Nintendo predicts ‘remarkable’ Mario Kart Tour results
Company planning “long-term” support for the mobile title
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said the company expects Mario Kart Tour to achieve “remarkable results”.
Mario Kart Tour launched on September 25 and reportedly surpassed 123 million downloads in its first month, making it by far Nintendo’s most successful mobile title in terms of first month installs.
“I think that Mario Kart Tour has gotten off to a very good start, even compared to our previous mobile applications,” Furukawa said during Nintendo’s six-month financial results briefing.
“Continuing on from Super Mario Run, which more than 300 million consumers are enjoying, I think we can expect remarkable results with Mario Kart Tour.”
Mario Kart Tour microtransaction mechanics include a gacha-like system for unlocking content, as well as a $5/£5 Gold Pass monthly subscription service that lets players unlock more in-game rewards.
“Earnings are also off to a good start,” Furukawa said. “In addition to randomized items, we have created opportunities to generate revenue such as the Gold Pass subscription to meet the various needs of consumers, allowing them to enjoy the game.
“By including these mechanics and multiplayer functionality, we want to make it an attractive application that will be enjoyed by consumers in the long-term.”
Developer DeNA will hold a beta test for “real-time” Mario Kart Tour multiplayer in December. The beta test will be limited to Gold Pass subscribers.
Mario Kart Tour recently started its Paris tour event, adding several new characters, karts, gliders and challenges to the game.
Furukawa also told investors Nintendo has no current plans to cut Switch hardware prices.
