Nintendo Was Like Caught Off-Guard by Backlash to Switch 2 Game Pricing

During Nintendo‘s recent Direct presentation, they shared many details about the Switch 2, but remained silent on its and associated game costs. The pricing information was later unveiled through updates to the official Switch 2 website. Interestingly, Mario Kart World, priced at $79.99, will be the first AAA game at this price point without being a premium edition.

Based on reports from former public relations staff members Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, it seems that the company may find the response during their Treehouse streams quite unexpected. Specifically, during these streams where Nintendo demonstrated gameplay for titles like Mario Kart World, the live chat was inundated with messages urging the company to reduce the price of the console and its associated games.

According to a recent video by Yang and Ellis, Nintendo might be taken aback by the public’s response. This is because, during the console’s announcement, Nintendo didn’t provide pricing details. Ellis stated that not disclosing the price immediately was an act of disregard towards consumers. Yang added that it seems somewhat condescending and insulting to the intelligence of the consumer.

Additionally, they mentioned that representatives from Nintendo’s Public Relations teams might have been deliberating on this topic within their typical “strategy room” – a space often used for planning live broadcasts such as the latest Treehouse Live events.

Yang mentioned they were joking about a place called the “war room” that Nintendo typically sets up during big events, referring to it as a potentially unpleasant spot. However, he clarified that the war room serves an important function: monitoring public reaction and providing solutions for any issues arising. He humorously suggested that the team in charge of this room is currently not doing their job.

Additionally, Yang posits that Nintendo may have been taken aback by the public response to their game pricing. She further discussed how, due to the unparalleled success of the Nintendo Switch, the company’s communication teams haven’t needed to manage a crisis in quite a while. Consequently, the current staff might lack the necessary expertise to deal with such a predicament.

Yang stated, “I believe they’re quite taken aback by the intensity of this response.” The issue, he explained, is that, having not faced much crisis communication in the past eight years, they seem to have lost their touch at it.

Right now, the Nintendo Switch 2 costs $449.99 individually. However, there’s also a package deal available that comes with Mario Kart World, priced at $499.99. Interestingly, this bundle offers a more affordable way to obtain the game compared to buying it separately. A digital copy of Mario Kart World costs $79.99 on its own, while a physical copy retails for $89.99.

2025-04-04 17:42

Nintendo Was Like Caught Off-Guard by Backlash to Switch 2 Game Pricing – Former Nintendo PR

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