"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."

In a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang expressed strong criticism towards Nintendo's approach to revealing 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 stated.

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

The anger over pricing has spilled over into Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have been flooding the chat with messages demanding "DROP THE PRICE."

Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo disclosed the prices of the Switch 2 and its games. They pointed out the absence of pricing information in the Direct presentation, describing it as a "deliberate" omission that led to confusion and misinformation as fans searched for 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 criticized the fragmented way the information was presented, leaving fans to piece it together. "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?'" Ellis remarked. Yang added, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications staff highlighted Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or through press interviews. This void, they noted, has led to rampant speculation and misinformation. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang said. "They have lost control of this," Ellis added.

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo's lack of consumer mindfulness stems from 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, though the approval process would be lengthy and involve many people before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

The company is out of practice in engaging with its community and press, having not dealt with such negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011. Concerns are also rising about staff manning demo stations at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions, as fans might pose pricing questions that, if answered, could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance.

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 see what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.