Amid the escalating backlash against Nintendo's surprising pricing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have labeled the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo." In a video on their YouTube channel, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, former PR managers at Nintendo of America, expressed strong criticism towards Nintendo's approach to announcing the $449.99 price tag for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 for Mario Kart World.
"I don’t want to overstate the issue, but this does feel like a genuine crisis for Nintendo," Ellis remarked. The high pricing isn't limited to Mario Kart World; other Switch 2 titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also carry a $79.99 price. Moreover, Nintendo has faced criticism for monetizing the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which fans argue should be included for free. In contrast, Astro's Playroom comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 as a complimentary tech demo for the DualSense controller.
The backlash has notably impacted Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, where viewers frequently spam "DROP THE PRICE" in the chat. Ellis and Yang were particularly vocal about Nintendo's pricing reveal strategy, highlighting the absence of price information during the Direct presentation as a deliberate choice that led to widespread confusion and misinformation as fans sought pricing details elsewhere.
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Yang pointed out that the omission of pricing from the Direct was intentional but poorly executed, leaving fans to piece together information from various sources. 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, suggesting the approach was somewhat demeaning to consumer intelligence.
The former NOA communications staff also criticized Nintendo's lack of response to the pricing controversy, either through public statements or media interviews. This silence, they argued, fueled rampant speculation and misinformation. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang said, with Ellis adding, "They have lost control of this."
Ellis and Yang attributed Nintendo's current predicament to a decline in consumer mindfulness since the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. They suggested that Nintendo's communications team should now push for an official statement, though they noted the approval process would be challenging and involve many stakeholders before reaching current Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.
The pair also expressed concern about the unpreparedness of Nintendo's staff at public demo stations for the Switch 2, where fans might pose pricing questions that could be misconstrued as official responses if shared online.
Looking ahead, neither Ellis nor Yang anticipates a price reduction for the Switch 2 or its games before the launch. For more insights, 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.
