As the Switch continues to be a runaway success, it appears Nintendo is planning to rollback its mobile gaming ambitions.
The report comes from Bloomberg, which notes Nintendo jumped into the world of mobile gaming a few years ago to support its business as the Wii U was failing. Now in 2020 with the Switch being as successful as it is, there is less reason for the company to release mobile games.
Even the Nintendo’s once-popular mobile titles like Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Mario Run are reportedly failing to bring in much revenue as competing mobile games have been taking off in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch has been a smash hit during the pandemic.
The report also mentions Nintendo has no mobile titles on its release schedule. That said, the CEO of DeNA, a mobile game studio that works closely with Nintendo, says that it has a game slated to come out near the end of the fiscal year. At one point rumours circulated that a The Legend of Zelda mobile title could be in the works.
Nintendo generally hasn’t been able to shine on mobile gaming platforms because its mobile games arguably don’t capture what makes the Japanese gaming giant’s console games so compelling. The in-app payment model also means you’re asked to pay small amounts of money every time you play, which can detract from the fun.
Beyond that, many mobile games like Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, for example, deliver a watered-down experience compared to the console titles they’re based on.
Source: Bloomberg
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
