"Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Price Surge: A Crisis for Nintendo, Say Ex-PR Managers"

The recent unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its accompanying game, Mario Kart World, has sparked significant controversy due to their high price points. Priced at $449.99 for the console and $79.99 for Mario Kart World, these costs have led to a backlash that two former Nintendo PR managers, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, have described as a "true crisis moment" for the gaming giant. In a video on their YouTube channel, the duo expressed their concerns about the pricing strategy and the manner in which it was communicated to the public.

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

The discontent among fans has been evident in Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have flooded the chat with messages demanding a price reduction. Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo handled the pricing reveal, pointing out the absence of pricing information in the Direct presentation as a deliberate move that led to confusion and misinformation.

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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 further noted, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former PR managers also highlighted Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or in interviews, which has led to rampant speculation and misinformation. Yang stated, "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."

Ellis and Yang attributed Nintendo's current approach to a lack of consumer mindfulness that the company once possessed, particularly after the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. They suggested that Nintendo's communications team will likely recommend an official statement, but the approval process will be challenging and time-consuming, involving many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

The company is also out of practice in handling such public relations crises, having not faced similar negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011. There is concern about how staff at public demo stations will handle fan inquiries during upcoming Switch 2 hands-on sessions, as any responses could be perceived as official statements from Nintendo.

Looking ahead, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch. For further insights, 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.