Pre-registration for Nintendo’s first mobile game, ‘Miitomo’, to open later this month

Nintendo’s first ever mobile game, ‘Miitomo’, has been hotly anticipated for months now. Just a few weeks ago it was confirmed that the game would be launching this upcoming March, and now we have it that Nintendo will open up a pre-registration on February 17th so you can get your hands on the game as soon as it launches.

‘Mittomo’ is an interactive chatroom, blending game and communication portal into one fun application. If you have ever created and/or used a Mii on the Nintendo Wii or Wii U consoles then you will feel right at home here. The app takes advantage of these Mii’s to put players in a playful and welcoming social environment. Users will be able to chat it up with their friends, family, and loved ones, and then take advantage of the ‘Miifoto’ feature to share real life moments with everyone.

Right along side ‘Miitomo’ Nintendo will be launching its ‘My Nintendo Rewards’ program. Nintendo claims that this program will be a more comprehensive reward program then others you may be used to. The more you interact with Nintendo products and services the more you get rewarded in a variety of ways. For instance, ‘Miitomo’ users with a ‘My Nintendo Rewards’ account will be able to further enhance the app to get a more personalized and enjoyable experience. On top of this if you create a Nintendo account between February 17th and when ‘Miitomo’ is released in March, you will receive a special reward for use in ‘Miitomo’ free of charge.

For those of you excited for Nintendo’s first foray into the mobile world, as I noted above, you only have one short month to wait! In the meantime just hang tight, and be sure to check back with us February 17th so we can update you on how/where to register so you can grab that free reward.

Source: Nintendo

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Nintendo explains its rewards program and that smartphone app

Nintendo’s first smartphone entry is gradually, actually, happening. During investor call earlier today, the company showcased what is actually going on, how it’ll make attempt to make most of your smartphone. You can also start registering for the game (and its corresponding “My Nintendo” online service) starting February 17th. This dovetails with the company’s new rewards scheme, which was also elaborated on further today. You’ll have to ensure you have your “My Nintendo” account ready for all the above when it launches globally in March, but until then, here’s what the gaming company had to say.

Rewards will be separated into two different tiers: Gold Points (received from buying Nintendo games, consoles and digital content), and Platinum points that you’ll get from logging into your “My Nintendo” account, playing games on your phone, and other non-transaction based things.

How you earn the points differs, as does how you use them. Platinum points can be exchanged for digital contents (wallpapers, game DLC), while gold points will change into discount vouchers — for buying more Nintendo stuff. Wait, no more Mario caps and frivolous Nintendo toys, a la Club Nintendo? Not quite: Nintendo’s investor briefing slides add that you will be able to swap Platinum points for “original goods”, mentioned separately to digital swag.

The “My Nintendo” service will launch in full in 16 countries when it starts mid-March, coinciding with the release of Miitomo, the company’s first smartphone title, what it’s calling an “entertainment app” — and not a game. I think Nintendo’s splitting hairs, because Miitomo still looks very similar to the 3DS’ Tomodachi Life title, with your own avatar living alongside other similarly-made Miis — presumably your real-life friends.

The app will come to both iOS and Android next month, and it’ll be the first of at least five smart device launches that Nintendo will make between now and March 2017. To make the most of its smartphone home, a feature called Mii Photo will allow you to blend together your Mii character with photos and captions, ensuring Nintendo’s first smartphone gambit is easily shared on social networks — outside of just the app itself. Until then, you can show your support for all things Nintendo on your phone with this (Japanese only) Mario Maker Wallpaper… Maker.

Source: Nintendo UK

Nintendo sold almost 10 million Amiibos in the last three months

While Nintendo didn’t have a lot of good news to share in its latest earnings report, it’s now elaborated on a new money-maker. Yep, those Amiibo: for-real figurines that can connect to compatible games — which are eminently collectible in the process. Nintendo says it sold a stunning 9.9 million figures in the last quarter, which is up from 6.4 million Amiibos from the quarter before. It’s also more than double the number of Splatoon copies sold: the Wii U’s best-selling game.

While the figures aren’t cheap, as the company itself notes, Amiibo are often cheaper than game software. Again, there’s interesting differences in which figures sell well in which territories: Splatoon characters make up the entire top three in Japan, while in the US, Link stays at the top and (technically?) Italian plumber Mario tops the charts in Europe. It seems that Nintendo are just getting started. Expect many more figures and Amiibo cards in 2016.

Source: NIntendo (Japanese)

Nintendo’s profit slump shows the NX can’t come soon enough

Nintendo didn’t do too bad in 2015, but its latest financial report highlight’s one thing: while the company’s not struggling, it’s depending too much on a handful of legacy titles. Overall, profits reported for the period ending last December were 40,558 million yen (about $336 million), down around a third from last year’s 59,515 million yen ($493). A downward trend, but given Nintendo had struggled to make a profit since 2011, the company will be happy to have stayed in the black.

Nintendo will have hoped a revised 3DS, will continued to introduce new buyers to its games (and of course tempt upgraders). It was old favorites such as Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros., though, that kept its handheld machine moving, with the former shifting 2.93 units alone — that’s a lot of Happy Home Designers.​

The company also continues to profit from Splatoon and Super Mario Maker on the Wii U side of things, with both titles accounting for almost a third of all sales on the platform for this reporting period. Again, Nintendo admits the evergreen glow of franchises like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. also help keep the blood flowing — although interesting initiatives like the cross-buy scheme, which rewarded owners of both the Wii U and the 3DS with free games, might not have stirred sales as much as hoped.

Nintendo also trimmed back a few services over the year, with TVii, and of course, Club Nintendo, being put out to pasture. The biggest blow to the company last year is, of course, not related to its products or services, but the unexpected loss of popular CEO Satoru Iwata.

While other arms of the business such as Amiibo and, of course, the new mobile gaming wing should provide vital revenue streams, Nintendo has other positives to look forward to in 2016. Next month sees the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, which will be celebrated with a Pokémon day (Feb 27) and a new 3DS bundle. Not to mention, a whole new platform in the form of the mysterious NX. Let’s just hope it lives up to the Nintendo hype, whatever “we’re not building the next version of Wii or Wii U” actually means.

Source: Nintendo

Sherlock Pikachu is the best Pikachu

Nintendo has just announced a new (Japan-only) title starring Pikachu as a world-famous detective. Named Famous Detective Pikachu: The Birth of a New Partnership (translated by our Japan-based editor), it’s described as a cinematic adventure game in which a “smug,” “wise-cracking” Pikachu will team up with a boy named Tim to solve a mystery. We already have a trailer, which very, very clearly takes influence from the BBC’s Sherlock.

A Pokétective game has long been on the cards. After a soft reveal three years ago, The Pokémon Company fell silent and the title missed its 2015 estimated release date. We’d almost forgotten about it, until Pikachu donned a deerstalker and saved the day. Famous Detective Pikachu: The Birth of a New Partnership is due out on February 3rd as a Nintendo 3DS download-only title costing 1,500 yen ($12.50). Anyone ordering it before the end of February will receive a 20 percent discount. There’s no word on an English-language version of the game, but we’ll always have this trailer. No one can take that away from us.

Source: Nintendo Japan

Pokemon’s Super Bowl ad is the very best

We’re still a few weeks out from Super Bowl 50, but we’ve already been blessed with one of the most absurd — and amazing — ads of the season. To commemorate the franchise’s 20th anniversary, The Pokemon Company shelled out millions of dollars to create a Super Bowl ad that’ll run at the beginning of the game’s third quarter. Go ahead, take a moment to wrap your head around that one. We’ll be waiting.

Today saw the release of the ad’s extended cut — created by an LA-based agency called Omelet — and it does a damned fine job burying the lede. For the first forty seconds, you’ll see a diverse crew of young people inspired to dream big and work hard (which in this case involves playing speed chess and getting psyched for a football game). Better still, these scenes are accompanied by the same punchy, aggressive drumline percussion that seems to wind up in every other high-minded sports apparel ad during Super Bowl season. The only real hint that you’re watching something a little different is a sign above a locker room door that proclaims “LIKE NO ONE EVER WAS,” a nod to the old-school theme song you’re probably already humming now. And after all that? A guy steps into stadium, Pokeball in hand, staring down a Gyarados, a Magneton, a Charizard and a Mega Lucario. Things just got real.

While it would’ve been nice to have another core series game to go celebrate this milestone, you’ll at least have another chance to play through the classics. Nintendo confirmed that Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow will land in the eShop on February 27, just a few weeks after one animal-themed team triumphs over another in a grand show of sportsball acumen.

Source: BusinessWire