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 Nintendo's announcement of the $449.99 price 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 Nintendo Switch 2 priced at $79.99. Titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry this price tag. Furthermore, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which 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 public's frustration has even spilled over into Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers continuously spam "DROP THE PRICE" in the chat.
Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about Nintendo's method of revealing the prices for the Switch 2 and its games. They highlighted the omission of pricing in the Direct presentation as a deliberate move that led to confusion and misinformation among fans eager for price confirmation.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
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Yang suggested that the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the scattered dissemination of this information, leaving fans to piece it together. 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 remarked, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."
The former NOA communications staff then discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concern through a public statement or press interviews. This absence has allowed rampant speculation and misinformation to take hold. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang stated, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."
Ellis and Yang attributed Nintendo's current situation to a lack of consumer mindfulness that was more evident during the tenures of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the late Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.
Yang mentioned that Nintendo’s communications team would likely recommend an official statement, but the approval process would be lengthy and complex, involving many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa. They also noted that Nintendo is out of practice in communicating with its community and press, not having faced this level of negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011.
Concerns have also been raised about staff at public Switch 2 hands-on sessions, as fans might ask reasonable questions about pricing. Any responses from these staff could be misconstrued online as Nintendo’s official stance.
What happens next remains uncertain, but neither Ellis nor Yang expect a price drop for either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.
For more information, you can 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.
