Nintendo have announced a partnership with mobile giant DeNA Co to “develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices.”
If you are hoping for Super Mario Kart on your iPhone then you are out of luck, much like Sony’s forays in to the world of mobile gaming the new apps will be based on existing characters but will not be ports of existing games.
To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimised for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system.
The press release does state that DeNA have free reign over the entire Nintendo catalogue so we may see some older, less well known characters in the games.
There are also plans to launch a new online membership service that will be accessible from smart devices, PC and Nintendo systems.
Nintendo have been talking about moving their characters to mobile for a good while, it is a sensible move as they will profit from the new games without cutting in to the 3DS and Wii U revenues. DeNA (who also have a deal with Disney) will be happy, exclusive access to the entire Nintendo back catalogue is something that any mobile company would sell their mothers for.
A couple of years ago Sony sold their stake in DeNA, if they had not then we would have had the mind bending prospect of Sony profiting from Mario on an iPhone.
Source: Press release
Person678
If they make an actual proper Mario platformer free to play I can see them printing money.
Kennykazey
That’s a reasonable move from Nintendo. At least it is if DeNa is talented.
TSBonyman
It sounds like it might be something like the Uncharted etc mobile tie-in games that Sony dabbled with.
Starman
If they’ve got any sense they’ll get a Mario themed endless runner out asap.