Nintendo came up with its first game for the smartphones, as Super Mario Run made its debut on Thursday.
Since then, it has become extremely popular with more than tens of millions of downloads across 100 countries. The return of this iconic character in this day and age has been a major draw amongst players on the iOS platform. However, problems have also cropped up rather soon with players complaining that the three free levels were over quite quickly. They also saw the $10 price for unlocking the rest of the game too steep.
As a result of the criticism, Nintendo have been hit hard in the stock markets with the value dropping by almost 11% in the last two days of trading. As a result, the company’s market value has been reduced by a whopping $3.5 billion. The decision to be made by the company in order to revive the market value would be interesting, and one that is already being analyzed by investors and pundits.
Several mobile games are now free to play, and the $10 unlock fee being requested by Nintendo has been seen as a huge ask by Niko Partners analyst, Daniel Ahmad. Since the first three levels, which are free, are not long, it does not take long for someone to enter into the payment screen requesting them to come up with the $10 payment.
Ironically, Super Mario Run has taken a hit in terms of ratings on the Apple App Stores in various countries like Japan and the United States. The game has been rated at an abysmal two and a half stars, making it one of the lowest among the apps located in the top downloads section. The likes of Candy Crush Saga, Clash Royale, and Monster Strike enjoy a better overall rating.
Apart from the higher price, users have also complained about the game’s request to have an active Internet connection. As a result, many players have been unable to play the game while on their commute. Some of the elements of the Super Mario games which were a huge hit are fireballs, and these aspects have been removed in the oversimplified game according to many.
As a result of the poor reviews Super Mario Run has been receiving – not necessarily because of the gameplay, it is likely that the game will generate only around $200 million by the end of March. This would fall well short of the initial expectations.