Jeff Gerstmann Critiques Mario Kart World Pricing During Twitch Stream

Former GameSpot editorial director and prominent video game journalist, Jeff Gerstmann, has voiced strong objections regarding the pricing of the recently announced Mario Kart World. His reaction came during a live Twitch broadcast, where he criticized Nintendo’s decision to set the standalone game price at $80. This game has stirred varying opinions since its unveiling on April 2, 2025, as it will spotlight the anticipated Switch 2 console.

Gerstmann’s Reaction to Pricing

During the stream, Gerstmann expressed his outrage over the game’s price, stating:

“That’s too much money! That’s too much money. That’s f**king, like a crazed amount of money!”

Community Response

Gerstmann’s comments quickly circulated on social media platforms, particularly Reddit, where they sparked extensive discussion. Many Reddit users resonated with his sentiments, highlighting concerns that the high price might compel gamers to purchase the Switch 2 bundled version, which includes Mario Kart World.

“The $80 price tag is basically just a fancy way of forcing people to buy the bundle,”a Redditor commented.

Additional comments from users portrayed skepticism regarding future pricing trends:

“People will buy it, and it will become the new norm. Classic,”stated another user.

“Seriously got to the point where we have to spend nearly 1/5 of a console price just to play Mario Kart of all things,”a Redditor posted.

“90€ in Europe. Insanity,”added another commenter.

Analysis of Game Bundling Strategy

Gerstmann highlighted that purchasing Mario Kart World as part of the Switch 2 bundle could effectively reduce the game’s cost to approximately $50, assuming the full bundle is priced at $499.99. This connects to the base price of the Switch 2, which starts at $449.99.

“You know, the bundling is basically saying that Mario Kart will be $50 in a bundle. Which you would assume, yeah, there we go,”he remarked.

Continued Discontent on Twitch

Further emphasizing his disapproval of the pricing, Gerstmann stated:

“Available June 5, $79.99 MSRP. F**k that, dude!”

Timestamp 1:40:00

Later in the stream, he reiterated his firm stance on the game’s price:

“That is too much money! I don’t have any further commentary on that. That is too much f**king money. $80 for Mario Kart is too much money. I don’t care how open that world is, that is too much money!”

In addition to his criticisms regarding the game’s pricing, Gerstmann noted that consumers would also need to purchase Switch 2 Joy-Con Wheels separately for an additional $20 per pair, further aggravating the situation.

For more detailed insights on Gerstmann’s reaction and the community response, check out the full discussion here.