Shifting Gears: What Does Mario Kart World's Price Say About Their Future?

 

    As a long time fan of Nintendo like many others I was excited for the announcement of Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2. However my excitement was quickly lowered once I saw the increased prices. Scrolling through TikTok and other social media made me realize that I wasn't the only one who thought this. In this blog post we will take a dive into the comment sections, take a look at their marketing efforts, and look at the results of this decision. 

 

    Nintendo, a big player in the gaming industry built their presence from their beloved characters and revolutionary gameplay. The Mario Kart series, an expansion of the Super Mario universe, has always driven interest to the Nintendo game consoles. The value proposition this game offers is that it's fun and easy to play while also still making it challenging to keep things interesting. The ability to play with these iconic characters everyone loves while also having options for multiplayer is what keeps people coming back. Mario Kart games are usually seen as must have games because they can appeal to both casual players and hardcore players. 

    The thing that attracted the most attention surrounding Nintendo and their games was the increase in price from 59.99 to 79.99. Many users across many platforms of social media expressed skepticism and compared it to their previous Mario Kart games.   

    These comment sections from Instagram, TikTok, and X all have one thing in common and it's the same reaction for Nintendo bumping up their price for Mario Kart World. For many long-time fans it was expected the price would be similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As shown in the first picture of the Instagram comment section of a post from "nintendoamerica" the comments are filled with fans wanting lower prices, and those comments have close to 100 or more likes on each comment. 

    A big part of this discussion revolves around whether there will be any major benefits for buying the new Mario Kart World that would justify the cost being bumped up. Not all the details on the game have been released yet but people are still hesitant on spending that much money on a game without any clear description of what this game can fully offer. You will also need the Nintendo Switch 2 system to actually play the game which is estimated to cost at least $499.99. So to actually be able to play the game you'd be spending a pretty penny. 

    Looking past just this price increase, many others in the gaming community suspect that Nintendo bumping prices up for their main games could encourage other gaming companies to do the same. With Nintendo being a big name in the gaming industry they have a lot of control and have a big influence on the market as a whole. 

    Nintendo aims to sell both Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2 console. Their focus is to promote their better hardware and an improved Mario Kart experience. The trailers for these types of games typically promote improved graphics, new features, and a big upgrade for the series. They are most likely trying to push the idea that this game isn't going to be on the same level as the other Mario Kart games, hopefully justifying the cost in their eyes. 

    Across all of Nintendo's social media platforms they have millions of followers. A lot of the time announcements of something new like a game or console will generate a good reaction from the followers. However, in their posts regarding the new game they never really mentioned the price concerns in the initial post. The comment sections on most of their posts have been filled with backlash on the price jumps. Yes, they maintain their posting schedule while also making it engaging. They seem to focus more towards positives than the actual price objections. 

Direct Social Media Link: https://www.instagram.com/nintendoamerica?igsh=ejdiNTZmZzJ6dWp6

Company URL: https://www.nintendo.com/us/

    Nintendo's whole marketing strategy here is to build their value perception on the game about the new hardware. Yes, the pricing strategy is a scary move but this can either establish that their brand image is a premium compared to others or they will lose a large part of their consumer base. A big issue is how they can effectively give a reason why this game just got a high increase in price. Nintendo just seems to be struggling with fully convincing people why this game now costs so much. They are trying to promote and increase the preorders of the Mario Kart World and their new console, but the pricing plays a big role in this. 

    

    So far, Nintendo hasn't publicly made any announcements regarding the price. There have been a few execs that have tried defending the price, saying things about the new hardware and the scope of the game. Being more direct on social media could've been the better way to handle this just to show that they're reading the comments and are listening to their supporters. 

    If I was the brand manager, with the expectations of how the economy currently is I would try to get on the Nintendo social media platforms and discuss any concerns the supporters may have about the price. I would also like to have sort of a Q and A with the developers and supporters regarding the game and why the price is the way it is. And outside of the social media side I'd like to work with the PR and marketing team to try and share demos of the game, share consistent messages with the supporters, and participate in interviews talking about why Mario Kart World is worth it. 

    This assignment showed me the importance of being present on social media regarding answering concerns from your supporters especially when changing something like prices. Building up hype for your product is important but you also need to be able to explain why it's priced the way it is and handle any criticism face on. 

    

    The price of the new game Mario Kart World has sparked a lot of concerns within the gaming community. While Nintendo is highlighting the premium experience of the new game and console, many of their supporters are still unsure if the price is justified. In the next months before the release of the game and console marketing will play a big role for Nintendo in trying to win their supporters over.