Amid the intense backlash against Nintendo's 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 detailed video on their YouTube channel, the former Nintendo of America PR managers expressed their strong disapproval of how Nintendo announced 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 remarked, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Mario Kart World isn't the only game for the Switch 2 that carries a $79.99 price tag. Other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also share this high price point. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be a complimentary addition. This practice contrasts sharply with Astro's Playroom, which comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 console and serves as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.
The backlash has even infiltrated Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE."
Ellis and Yang criticized the manner in which Nintendo disclosed the pricing, pointing out that the omission of prices in the Direct itself was a "deliberate" move. This led to confusion and rampant misinformation as fans sought out pricing information from various sources.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
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Yang suggested that the pricing information was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution, saying, "it was 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, suggesting that the approach showed a "disrespect to the consumer," and 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 went further, stating that the approach was "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."
The former NOA communications staff also highlighted Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or through media interviews, leading to widespread speculation and misinformation filling the void.
"They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang remarked, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."
Ellis and Yang attributed the current situation to a shift in Nintendo's consumer mindfulness, which they believe has diminished following 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 likely recommend releasing an official statement, though she anticipated a cumbersome approval process before it reaches current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. The team, she noted, would be out of practice, given the long period since Nintendo last engaged with its community or press on such a scale, and the negativity not seen since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle of 2011.
Concerns also arose about the potential impact on staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions, where fans might ask pricing questions. Any response from staff could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance if shared online.
Looking forward, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch.
For more insights, you can review 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.
