Even if Nintendo still meets incredible success with the Switch, this does not mean that the Japanese video game giant is abandoning the opportunity of mobile platforms. He will thus create a joint venture with DeNA, which has developed several mobile games on behalf of Nintendo.
We’ll have to get used to a new brand in the coming months: Nintendo Systems! This company will strengthen digitization » of the activity of Nintendo, the publisher representing 80% of the capital, against 20% for DeNA. Nintendo Systems will mainly work on research and development, as well as on the creation of value-added services.
Mobile games that pay off… and others that don’t
The mission order is very vague, but Nintendo Systems is of strategic interest to the Switch manufacturer. Nintendo and DeNA have worked together for seven years on mobile games; they produced Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour and Pokémon Masters. Heavyweights in the App Store and Play Store, especially Fire Emblem which has exceeded $1 billion in revenue.
Others, on the other hand, are less profitable: 293 million for Mario Kart Tour, 287 million for Animal Crossing. Sometimes it doesn’t work as expected: Dr Mario World, developed in collaboration with Line, didn’t last more than two years, and Dragalia Lost (with Cygames) was also shut down due to insufficient player interest. Nevertheless, all represent a windfall worthy of interest for Nintendo which seeks to diversify its intellectual property beyond its own game systems.
Since its appearance on mobile platforms, Nintendo has exceeded 800 million downloads. This is the equivalent of the number of consoles sold by the manufacturer since the launch of the NES in 1983, explained Shuntaro Furukawa the president of the group. Nintendo Systems will help anchor the company a little more in this market.
