Nintendo on Thursday rolled out its firstsmartphone game after years of refusing to
stray from a consoles-only policy as it tries
to better compete with rivals.
The Japanese company has struggled as
Sony and Microsoft outpaced it in console
sales, while the three companies are also
fighting off a trend toward cheap — even
free — downloadable games for
smartphones and other mobile devices.
Kyoto-based Nintendo had been criticised
for its longstanding refusal to license some
of its iconic brands for use on mobile
applications.
Now, free-to-play “Miitomo” allows players
to create their own “Mii” avatars, customise
their outfit through in-app purchases and
interact with characters created by other
people or friends.
Mii avatars also ask questions to players
such as “What did you do on the weekend?”
and “What is your favourite food?,” with
the answers shared with other characters.
The release of the smartphone game “is
another step forward” for Nintendo to
increase the number of people who play
games, a spokesman told AFP.
The game was only released In Japan
initially but wi be rolled out in 15 other
countries including the United States and
France in eight languages this month, he
said.
The move comes after the maker of the
Super Mario and Pokemon franchises last
year announced a tie-up with Tokyo-based
mobile gaming company DeNA to develop
games for smartphones.
Nintendo also bought a stake in DeNA as
part of a deal to develop smartphone games
based on its host of popular characters,
possibly including Super Mario and Donkey
Kong.
Then Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, a
leading figure in the videogame industry
who died from cancer in July at the age of
55, had said the Nintendo-DeNA tie-up
would help tap a new customer base.