Nintendo has announced that it’s finally ready to make its way to the brave new world of smartphone mobile gaming with the help of mobile giant DeNA.
In mid-March, during an investor conference in Japan, Nintendo made the announcement that Nintendo IPs would be used to develop brand new games specifically for the mobile market. These games will not be ports of already existing games on the 3DS, but rather brand new adventures designed specifically for this platform.
Many gamers have feared that Nintendo might be cashing in on the free-to-play model made popular by games like Candy Crush Saga and The Simpsons: Tapped Out; however, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata sees things differently.
During an interview with Time magazine, Iwata was asked if his company would push a free-to play or a “pay up front” model for its mobile games.
“I understand that, unlike the package model for dedicated game systems, the free-to-start type of business model is more widely adopted for games on smart devices, and the free-to-start model will naturally be an option for us to consider. On the other hand, even in the world of smart device apps, the business model continues to change. Accordingly, for each title, we will discuss with DeNA and decide the most appropriate payment method. So, specifically to your question, both can be options, and if a new Nintendo-like invention comes of it, then all the better.
Details are still scarce regarding which IPs will be making the jump to mobile, however, Nintendo has announced that its first title will be released in 2015. It was later reported that Nintendo and DeNA plan to have five titles released by the end of 2017.
Nintendo has announced that it will not be sharing any additional details regarding its partnership with DeNA during this year’s E3 expo, so loyal fans will need to wait a little longer to find out how they can rescue the princess from the comfort of their smartphones and tablets.
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
