution, saying, "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, "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 further discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or through media interviews, which has led to rampant speculation and misinformation. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang said, 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, particularly following the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the tragic loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Yang mentioned that Nintendo's communications team would likely recommend an official statement, but the approval process would be challenging, involving many people before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. They also noted that Nintendo is out of practice in communicating with its community and press, especially since the last major pricing controversy with the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.

Concerns were also raised about staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions, where fans might ask reasonable questions about pricing. Any responses from staff could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance if shared online.

As for what happens next, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price drop for the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

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