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

In the wake of the controversial pricing announcements for the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, former Nintendo PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang have labeled the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo." In a recent video on their YouTube channel, the duo expressed strong criticism over the $449.99 price tag for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price for Mario Kart World.

Ellis emphasized the severity 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 backlash extends beyond Mario Kart World, as other Switch 2 titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry the same hefty $79.99 price. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which fans argue should be a free inclusion, much like Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5, which serves as a complimentary tech demo.

The pricing controversy has even disrupted Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, with viewers flooding the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE." Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about the way Nintendo disclosed the pricing. They highlighted the absence of pricing details in the Nintendo Direct presentation as a "deliberate" omission, leading to widespread confusion and misinformation as fans searched for official pricing information.

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Yang pointed out that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution, noting that "it's handled poorly in terms of the information being in all these different places and you’re expecting the fans or the consumer to piece it all together." Ellis added that this approach showed a "disrespect to the consumer," suggesting that Nintendo expected fans to be so excited that they would overlook the price.

Yang remarked that the strategy was "a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer." The former NOA communications staff further criticized Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns through a public statement or media interviews, which has fueled rampant speculation and misinformation.

"They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang stated, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this." The duo suggested that Nintendo's current communications team lacks the consumer mindfulness it once had, attributing this change to the retirement of Reggie Fils-Aimé and the tragic passing of Satoru Iwata.

Yang mentioned that the communications team will likely recommend an official statement, but warned that the approval process would be challenging, requiring multiple layers of approval before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa. Additionally, they noted that Nintendo is out of practice in addressing such public negativity, not having faced a similar situation since the Nintendo 3DS price issue in 2011.

Concerns were also raised about the staff at public Switch 2 demo stations, who may face tough questions from fans. Any responses given could be misconstrued as Nintendo's official stance if shared online.

As for what happens next, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipate a price reduction for either the Switch 2 or its games before their launch. For further insights, you can explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct and read what experts have to say about the pricing of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World.