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Last week saw Nintendo unveil the highly anticipated Switch 2 console in an extended Direct presentation. Among the new titles shown was Mario Kart World, which will launch alongside the console on 5th June. It will be the only first-party launch title.
The first new entry since the best-selling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017, Mario Kart World sees the popular kart racing series go open-world for the first time. Instead of navigating menus, races can be started by driving between locations, or you can explore the sprawling map in free roam.
While it looks set to take the franchise in a bold new direction, the high RRP has riled fans, with Mario Kart World costing an eye-watering £66.99 / $79.99 / €79.99 digitally. If you want a physical cart, the price increases to £74.99 / $89.99 / €89.99. Ouch.
It’s worth noting that Nintendo is also selling Mario Kart World at a discount in a bundle with the Switch 2 console, but it’s currently sold out and will only be available for a limited time.
Speaking to IGN, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, has defended its decision to hike Mario Kart World’s price.
“I would say it’s less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it’s more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what’s the content, and what’s the value?” he said.
“This is a game that is so big and so vast, and you will find so many little things in it to discover”, he added. And there’s still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they’re going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they’ve ever had.”
Trinen hinted that Mario Kart World’s scope will be showcased in next week’s Mario Kart Direct stream on 17th April.
Not every first-party Switch 2 game will match Mario Kart World’s price, with Diddy Kong Bonanza retailing for £64.99 / $69.99 / €69.99. In an interview with the Washington Post, Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser said this was an example of Nintendo’s “variable pricing” strategy that reflects the “breadth and depth of the gameplay.”
“I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark,” he said. This isn’t the first time Nintendo has adopted a variable pricing strategy, with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom costing $10 more than its predecessor, Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Mario Kart World’s RRP makes it more expensive than Gran Turismo 7, which costs £69.99 /$69.99 / €69.99 on the PlayStation Store. Nintendo games also rarely go on sale, so expect the premium price to remain for a long time.
Do you think Nintendo is charging too much for Mario Kart World? Let us know in the comments below.
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