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

In the wake of widespread criticism over the pricing of the Nintendo Switch 2 and the upcoming Mario Kart World, former Nintendo PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang have labeled the situation as a "true crisis moment" for the company. In a recent YouTube video, the duo expressed their concerns about the $449.99 price tag for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price for Mario Kart World, highlighting what they see as a misstep in Nintendo's communication strategy.

Ellis emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo." The pricing controversy extends beyond Mario Kart World, with other titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also set at $79.99. Additionally, Nintendo has faced backlash for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which some fans argue should be a free pack-in, similar to Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5.

The backlash has been intense enough to disrupt Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang criticized Nintendo's approach to revealing the prices, noting the absence of pricing information in the Direct presentation as a deliberate omission that led to confusion and misinformation.

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Yang suggested that the omission of prices in the Direct was intentional but poorly executed, leaving fans to piece together information from various sources. Ellis echoed this sentiment, accusing Nintendo of disrespecting consumers by expecting them to purchase without knowing the costs, saying, "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 added that the approach felt "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer." The former PR managers also pointed out Nintendo's failure to address the pricing issue publicly or through the media, which has fueled rampant speculation and misinformation. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang noted, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."

Ellis and Yang attributed Nintendo's current communication shortcomings to a loss of consumer mindfulness following the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the tragic passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. Yang mentioned that Nintendo's communications team is likely to recommend an official statement, but the process to get it approved will be challenging and involve many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.

The duo also expressed concern about the readiness of Nintendo's staff at upcoming public hands-on sessions for the Switch 2, where fans may pose direct questions about pricing. Any responses from staff could be misconstrued as official statements if shared online.

Looking ahead, Ellis and Yang do not anticipate a price reduction for either the Switch 2 or its games before the launch. For more details, you can review everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and see what experts are saying about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.