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

In the midst of growing criticism surrounding Nintendo’s surprising pricing strategy for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have labeled the situation as a "true crisis moment for Nintendo."

Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, both ex-PR representatives for Nintendo of America, expressed their concerns in a video on their YouTube channel. They harshly criticized Nintendo for the manner in which it disclosed the Switch 2's $449.99 price tag and Mario Kart World's $79.99 price.

Ellis remarked, "I don’t want to exaggerate, but this really feels like a crisis moment for Nintendo."

Mario Kart World isn't the sole Switch 2 game priced at $79.99; other editions, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also carry the same price. Furthermore, Nintendo has faced backlash for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be included for free. For instance, Astro's Playroom is pre-installed on every PlayStation 5, functioning as a complimentary tech demo for the DualSense controller.

The discontent over pricing has even infiltrated Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers are flooding the chat with "DROP THE PRICE" messages.

Ellis and Yang specifically condemned the way Nintendo revealed the Switch 2's price and its associated games. They noted the intentional omission of pricing details during the Direct presentation, which led to confusion and misinformation among fans scrambling to confirm prices elsewhere.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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Yang stated that the pricing was deliberately excluded from the Direct for a reason but criticized the scattered information across various sources, leaving consumers to piece it all together themselves. Ellis added, "This demonstrates a lack of respect for the consumer, assuming they'll blindly spend money without questioning the price."

"It's almost demeaning to the intelligence of the consumer," Yang commented.

The former NOA communications staff went on to highlight Nintendo's failure to address the pricing issue publicly or in interviews with the press. This absence has allowed rampant speculation to fill the void with misinformation.

"They are allowing the story to spiral out of control," Yang said. "They've lost control of this situation," Ellis added.

The communications team is now recommending an official statement from Nintendo, Yang said, but the approval process will be arduous, involving numerous stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.

Additionally, the pair noted that Nintendo's communications team is out of practice due to prolonged silence with its community and press, as well as the absence of similar negativity since the 2011 Nintendo 3DS price scandal.

There is now concern for employees staffing demo stations at public Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Attendees may pose reasonable questions, and any responses could go viral and be interpreted as an official stance from Nintendo.

What happens next remains uncertain, but neither Ellis nor Yang anticipates a price reduction for either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For further insights, check out the full list of announcements from the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and expert opinions on the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.