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Nintendo on mobile games: “We honestly prefer the ‘Super Mario Run’ model”

Yesterday, Nintendo finally released the Android version of Super Mario Run (released on iOS in December). It’s yet another step in Nintendo’s ongoing efforts on the mobile front, and a way to expand the game’s fanbase. The new version includes various improvements and new content (including some for the free version), meant to deal with the most common complaints that were raised following the iOS release.

But despite a strong start on iOS, with various download records broken, Super Mario Run hasn’t had that big of an impact on Nintendo’s financial results (primarily due to the pay-to-play pricing scheme, as opposed to the usual Free-2-Play model that dominates the mobile industry). Tatsumi Kimishima even admitted that revenue from the game “did not meet our expectations”.

On the other hand, Fire Emblem Heroes is expected to bring quite a lot of money home, since it’s a Free-2-Play title (and one of the “gacha” variant, to boot). We will have some data in late April, when Nintendo shares its financial results for the Fiscal Year, but all we know so far is that in Japan, Fire Emblem Heroes was the 5th most popular F2P mobile game in Japan in February.

But that doesn’t mean you should expect Nintendo to jump on board the F2P train and not look back. The following statement from an unspecified “senior company official” quoted by the Nikkei speaks volume:

Heroes’ is an outlier. We honestly prefer the ‘Super Mario Run’ model.

Nintendo’s goal with mobile games has always been to bring new customers to its consoles and games, by making sure their IP reach a lot of people. Of course, it aims to do so while the mobile business is profitable on its own, the goal isn’t really to lose more money.

The thing is, Free-2-Play games, especially gache-type titles, are quite expensive to develop and maintain. You need to consistently release new content, to make sure players keep playing, and… well, spending. What’s more, the Nikkei points out that the gacha model risk undermining the value of Nintendo’s precious characters.

One thing’s for sure: Nintendo’s strategy on the mobile front is going to be a pretty interesting thing to observe in the upcoming months and years.

Source: Nikkei

Lite_Agent

Founder and main writer for Perfectly Nintendo. Tried really hard to find something funny and witty to put here, but had to admit defeat.

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