When Super Mario Run launched, it boomed and broke records for total number of downloads, even without Android's help. But, like pretty much all hit mobile games and apps, it had to take a nosedive off the charts eventually. Unfortunately for Nintendo, though, it looks like that's happening sooner rather than later.
Just two weeks after launch, Super Mario Run is no longer the highest grossing game in any country on iOS. It's still the most downloaded game in 68 countries, but that's a sharp decline from previously being the most downloaded game in 138 countries. That raises questions about the game's ability to not only make money, but make a sustained amount of money over a long period of time.
There's a single in-app purchase in Super Mario Run that unlocks the full game for $10. Otherwise, no microtransactions or DLC or anything else. There's also a sticky stipulation that it always has to be connected to the internet, and all of that together makes a business model that we don't normally see in mobile games.
There are a still a few things to consider before we judge Nintendo's first real mobile outing as a failure or a success, however. It still hasn't launched on Android, so there's a large potential market left to tap, and we really don't know how much money Nintendo has made since the game's launch. If they rolled in a ton of cash from one-time purchases, they may be happy with that figure since they didn't muddy Mario's brand image with cheap microtransactions. We might also see Nintendo drop the price a bit to try and lure in more customers, which some analysts seem to think will happen after the holidays.
What are your thoughts on a $10 mobile game? Are you planning on buying Super Mario Run when it comes to Android?
source: Bloomberg
