During their financial meet Nintendo confirmed that the company will release at least five smartphone games and all of them will be rolled out before March, 2017.
The time period is quite long but during the conference, the decision makers clarified that the company is really cautious about taking its first step into a completely different niche. They are clear that the mobile gaming market is really crowded and making a mark in this competitive niche is not easy unless effective measures are in place. Even a huge IP couldn’t repeat the success on smartphones and tablets because the audience base is completely different from those on consoles and PCs.
Future Plans
Speaking at the meet, Iwata said, “Launching just five games in a time span of nearly two years might sound like a really small number. But, we do have the responsibility to make each one of them a massive hit rather than rolling out a dozen mediocre games. Every game will get individual attention and significant development period before it is released to the public.”
He added that every game available on the Nintendo platform can easily be a smartphone game. Be it Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros or Zelda games, they are an ideal fit for mobile phones. But, the problem is that they just can’t be released one after the other because besides being a highly competitive niche, the mobile sector uses different controls and has a diverse audience base.
“We have the responsibility to fulfill each one of their expectations and also make sure our mobile games are on par with the quality that our IP has delivered so far in other Nintendo platforms like NES, SNES, Wii U and 3DS,” Iwata said.
Matching the Play Style
Nintendo is really keen on bringing their IPs to a totally new platform and attract more audience but they are going to take more time to make it compatible with smartphones and tablets. The business models vary as well.
In other news, Nintendo is proud that they have managed to ship over 10.5 million Amiibo figures so far. It is a huge accomplishment for the company because in an era where digital goods dominate, being able to sell actual toys to people is a rare feat. They have not only accomplished it but they have also managed to trigger the market to buy toy accessories that would make game titles better. Last year, they touched the mark of 5.7 million Amiibo figurines.
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