It’s no secret that Nintendo has dealt with backlash following the Switch 2’s reveal. The price tag for the console and the $80 price of Mario Kart World rubbed many the wrong way, despite assurances from Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen that the latter is the “richest Mario Kart experience yet.”
While the latest Direct offered many notable reveals and new features, it still hasn’t turned things around. According to former Nintendo of America public relations manager Krysta Yang, the overall approach was surprising and an example “where they did not manage our expectations.”
On the Kit and Krysta Podcast, Yang said (transcription via GamesRadar), “They’ve had a thing that’s very rare from Nintendo that I was really even surprised by, where they did not manage our expectations, which is something that they were so strict about, and we would be lectured endlessly about how we can’t even use the word ‘surprise.’
“‘Don’t you dare inflate somebody’s expectations so that when the thing happens, they end up being disappointed,’ and that’s exactly what happened in that Mario Kart Direct last week. Everybody got their expectations completely inflated by things that [vice president of products Bill Trinen] and [Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser] said only to be a bit disappointed in the actual thing.”
Despite this, demand for the Switch 2 is still high. Over 2.2 million people entered a lottery on the My Nintendo Store in Japan to pre-order the console. President Shuntaro Furukawa later apologized, revealing that the number “greatly surpasses” the number of units it can deliver through the storefront on launch day.
The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5th for $449.99. Its first bundle (with Mario Kart World included) retails for $499.99 and will be available until Fall. Though console prices remain the same despite tariffs in the US, several accessories now cost more. Head here for more details.