Switch sales information, released earlier on Wednesday, 31st January, has been followed by two very important news regarding Nintendo’s latest endeavors: provision of a launch window for Switch Online, a paid Nintendo service and confirmation regarding the launch of Mario Kart Tour for smartphones.
Switch Online, with an apprehended release during the busy month of September 2018, is a $20 a year service. Expectations for the launch of a major, online-heavy Nintendo game have undoubtedly followed the confirmation of the launch window, marking the holiday season. Switch Online is expected to debut with some form of the company’s virtual console service. Gamers will be allowed access to a number of classic Nintendo games, so long as they pay the subscription charge. This new method of payment does away with the older concept of pay-per-game, characteristic of older consoles. While the company’s Wednesday investor call hinted at “ways to further heighten the [Switch Online] experience”, no information has yet been revealed regarding what to expect that the classic games will include new online-versus modes where relevant is the least that can be confirmed at this point.
A brief announcement on Nintendo’s social media channels, as well as its mention during Wednesday’s investor call, has stipulated an approximate time, “the fiscal year ending in March 2019”, for the launch of the Mario Kart Tour. Apart from this, Nintendo has also confirmed its plan to release a full-length animated feature film on Super Mario, which is currently being produced at Illumination Studios. Mario’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, is co-producing the film along with Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri.
Among the success stories released in the morning’s sales figure publication included Super Nintendo Classic Edition’s sale of “over four million” units across the US, Japan, Europe, and other territories, since its September launch; and the success of Nintendo games’ add-on DLC campaigns, which has encouraged the company to continue attaching more paid add-ons to its software. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, being played by over 75 percent of women, has allowed Nintendo to reach another milestone in the world of gaming.
