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Nintendo Co remains private from a monster smartphone hit for more than four years after a bustling entry into the mobile game. The wait may be finally over.
Mario Kart Tower, which is scheduled for launch this summer, has already attracted interest since its announcement in early 2018. Not only is the franchise one of the most popular series of video games, but it is also considered like the title Nintendo controls, opportunities to make money on users and features to hook mobile players.
But investors remain cautious, given Nintendo's uneven track record in mobile and the fact that Tower was already delayed once. That's why most Wall Street badysts have excluded it from their earnings estimates for this year, leaving plenty of positive potential. If the game became a success, this could be the key to maintaining the rally of stocks by 32% this year.
Although the company has not yet released a single screenshot of the game, Bloomberg News has earned a spot in a closed beta test that began Tuesday. After putting the title to the test, here are our first impressions. Generally, not all content is included in beta or evaluation, and game items can be changed before the release of the full version.
Look and feel
The application tries to capture the experience of a console with graphics, sound and a refined design. Anyone familiar with the series should feel at home.
The controls have been simplified for a hand on a mobile screen. Runners advance automatically. Users simply have to pull the screen to the left or right to control the direction or press to deploy items. It is well designed and does not interfere with the game.
Most of the popular characters are featured, including Mario, Luigi and even Larry Koopa. The courses are inspired by previous Mario Kart games and older players will have a lot of nostalgia when they meet Boos on the course of Luigi's Mansion, or trains running in the desert of Kalimari.
Want to come back?
Super Mario Run, which debuted in 2016, seemed to annoy some users after a few minutes, but Mario Kart TowerThe beta version offers more content. Players can unlock approximately 50 courses, 30 drivers, 20 karts and 10 gliders. Each comes with bonus zones, progression levels and customization options.
While some players in the beta test seem to be controlled by bots, others seem to be real people. Nintendo refused requests to specify if the bots were part of the beta, but the company should let people race on the official release of the game. The races become more difficult as users unlock more speeds. fast, which could prevent players from coming back.
This should be a relief for investors and players, who feared the Tour would be diluted. Nintendo executives said they saw mobile games as a way to channel players to a Switch console where they could enjoy a full experience, but that does not seem to be the case with Tour.
Show me the money!
Nintendo has made every effort to monetize Mario Kart Tower, with an badyst describing this approach as "rather hardcore".
The content is unlocked by the race, but the game limits users to a handful of races every 15 minutes. This encourages them to pay for more playing time. This should not be too serious for casual gamers, but heavy users will likely have to pay.
In addition, each course gives some characters an advantage that allows them to win more easily. But the characters are unlocked via gacha, a game mechanism where users can not choose their reward. Also known as loot boxes, it encourages players to spend real money for more opportunities to unlock the rider than they wish.
Investors will probably be pleased with the heavy silver design, but players express their discontent on social networks. In particular, buying advantageous runners gives Nintendo a dangerous terrain called "pay-to-win". Electronic Arts Inc. has faced a huge reaction in 2017 after including pay-to-win in a Star Wars title.
Overall, first impressions indicate that Nintendo has a blow on the hands. Tour is a well-built mobile game with lots of content to engage players. If Nintendo can tilt the balance of competition, especially by lengthening the learning curve, players could come back.
It has been proven that this formula works well. QQ Speed, a mobile game from Tencent Holdings Ltd. which borrows a lot from the Mario Kart franchise, has generated at least 617 million US dollars since the end of 2017, according to Randy Nelson, an badyst at Sensor Tower. Mario Kart Tower could win last year, according to research firm NewZoo. – Bloomberg
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