Nintendo’s rapid expansion into multiple different business ventures has been difficult to ignore over the past few years. From theme parks, to films, to a museum, it’s clear thatNintendo is taking every opportunity to showcase its wealth of beloved characters and franchisesto as large an audience as possible. One notable method that Nintendo has adopted is the introduction of mobile games, which has given many people a glimpse into what the company’s biggest series has to offer.
With that in mind, Nintendo’s decision to continue developing mobile games shouldn’t come as much as a surprise. However, a lot has changed for Nintendo since it first ventured down this path in 2016, meaningmobile games are no longer as effective for the company as they once were. And, with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 just around the corner, the company’s work on mobile games seems like more of a pointless endeavor than ever before.
Nintendo Has Reiterated Its Commitment To Mobile Games
The Company’s Mobile Games Broaden The Appeal Of Its Main Hardware
DuringNintendo’s financial results briefing that occurred in early February, company president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about future plans for smart devices. In his response, Furukawa confirmed that “we are continuing to develop new game applications,” alongside other complimentary apps, such as therecently released Nintendo Music service. Moreover,Furukawa emphasized the importance of mobile gamesto “generate interest in our core business,” serving as many people’s introduction to Nintendo’s wealth of gaming experiences.
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This approach that Nintendo has taken to mobile games makes a lot of sense. With mobile games having become the most successful and popular market in the industry, it provides Nintendo with the perfect opportunity to give players a closer, more engaging look into what the company has to offer. From the condensed platforming gameplay ofSuper Mario Run, to the interactivity ofPikmin Bloom’s augmented reality,players get a concrete idea of the variety of experiences that Nintendo provides on its own dedicated hardware, garnering more interest for them as a result.
While Nintendo has been heavily involved with a majority of its mobile games,Pikmin Bloomis developed and published by Niantic. The studio previously worked onPokémon GO, and was given the license forPikminby Nintendo.
This effectiveness is made evident when looking at the success of Nintendo’s previous mobile games. For example, reports from data analysis siteSensor Towershow that by 2022,Super Mario Runhad accumulated a total of 310.7 million downloads, whileFire Emblem Heroessurpassed $1 billion in total player spending. It’s clear thatNintendo’s mobile games have previously been a key factor in the company’s successby providing players with enjoyable experiences in their own right, while demonstrating the potential of these franchises that are fully realized in the titles developed for consoles.
Nintendo No Longer Needs Mobile Games To Succeed
The Company Is In A Better Position Than It Was During The Wii U Era
That being said, future Nintendo mobile games may not be as successful, since they lack the same importance to the company as previous titles. When Nintendo first announced its venture into the mobile gaming market in 2015,the company was severely struggling due to the awful sales of the Wii U. The company’s failure to present the Wii U as an innovative, must-have console caused Nintendo to have a diminished position in the gaming market. Its mobile games were not only a complimentary offering, but a necessary lifeline to keep Nintendo in the spotlight.
The huge accessibility of the mobile gaming market provided Nintendo with the outreach it was desperately looking for. Nintendo used the opportunity provided to show a much larger audience the levels of creativity and ingenuity it still possessed,something the company could only demonstrate to a select few players with its main work. The mobile games were a promise from Nintendo of the grand experiences players would receive if they invested in its hardware, something the company was hoping for with the launch of the Switch in 2017.
Nintendo’s mobile games no longer hold the same significance that they once did.
Thankfully, Nintendo is no longer struggling in the way it once did.The enormous success of the Switch has placed the company back at the forefront of the industry overall, proving Nintendo can continue to provide the samerevolutionary and imaginative gamesthat it always has. However, with that success, Nintendo’s mobile games no longer hold the same significance that they once did, and that could have a detrimental effect on future titles released by the company, as they no longer hold the same appeal as before.
With a much larger audience becoming aware of the full, uncompromised experiences that Nintendo provides on its own hardware, mobile games are no longer the promising titles they once were, and instead merely a condensed version of a more complete offering.That level of accessibility that Nintendo’s mobile games had to its advantage has also diminished with the popularity of the Switch, since more players are currently enjoying the company’s large-scale titles. Nintendo’s mobile games no longer have that edge that made them so popular before, and that could be a major hindrance to future apps' success.
The Switch 2 Will Overshadow Mobile Games
The New Console Will Offer More Exciting Experiences For Players
The potential success of future mobile games is further compounded by the upcoming launch of the Switch 2. The arrival of a new, more powerful console brings with it a wealth of opportunities for players to receive bigger,more ambitious titles from Nintendo’s most popular franchises. Moreover, with so many players having experienced Nintendo’s many stellar offerings on the Switch,the excitement that’s accumulating for Switch 2 will simply overshadow any mobile game projects the company may be working on.
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While future Nintendo mobile games will certainly be enjoyable, they won’t hold the same appeal that the Switch 2’s library of games will possess. With the Switch 2’s more powerful capabilities,it will provide the potential for more imaginative and original experiences than mobile games could provide. Even if the Switch 2 is a bigger investment for players, compared to the mobile games that are often free-to-play, many players' familiarity with the Switch will assure them of the more worthwhile experiences they’ll find on the new console compared to what’s available on their phone or tablet.
Of course, only time will tell how Nintendo’s future mobile games will fare in comparison to previous successes. Yet, with the company being in a stronger and more popular position than when this venture began, it’s hard to see mobile games creating the same impact for Nintendo as they once achieved. Furthermore, with the Switch 2 releasing later this year, the shift in focus from players will only result in less success for futureNintendomobile games, turning what was once a necessary lifeline into a pointless endeavor.
Source:Nintendo,Sensor Tower
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for August 11, 2025.
