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DeNA: "Nintendo games currently in the pipeline are all free to play" [Update 11/16]

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Update:

Here's the full quote text from the Q&A:

DeNA said:
Q4
In Nintendo’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Semi-Annual Financial Results
Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2016, I believe they mentioned that some
collaborative apps will require a certain amount of money to be paid in order to
download. Could you tell us more about the monetization method and expected
business scale of the collaborative apps?

A4
During the briefing, pay-per-download was only mentioned as an
example of various possible options for monetization methods. We believe that monetization methods must match the gameplay, and this approach hasn’t changed.
The apps in our pipeline, for which we currently have an idea of the type of gameplay, will be free-to-play (free-to-start).

We believe that the business scale will depend on the individual app’s gameplay, monetization points and average revenue per user
(ARPU), and therefore, we are unable to discuss specific details at this time.
http://v4.eir-parts.net/v4Contents/View.aspx?template=ir_material&sid=45510&code=2432

---

WSJ said:
First Nintendo Smartphone Games Will Be Free

All the smartphone games DeNA Co. is now developing with Nintendo Co. will be free to download, DeNA said, suggesting the joint project’s first few games will rely on revenue from in-app microtransactions.

“Games currently in the pipeline are all free to play,” said DeNA Chief Executive Isao Moriyasu said at an earnings briefing Wednesday. The smartphone-game and platform provider announced that April-September net profit was up 50% from a year earlier, to ¥16.2 billion ($132 million).


...

Mr. Moriyasu shied away Wednesday from clearly calling “Miitomo” a game, but repeatedly said its rich entertainment features, which will continue to be added to via updates after the official product launch, make it more than just a chat or communication tool.
Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/first-nintendo-smartphone-games-will-be-free-1447237490
 

xzeldax3

Member
Damn, I was hoping for at least one "premium" game. I wanted to see how well it would sell compared to F2P titles.
 
VZtF8fI.jpg
 
Or at least for a 'Free To Start' like Rusty and Steel Diver. Lowers the chances of a WarioWare styled one with packs by a fair amount I guess.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
It makes sense that the 5 games Nintendo is operating through DeNA are F2P since basically DeNA's main role is providing the back-end operational service. If Nintendo was just selling Dr. Mario Mobile for 3.99, there really wouldn't be a need for a persistent DeNA involvement.

Steel Diver: Sub Wars Mobile incoming?
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Not surprising. I just hope that there games will also transfer over to nx. So I can play on both if able to.

There was a line in Nintendo's financial report that implied this for games they felt would appeal to more core audiences: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/151029qa/index.html

Other than this first application called Miitomo, we are planning other applications that will work with Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems.

For our applications that will be enjoyed only on smart devices, we are creating ideas so that even those smart device users who do not usually play with applications can enjoy them.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
You might think they'd want their partner in this venture on board with their thinking, though.

Based on their statements - at least as far as I can tell - they only came up with this terminology because they were worried their investors would think "free 2 play" meant that their games would have no monetization at all.

Anyone listening in on a DeNA fiscal call would understand that f2p games have monetization.
 
Not too surprised. Don't want to make a bunch of premium games off the bat for an audience that, for the most part, think anything more than a dollar as an up front cost ass too much money.

Then proceed to blow $100+ dollars in one game over the span of a few months to a year in bite size chunks.
 

boiled goose

good with gravy
I think they should be a bit more aggressive.

Where's the eshop app?
Miiverse app?

Hopefully coming with the new account update...

I would also like to see stuff like a wiifit app. I would probably switch from fitbit if it had the right features.

Also, there should be stuff like a splatoon app. See current levels, play squidjump, etc.
 

fhqwhgads

Member
Nintendo's stock is going to soar.
On a proper note I feel like if they keep up the trend of the F2P games they've made for 3DS then there shouldn't be any worries about them being money grubbing about it.
 

konjak

Member
Nintendo wants to make the bigger, classic games on their own hardware, because people who want to play those games are already that kind of consumer. This whole thing is them hoping that people will be inticed to buy hardware eventually, no? You're already that consumer. They don't want to dilute their hardware's appeal.
 

TunaLover

Member
Pretty predictable. Mobile users dont buy games.
Pretty much this, Nintendo certainly is not after the core market with this mobile iniciative, but the casual market. If any I predict most of their mobile games will be social apps, with microtransactions being the focus.
 
Interesting. Kinda goes against some recent comments from Kimishima, but I suppose he could have been talking about future games beyond this initial 5.
 

Griss

Member
Good, well they're not clueless. These are the only kinds of games likely to succeed.

Based on their statements - at least as far as I can tell - they only came up with this terminology because they were worried their investors would think "free 2 play" meant that their games would have no monetization at all.

Anyone listening in on a DeNA fiscal call would understand that f2p games have monetization.

It's funny, I had just assumed it was the other way round - I thought the 'free to start' terminology was to avoid the stigma in the media of 'intentionally misleading / confusing parents' as well as potentially falling foul of EU rules regarding F2P software and product descriptions etc.

You can't deny that 'free to start' is a whole lot more honest about the game design and business practice than 'free to play', even if most F2P games can technically be played for free forever.

I remember the EU setting out these guidelines about a year ago:

Games advertised as “free” should not mislead consumers about the true costs involved;
Games should not contain direct exhortation to children to buy items in a game or to persuade an adult to buy items for them;
Consumers should be adequately informed about the payment arrangements for purchases and should not be debited through default settings without consumers’ explicit consent;
Traders should provide an email address so that consumers can contact them in case of queries or complaints.

I feel like 'free to START' gets around point number 1 above, since it's implicitly not free after you've started and therefore you haven't been misled. And it just makes Nintendo look like a more responsible, child-and-parent-friendly company than most.
 

Guevara

Member
Probably the right business decision, but pretty disappointing if you just wanted Nintendo games on your phone.
 

Roshin

Member
Damn, I was hoping for at least one "premium" game. I wanted to see how well it would sell compared to F2P titles.

Would it be crazy to offer it as an alternative, ie pay once for the whole game or download it for free and make whatever IAP you like?

Just a random thought about mobile in general, I guess. :)
 
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