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

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 over the $449.99 price tag 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.

Mario Kart World isn’t the only game for the Switch 2 priced at $79.99. Some other titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also carry the same price point.

Nintendo has also faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial video game experience, Welcome Tour, which many fans argue should be a complimentary pack-in. For instance, Astro's Playroom comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 console, serving as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.

The pricing controversy has even infiltrated Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with messages demanding “DROP THE PRICE.”

Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about Nintendo's approach to revealing the prices of the Switch 2 and its games. They criticized the absence of pricing information in the Direct, 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

91 Images

Yang suggested that the omission of pricing from the Direct was intentional, but poorly executed, as it scattered the information across various platforms, leaving consumers to piece it together themselves.

Ellis further remarked, “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?’ "

“It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer,” Yang added.

The former NOA communications team also highlighted Nintendo’s failure to address the pricing issue, either through a public statement or media interviews. This absence has fueled rampant speculation and misinformation.

“They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control,” Yang noted. “They have lost control of this,” Ellis concurred.

So what led to this situation? Ellis and Yang believe that Nintendo has lost the consumer-centric approach it once had, following the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the tragic passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Nintendo’s communications team is now expected to push for an official statement, according to Yang. However, the approval process will be challenging, involving numerous stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.

Additionally, the company is out of practice in addressing the community or press, having not faced such widespread negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price controversy in 2011.

Concerns are also mounting for the staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Fans may pose reasonable questions about pricing at these events, and any response from staff could be misconstrued as an official Nintendo statement if it spreads online.

What happens next? While it remains uncertain, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For more information, 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.