Activist group Gaming Consumer Rights has launched a website urging people to boycott Nintendo in response to its poor marketing practices surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2. The website is intended to educate consumers about the Switch 2 and what the GCR claims to be malicious marketing practices by Nintendo to trick and scare fans into purchasing an overpriced console and “repackaged $80 Switch 1 games.”
The GCR’s new website points an accusatory finger at Nintendo for using misleading marketing and artificially creating the illusion of scarcity. The GCR claims that Nintendo is manipulating gamers into buying a new console that actually has a far lower value, unnaturally hiking prices for the console, its games, and potential repairs down the line.
The website states that “it’s time we SWITCH 2 a new gaming platform,” and urges visitors not to support Nintendo by taking their purchasing power to other options.
Gaming Advocacy Group Urges Fans To Boycott Nintendo
In-Person Protests In The Works
The mission statement of the Gaming Consumer Rights group is straightforward:
“Gaming Consumer Rights wants to correct the corruption in video games that has pushed AAA towards greed and bloat. Gaming should be accessible and fun for everybody regardless of their budget, country, or lifestyle.”
The GCR has set its sights on Nintendo and the still relatively new Switch 2, accusing Nintendo of artificially creating the illusion of a shortage to give buying the console a false sense of urgency.
The group boldly claims in a press release that the console “deserves harsh criticism for its role in hijacking prices, threatening physical media, controlling digital activity, creating purposely obsolescent hardware, and illegally bricking consoles.” In-person protests are planned for the upcoming New York Comic Con and The Game Awards.
The updated website includes information and sources regarding the price, specs, and ownership rights of Nintendo Switch 2 users. It also lists several alternative consoles from smaller brands, and educates gamers on how to support the group’s mission and drive change in the industry.
Fan Criticism Is Causing A Shift In The Gaming Industry
Several Publishers Have Dropped Prices Following Outcry
The Gaming Consumer Rights movement firmly believes that if enough consumers are loud enough in their protests, they can shape the future and economics of the video game industry. The site’s FAQ points out that gamer outcry has already seen some effects, citing the price drop for Borderlands 4 and The Outer Worlds 2.
The site also mentions country-wide efforts to combat potentially manipulative behavior by large gaming companies. This includes a lawsuit in Brazil over EULA’s ability to brick consoles and UK Amazon’s physical Game Key Card discounts, potentially meant to encourage physical ownership.
