Nintendo's First Mobile App Is a Letdown

[poofyhairguy]

The company unveiled Miitomo—its entry into the mobile world—early Thursday at a press event in Japan. The app focuses not on Mario, Link, Donkey Kong or any of the other popular characters the company is known for, but instead on Miis, the virtual avatars users create for themselves on the Wii and Wii U platforms.

http://fortune.com/2015/10/29/nintendo-mobile-app/

Basically anyone who expected top shelf IP was disappointed. They also announced a delay in releasing this game. Some people already expect it to flop:

“I think this is a disaster,” says Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. “This is not a game. It’s a social network concept. Facebook is a robust social network. I don’t need Nintendo to give me a cartoon version of myself that allows me to interact with my friends. …Facebook already dominates everybody who has social interactions. How the hell is Nintendo going to substitute for that?

I know I personally was looking forward to buying my first Nintendo app soon only to be letdown. Nintendo obviously doesn't want Mario-level IP to exist on a platform with $1 games.

What do yall think? Is Nintendo too protective of its best IP? Or is this a planned failure to show investors that Nintendo's future is locked to its own hardware and not mobile?

 

[Oyeve]

If they play it right and give top shelf games I am all for it. I have already invested $$$ in top shelf games like FF3 and its a great game. If they put Zelda, mario and other console ports they will make a fortune. Unfortunately, it would also kill their portable market devices like the 3ds, which, honestly, I wouldn't mind as I have not turned on my 3ds in over six months. Pokemon Alpha on Android? Yes please!

 

[poofyhairguy]

I would buy an even mediocre Nintendo mobile game in a heartbeat. Heck I might buy this game (which I would never play) just to help send the obvious message to Nintendo that their future is developing on someone else's platform.

Problem is I don't think without top shelf IP other people will buy it. They could slap Mario on a freemium game and make more money from it than the Wii U made last year.

 

[sm625]

It might have something to do with the fact that the platform in general just sucks for games. In all this time I've only played one game that has truly impressed me, and that is Bloons Monkey City. And that was a direct desktop port. Mobile games just suck. A rectangular block with no buttons... just sucks. The games are dumbed down to the point of stupidity, and if you make the graphics good then your battery gets sucked down really fast. The thought of playing through a proper Zelda dungeon on a stupid little rectangular brick with no buttons is laughable, and not in a good way. That platform is for the mindless zero self esteem narcisstic fools who require themselves to spend $1000 a year on a phone so they dont OD on antidepressants, and then spend even more money on apps to justify the money they wasted on the brick. They dont even play real games on a real platform because they are too afraid they'll suck at a real game. And they'd probably be right. So they just play these mindless games on their buttonless bricks. Nintendo shouldnt cater to that crowd, even if there is money to be had.

 

[Oyeve]

It might have something to do with the fact that the platform in general just sucks for games. In all this time I've only played one game that has truly impressed me, and that is Bloons Monkey City. And that was a direct desktop port. Mobile games just suck. A rectangular block with no buttons... just sucks. The games are dumbed down to the point of stupidity, and if you make the graphics good then your battery gets sucked down really fast.

Wrong. There a many games that are direct ports of their earlier iterations. FF3 to the mobile phones is a near perfect port from the Nintendo DS. the only thing that was changed was screen controlling. I myself use a Bluetooth controller that my phone clicks onto and it plays great.

 

[Ravynmagi]

That platform is for the mindless zero self esteem narcisstic fools who require themselves to spend $1000 a year on a phone so they dont OD on antidepressants, and then spend even more money on apps to justify the money they wasted on the brick. They dont even play real games on a real platform because they are too afraid they'll suck at a real game. And they'd probably be right. So they just play these mindless games on their buttonless bricks. Nintendo shouldnt cater to that crowd, even if there is money to be had.

How about you lay down on the couch and we'll start by you telling me about your childhood...

 

[Ravynmagi]

I kinda understand what Nintendo's feelings might be on this. They have some pretty nice exclusive IPs that helps them sell their hardware, the Wii U and 3DS.

But I don't think their is much of a future for dedicated handheld gaming devices like the 3DS and PS Vita (Sony may not be making another). Even Nvidia's attempt at an Android based Tegra Shield failed quite spectacularly (I almost bought one, dodged that bullet).

Yes, mobile phones are a inferior gaming experience with only a touch screen and tilting as your controls. But this is what everyone has in their pockets all the time. And they've gotten quite powerful and can run some pretty nice games if you can adapt to touch controls. And game developers have come up with cleaver ways to make mobile gaming fun with just touch and tilts (though obviously some hard core gamers may not be amused).

I think eventually Nintendo will need to embrace mobile phones. But I understand why they aren't in a hurry just yet. They can still sell some more consoles and handhelds for a bit longer.

 

[poofyhairguy]

It might have something to do with the fact that the platform in general just sucks for games.

That can't be the case. Mobile makes more money than any other single gaming platform:

 

[lopri]

I wonder how many of you have played this game on arcade machines?

 

[sweenish]

I wonder what that question has to do with the topic at all.

 

[Anubis]

That can't be the case. Mobile makes more money than any other single gaming platform:

his statement really depends on how you define "good game" Sure Candy Crush makes a ton of money through micro transactions but its not anything close to a "good game"

Pay to Play mmo - 2.7B - im curious as to what % of that is WoW alone - im assuming most of it

 

[Yayo3p]

If they play it right and give top shelf games I am all for it. I have already invested $$$ in top shelf games like FF3 and its a great game. If they put Zelda, mario and other console ports they will make a fortune. Unfortunately, it would also kill their portable market devices like the 3ds, which, honestly, I wouldn't mind as I have not turned on my 3ds in over six months. Pokemon Alpha on Android? Yes please!

Im sold for all of those games if Nintendo rolls out Android apps.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Nintendo could potentially roll out their own app/game store, and possibly even sell potential controller add ons if they can get a good design. At the very least, they will need to run their own app store to get some attention for their games. This will also allow Nintendo to command a (not much) higher price than most of what you find in Google Play.

 

[sweenish]

I rather like this idea.

iOS would have to charge users an extra premium to make up for the IAP take that goes to Apple.

I don't fully know if Android is standardized enough to allow licensed accessories. However, with Android TV and Play Games, I suppose the controller API already exists. I don't know enough about Android Development to say whether that controller API is accessible outside of Android TV. It could be probably be re-tooled if it came down to it.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I would buy an even mediocre Nintendo mobile game in a heartbeat. Heck I might buy this game (which I would never play) just to help send the obvious message to Nintendo that their future is developing on someone else's platform.

Problem is I don't think without top shelf IP other people will buy it. They could slap Mario on a freemium game and make more money from it than the Wii U made last year.

Please don't, you'll be sending them the wrong message.

If they play it right and give top shelf games I am all for it. I have already invested $$$ in top shelf games like FF3 and its a great game. If they put Zelda, mario and other console ports they will make a fortune. Unfortunately, it would also kill their portable market devices like the 3ds, which, honestly, I wouldn't mind as I have not turned on my 3ds in over six months. Pokemon Alpha on Android? Yes please!

They explicitly said they won't be doing that and that people should not be expecting that at all. They've also outright said they're going to be making typical mobile games and that they expect people to pay for them (and more than typical mobile games, because Nintendo!) and that they'll be "free to start" (which obviously is pay to play).

 

[ControlD]

I wonder how many of you have played this game on arcade machines?

Have you ever tried playing a game like that on a touch screen though? It sucks.

 

[Red Storm]

If Nintendo were smart they would have jumped on the mobile bandwagon a long time ago with a mix of casual time waster games and mobile ports of their classics. But they are slow to make a move, and so it's not surprising their first game would suck.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Please don't, you'll be sending them the wrong message.

"I care about Wii Generation IP"?

Yeah that is probably the wrong message to send.

 

[BxgJ]

That can't be the case. Mobile makes more money than any other single gaming platform:

That isn't divided up by platform....

 

[poofyhairguy]

That isn't divided up by platform....

The present and future is mobile.

 

[Yayo3p]

I know Nintendo has something in store waiting for the perfect moment to release it!! THEY HAVE TOO!!!!

 

[BxgJ]

The present and future is mobile.

Why separate 'online' from mobile/console/pc? Numerous sources have global pc gaming revenue surpassing that of consoles recently.

The total here is different, but at least it is separated by platform, though mobile should include the total for tablets, imo.

 

[darkswordsman17]

"I care about Wii Generation IP"?

Yeah that is probably the wrong message to send.