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Reaction was quite mixed when Nintendo recently announced its first mobile game Miitomo. With huge expectations for Nintendo’s partnership with mobile developer DeNa, some fans were understandably befuddled by the seemingly low key Mii-focused socializing game. Miitomo isn’t the only game being worked on, which is lucky for those hoping to see a Mario or Zelda title on their mobile devices, but Nintendo wouldn’t be Nintendo if there wasn’t a little more controversy waiting in the wings.
While players can look forward to a slew of new mobile games from Nintendo and DeNa, they can also expect at least two of those titles to come under the often maligned free-to-play payment model. Love it or hate it, free-to-play is a major part of the mobile gaming market, and Nintendo is clearly looking to capitalize on the bankability of its franchises by embracing microtransactions for its first few smart device offerings. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel, however, as Nintendo is no stranger to free-to-play; the company has already implemented creative uses of microtransactions in some of its previous titles in the 3DS eShop, including Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball and the just-released Nintendo Badge Arcade.
The company has proven that it can do free-to-play in a way that isn’t a shameless cash grab, but it’s still disappointing for those who were hoping for pay-to-download titles, instead. Regardless, free-to-play looks like it will be unavoidable in this initial batch of games, whatever they ultimately end up being.
Will Nintendo’s move here turn you away from its first mobile titles? What are your thoughts on free-to-play? Let us know, below!
Source: IGN
