Super mario run hasn't given nintendo the expected benefits

Being the first title for Nintendo mobile devices, there was a lot of expectation around the arrival of Super Mario Run . Indeed, this expectation was manifested in the large number of downloads that the game has experienced since its initial release in December 2016, however, according to Nintendo, Super Mario Run has not generated as much money as the company expected.

Super Mario Run, a bittersweet success

According to the latest benefit report released by Nintendo itself, the mobile game Super Mario Run has been downloaded 200 million times; in addition, nine out of ten of those downloads come from outside Japan. This latter figure is especially important to Nintendo as the game brought Mario to a plethora of markets where the character had not previously had a presence, which could have helped drive sales of the recently released Super Mario Odyssey title for Nintendo Switch.

Despite this download success (200 million downloads), Nintendo has ensured that the game "has not yet reached an acceptable profit point. " This situation contrasts with that of another game in the house, Fire Emblem Heroes , a title that has been much more profitable for Nintendo, and this despite the fact that its downloads constitute a tenth of the total downloads of Super Mario Run.

The reason for all this could be the cost of the game or, rather, the distribution model. While both mobile games are available as free downloads, while Super Mario Run forces you to spend € 9.99 to unlock the full game, Fire Emblem Heroes uses a free game system with optional built-in purchases.

In other words, Super Mario Run has a relatively higher entry price and there are no other ways to earn an income from it. Even ignoring the price factor, it seems that Super Mario Run had a more lukewarm reception than Fire Emblem Heroes , possibly due to the aforementioned mechanics.