Amid the intense backlash over the pricing of Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 and the game Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have labeled the situation as a "true crisis moment" for the company. In a video on their YouTube channel, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, who previously worked as PR managers for Nintendo of America, expressed their concerns about the high prices announced for the Switch 2 at $449.99 and Mario Kart World at $79.99.
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, with other Nintendo Switch 2 titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also priced at $79.99. Additionally, Nintendo faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which fans argue should be a complimentary pack-in, much like Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5.
The discontent has even affected Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have flooded the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang criticized the way Nintendo disclosed the pricing, noting the absence of price details in the Direct presentation. They described this omission as deliberate, leading to widespread confusion and misinformation among fans seeking pricing information elsewhere.
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Yang suggested that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the scattered way the information was released, which left consumers piecing together details. 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 echoed this sentiment, saying it felt "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."
The former NOA communications team further discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or through media interviews, leading to rampant speculation and misinformation. Yang remarked, "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," while Ellis added, "They have lost control of this."
Ellis and Yang attributed the current situation to a decline in consumer mindfulness at Nintendo, following the retirement of former NOA president Reggie Fils-Aimé and the loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. They noted that Nintendo's communications team would likely recommend an official statement, but warned that the approval process would be complex and involve many parties before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.
The pair also highlighted that Nintendo is out of practice in handling such public relations challenges, having not faced similar negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price controversy in 2011. They expressed concern for the staff at public demo events, who may face questions about pricing and whose responses could be misconstrued as official statements if shared online.
While the future remains uncertain, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before launch. For more information, readers can explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and expert analyses on the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World's $80 price tag.
