Nintendo’s second proper foray into the Smartphone mobile market has met with some less than ideal results.
After its release on December 15th as a (rumoured) timed exclusive for the Apple iOS App Store, Super Mario Run has been met with unfavourable reviews and poor reception of its payment model, resulting in an even greater loss in stock revenue: 16%
With a reportedly short run time, constant requirement of an internet connection to play, plus a deceiving and confusing store listing, Nintendo has been experiencing a loss in stock revenue since Super Mario Run’s release, losing 5% on its first day. Appearing as a free download in the App Store, the full Super Mario Run experience can only be unlocked upon spending $9.99 USD (Or for us as a Canadian publication, $13.99 CAD).
This model has been used in the past for some of Nintendo’s eShop titles, and used in a variety of other console virtual shops. Used rather brilliantly for Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (which allowed players to accumulate real-world discounts on the game’s various game modes through gameplay), the model appears to have not translated well to the mobile Smartphone market. Unfortunately for Nintendo, this hasn’t been the first drop in stock market price upon release of a Smartphone game; Pokemon Go, released by Niantic, garnered a huge increase in Nintendo’s shares upon release. However, upon realization that Nintendo did not actually make the game, shares dropped almost instantly.
However there is a bit of hope for Nintendo’s mobile pursuits; Nintendo did see a small increase in stock with the release of Miitomo earlier this year. While Miitomo has lowered drastically in popularity since the app’s release in March, it still has its dedicated fans that keep the app relevant and justify constant updates.
“Nothing else looks or plays like an authentic Mario escapade, and Super Mario Run feels like one for the ages,” says Time Magazine’s Matt Peckham in his review of the game. Interestingly, the game appears to be praised by critics with a 79 critic rating on Metacritic, but a quick look at App Store reviews (and the 5.6 user review score on Metacritic) shows that consumers aren’t enjoying the game as much, mostly due to the flawed pricing model.
Super Mario Run is available now on the App Store with a pending release on Android in the upcoming new year.
