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

Amidst 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, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, former PR managers for Nintendo of America, expressed strong criticism regarding the announcement of 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. The criticism extends beyond Mario Kart World, as other Switch 2 titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry the same $79.99 price tag. Furthermore, Nintendo has faced scrutiny for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be offered as a free pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5.

The backlash has even infiltrated Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have flooded the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo handled the pricing reveal, pointing out the absence of any mention of pricing during the Direct presentation. They described this omission as "deliberate," leading to widespread confusion and misinformation as fans searched for pricing details elsewhere.

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Yang suggested that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution, noting that fans were left to piece together information from various sources. Ellis added that this approach showed "some disrespect to the consumer," implying that Nintendo expected fans to be so excited by the Direct that they would not question the costs.

"It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer," Yang remarked. The former NOA communications staff also highlighted Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly, either through statements or media interviews, which has fueled 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." The duo suggested that Nintendo has lost the consumer mindfulness it once had, especially following the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Yang mentioned that Nintendo’s communications team is likely to recommend an official statement, but the process will be challenging and involve many layers of approval before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. The company is also out of practice, having not communicated with its community or the press during such a negative situation since the 2011 Nintendo 3DS price controversy.

Concerns have also arisen for staff at public-facing Switch 2 demo sessions, where fans may ask reasonable questions about pricing. Any response from these staff members 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 details, 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.