Analysts believe Nintendo may be slowing down mobile game development, shifting focus back to traditional platforms

Ever since Nintendo entered the mobile market, fans have been worried that this would signal a shift away from traditional games. Nintendo repeatedly said that wouldn't be the case, as they wanted their mobile offerings to funnel people back to their hardware. Still though, fans were fearful that major mobile success could pave the way for changing plans.

While Nintendo themselves hasn't come right out and said they're moving away from mobile altogether, there have been some hints at slowed support. Back in May 2020, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said, “We are not necessarily looking to continue releasing many new applications for the mobile market.” Now analysts are thinking the Big N is heading further in that direction following the success of Switch.

According to Serkan Toto, a mobile games consultant in Tokyo, “since the release of Mario Kart Tour in fall 2019, Nintendo’s mobile pipeline is empty. In a sense, Nintendo’s enormous success on console reduced the need and the pressure to put resources into mobile.” It's not surprising to see how Nintendo would want to swing back more towards traditional hardware/games seeing the success of Switch, as Nintendo has always felt their games work best in conjunction with their hardware.

Nintendo also never seemed too crazy about the idea of milking customers for money on mobile. The mobile game scene is filled with microtransactions left and right, and Nintendo has tried multiple times to steer away from that. They have put out titles like Super Mario Run, which asked for a one-time fee of $10, but most players rejected that proposal. A source close to the matter spoke to Bloomberg on this subject, and they said Nintendo asked its mobile development partners not to force players to spend a lot in games. Welcome news for traditional Nintendo fans looking to take in Nintendo's mobile efforts, but something that doesn't seem to resonate with the mobile gaming market right now.

Nintendo doesn't have any announced mobile games in the works right now, but that doesn't mean more aren't coming. Nintendo could reveal a surprise mobile game any day now. That said, while Nintendo has found millions upon millions who are willing to download their properties on mobile, it's only traditionally-monetized games like Fire Emblem Heroes that have found real success. Whether the success of Switch, Nintendo's thoughts on mobile monetization, or the lackluster revenue from other Nintendo mobile titles is the reason, the end result seems to be a win for those who like Nintendo's games on traditional hardware.