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

Amidst the uproar over the pricing of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, 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, the ex-Nintendo of America PR managers criticized the company for the way it announced the $449.99 price tag for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price for Mario Kart World.

Ellis expressed his concerns, saying, "I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo." The backlash extends beyond just Mario Kart World; other titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry the $79.99 price for the Switch 2 Edition. Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Welcome Tour, a tutorial video game experience, which many fans believe should be included for free, similar to Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5.

The frustration with the pricing has even affected Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers are flooding the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo disclosed the prices, noting the absence of pricing details in the Direct as a "deliberate" move that led to confusion and misinformation as fans sought out the information elsewhere.

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Yang suggested that the omission of pricing from the Direct was intentional, but poorly executed, leaving fans to piece together information from various sources. 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, noting that it felt "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications team pointed out Nintendo's failure to address the pricing issue publicly or through the press, which has led to rampant speculation and misinformation. Yang stated, "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," while Ellis added, "They have lost control of this."

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo's current approach lacks the consumer mindfulness it had under former leaders like Reggie Fils-Aimé and Satoru Iwata. They believe Nintendo’s communications team will likely recommend an official statement, but the approval process will be cumbersome, involving many stakeholders before reaching current president Shuntaro Furukawa. The company's lack of recent engagement with its community and press, and the absence of such negativity since the 2011 Nintendo 3DS pricing issue, further complicates the situation.

Concerns also arise for staff at public-facing Switch 2 demo sessions, as they may face tough questions from fans. Any responses given could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance if shared online.

Looking ahead, 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 expert opinions on the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.