Rumor: Nintendo Seeks New Smartphone Video Game Developers

Nintendo seems to be gaining a bit more interest when it comes to the mobile smartphone market. The video game company giant has been around for decades and over their course of development, Nintendo has often referred to their own mobile handheld devices rather than using the smartphone or tablet route.

That has since changed these past couple years. Nintendo had purchased some stake from DeNA, a mobile video game developer who has since put out a number of Nintendo video game properties on both Android and Apple app marketplaces.

Unfortunately, according to a report made by WSJ, the expectations for the mobile market have not met Nintendo’s expectations. Originally, Nintendo has stated that with the help of DeNA, a total of five video game titles will see their release on Apple and Android app marketplaces by March of 2017. We’re coming to an end of the 2017 year and only four titles have seen a release.

The four video game titles available today are Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and lastly their latest release, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. These video game releases have seen a positive response from the gaming community, but again, the expectations from them are a bit low in revenue.

Despite this, sources to WSJ have noted that Nintendo will not increase prices, but instead will look into offering partnerships with other mobile development studios. Unlike DeNA, Nintendo will not purchase a stake in the company, but the developers will get a chance to work on a Nintendo IP.

One of the sources noted that GunHo Online Entertainment was in talks with Nintendo, though a spokesperson from the studio has stated that this is false information. Regardless, if true, GungHo Online Entertainment will likely be one of the several developers who will begin to release Nintendo titles for smartphones and tablets.

Apparently, Nintendo has planned to release more video game titles on the mobile markets, not to gain a strong revenue stream directly from mobile game sales, but will instead give more casual gamers a chance to enjoy some of Nintendo’s beloved properties. The hope is that gamers will enjoy their IPs so much that it will convince them to purchase the latest Nintendo hardware and software.

This is already evident to work as the Animal Crossing title on the mobile markets have triggered sales increase for the latest Animal Crossing video game on the Nintendo 3DS.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see just what Nintendo officially announces in the future along with what other Nintendo IP will receive the mobile development treatment next.