Amidst widespread backlash against Nintendo's pricing strategy for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, have labeled the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo." In a video on their YouTube channel, the former Nintendo of America PR managers expressed strong criticism over the announcement of the Switch 2 at $449.99 and Mario Kart World at $79.99.
Ellis remarked, "I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo." The controversy extends beyond Mario Kart World, as other Switch 2 titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry a $79.99 price tag. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the tutorial game Welcome Tour, contrasting with offerings like Astro's Playroom, which comes free with the PlayStation 5 and serves as a tech demo for the DualSense controller.
The outrage has even infiltrated Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers flood the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang specifically criticized Nintendo's approach to revealing the pricing, noting the absence of price information in the Direct presentation as a "deliberate" move that led to confusion and misinformation.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
91 Images
Yang pointed out that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the scattered release of information, which left fans to piece together the details. Ellis echoed this sentiment, suggesting that it showed a lack of respect for consumers, stating, "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, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."
The former NOA communications staff further discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns through public statements or media interviews, leading 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 predicament to a loss of consumer mindfulness following the departure of key figures like Reggie Fils-Aimé and Satoru Iwata. They suggested that Nintendo's communications team would likely recommend an official statement, though the approval process would be challenging and involve many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.
The duo also noted Nintendo's lack of practice in addressing community and press concerns due to the absence of such negative feedback since the 2011 Nintendo 3DS price issue. Concerns were raised about staff at public-facing Switch 2 demo sessions, who might face direct questions from fans, potentially leading to unofficial responses being misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance.
As for what happens next, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch. For more insights, explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what experts are saying about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.
