Nintendo is an immediate hit on mobile, as their Miitomo becomes the top downloaded social app in Japan at its launch.
Market researcher App Annie revealed that Miitomo shoved LINE, Japan’s most popular messaging app, to second place in the social apps rankings in iOS upon launch last March 17, and continues to be the top downloaded app in this category today. It also debuted at number two in the all apps category, second only to Gungho’s Puzzle and Dragons Radar. A spokesperson for Nintendo revealed that they also felt the app had a good start and that they received positive feedback, but did not share any specific metrics. Analyst Atul Goyal from Jeffries Group had this to say:
This should remove any doubts about the Nintendo brand’s relevancy in the smartphone age.
Miitomo itself is not an instant messaging app like LINE, but falls somewhere between a social app and a game. Rather than communicate directly with friends, you create a Mii that represents you, and share information about yourself to Miitomo. In turn, Miitomo will have your Miis communicate with other users’ Miis, so that they have their own conversations, and you can learn new things and connections with each other you didn’t know before.
Miitomo‘s microtransaction elements have also been revealed at launch. While coins can be earned in-game, it is considerably easier and less time consuming to buy them with real money. You can earn coins in-game by accomplishing missions, which range from registering a friend to answering 10 questions each day. Coins can be used to buy clothing and items for your Miis.
Miitomo will be launching on iOS and Android devices in regions outside Japan this month. You can look back at our initial coverage here, here, and here. You can watch the launch trailer below.
