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Nintendo’s plans to bring games to smartphones still have yet to happen, but we’re getting more details as we lead into the launch of the first few. One interesting tidbit has come to light today: the first few of the apps headed out will all be free.
We’re not totally surprised that Nintendo would eye a free-to-play model starting out. Their brand typically targets the younger crowd, which is a crowd that typically doesn’t have free will to spend money. It’s also a perfect way to make a splash into the market: release your game for free, get those downloads racked up and have your games appear at the top of all the relevant app store categories.
Documents retrieved by the Wall Street Journal show that Nintendo is looking to utilize in-app purchases for these games, though the company has yet to reveal or detail the extent of the content, nor do we know whether the content affects gameplay or is simply cosmetic fun for those who like that sort of stuff. What we do know is that we won’t be seeing the first one launch until March 2016.
That game is Miitomo, which is more of a social app than anything else. It’ll allow you to build a Mii — or a virtual avatar with Nintendo’s cutesy charm — and chat with friends and perhaps random Miitomo users around the world. This is one app where an in-app purchase might be a premium item of clothing, something that surely wouldn’t break even a young child’s piggy bank.
[via Wii U Daily]
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