Super Mario Runs 200 million downloads didnt result in acceptable profit for Nintendo

Nintendo’s first mobile game, Super Mario Run, was enormously popular — but that doesn’t mean it was a success for the company. During its most recent earnings report, Nintendo revealed that Mario Run has been downloaded 200 million times, 90 percent of which came from outside of Japan. However, Nintendo says that despite these big numbers, the game has “not yet reached an acceptable profit point.” While Nintendo didn’t reveal any specifics with regards to conversion rates, a big sticking point for many with Super Mario Run was its comparatively large price point; it’s free to download, but requires a one-time fee of $9.99 to unlock the whole game.

In contrast, Fire Emblem Heroes — which utilizes a more typical free-to-play structure, with plentiful microtransactions — has been a much more lucrative title for Nintendo. The company didn’t release specific numbers for the game, but says that Heroes’ success has largely been due to its continual updates since the game debuted in February. “For this title, we listened to the voices of our consumers and provided continual updates,” Nintendo says. “As a result, we are on track to meet our overall business objectives, including our profit objectives.”

Nintendo is looking to continue this success with the release of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on mobile next month. Like Heroes, the game will utilize a more standard free-to-play structure, with in-app purchases that can be used to purchase consumable items and speed up certain in-game actions. “Our objective is to offer a service that allows even consumers who do not normally play games on a regular basis to have a little fun each and every day,” Nintendo says of the upcoming game.

And, while the company didn’t detail any specifics, it sounds like there could be some notable updates and improvements coming to Super Mario Run at some point. “Our aim is for this application to be the definitive Mario application for smart devices,” the company says. “We have learned a lot in terms of game development and deployment that we want to take advantage of moving forward.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEr5yrn5VjsLC5jmtnam9fZn1wf5BoaG9taGWGeIKOrKypnaJiuqK%2ByKhkq62eYruqutOepZ2nXZm8uLrLqJidq12lv7CyyK0%3D