Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo's surprising pricing strategy 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 video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang expressed their criticism towards Nintendo's approach to unveiling the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of 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.
Mario Kart World isn't the only game for the Nintendo Switch 2 priced at $79.99. Some other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also come with this hefty price tag. Nintendo has faced additional criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be a free pack-in. For comparison, Astro's Playroom is pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 and serves as a complimentary tech demo for the DualSense controller.
The outrage over the pricing has spilled into Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with messages demanding "DROP THE PRICE."
Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about Nintendo's method of revealing the price of the Switch 2 and its games. They criticized the lack of pricing information in the Direct, calling it a "deliberate" omission that led to confusion and misinformation as fans sought out pricing details elsewhere.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
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Yang claimed that the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was “intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason,” but the handling of the information across various platforms was poor, leaving consumers to piece together the pricing themselves.
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 through a public statement or 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 stated. “They have lost control of this,” Ellis added.
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 passing 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 lengthy and involve many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.
Additionally, the pair noted that Nintendo is out of practice in communicating with its community and press, and hasn't faced this level of negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price controversy in 2011.
Concerns have also arisen about staff managing demo stations at public Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Fans at these events might have legitimate questions about pricing, and any responses given by staff could be misconstrued as Nintendo’s official stance if shared online.
As for what happens next, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch.
For more insights, explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts are saying about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.
