Nintendo investors are looking at bad numbers and bad reviews after the recent launch of their mobile game, “Super Mario Run.”
The auto-running video game was part of Nintendo’s efforts to enter the mobile gaming market with its popular “Super Mario” video game franchise. Unfortunately, it looks like they were met with a cold welcome.
The game, which is initially available for iPhone users, did not fare well in the market over concerns with its payment model and a heavy internet connection requirement.
However, it still pulled out great numbers in downloads during its launch. App Annie reports that the game hit 37 million downloads worldwide since its release on December 15, totaling to a $14 million revenue for the Japanese gaming company.
The game is set to be released for Android in 2017, but many Android users are already setting their minds of the same complaints iPhone users experienced while playing the game.
According to the media outlet, most downloads came from the US, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Game downloads from other countries contributed 17 million in total.
Amid consumers’ demand for a classic Mario title, its price angered a lot of players. The game is apparently free for the first three levels. After that, customers have to pay $10 to enjoy the rest of the game, a heftier price compared to the popular “Minecraft.”
iPhone users complain that the game is heavily overpriced, seeing how there is such limited content that “Super Mario Run” offers.
Another factor that drew flak for the game was its always-on internet connection. iPhone users complained that the game squanders so much portion of their device’s battery. “Super Mario Run” currently has a lot of 1-star reviews on the App Store.
The App Store itself drew flak for posting the game atop their Free Download chart, claiming that Apple is misleading users to downloading the game without knowing about the $10 fee after three tiers.
Tech analysts also believe that the reviews on the App Store mainly cited these two factors for their 1-star critic. Some say that most users don’t really hate the game, it’s just the cost and the online requirement makes it difficult for them to enjoy it.
The game currently averages 2.5 stars in the Apple App Store, among the lowest rated apps and far below games such as “Pokemon Go” and “Candy Crush.”
Neither Apple nor Nintendo immediately offered a comment on the bad reviews, but it clearly is bad news for both.
For Nintendo, “Super Mario Run” represents their first big foray into mobile games after years on the sidelines, while Apple was hoping that its exclusivity would give smartphone buyers another reason to choose iOS over Android.
This could also be an early indication that the game is failing to engage users at the same level. Nintendo has not officially spoken on the issue, but given the backlash, it would not come as a surprise if the company decided to adjust its strategy when the game comes to Android.
Tech analysts suggest that since Nintendo has not announced a release date for Android users, the Japanese company might push it back to work on some price adjustments and content addition to the game.
Analysts added that Nintendo was probably expecting that the game would be a smash hit just like Niantic’s “Pokemon Go” and that users won’t mind the fee because the content is exciting.
However, when things didn’t turn out their way, Nintendo didn’t have a back-up plan, given that it is actually their first foray into mobile gaming after being on the sideline for years.