Nintendo isn’t giving up on mobile games, it turns out.
The Japanese giant said during a recent investor call that it will continue to develop and release new mobile titles, even as its attention shifts to the launch of Switch 2.
As spotted by GamingonPhone and Pocket Tactics, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa talked through the company’s approach to mobile in a recent investor Q&A, which we’ve translated into English below.
“We have distributed mobile apps worldwide, including in regions where dedicated gaming consoles do not reach,” said Furukawa, noting that Nintendo’s apps, which also include Nintendo Music and Nintendo Switch Online, have been downloaded over 900m times as of September 2024. “This exposure has increased opportunities for people to engage with our IP and characters,” Furukawa continued.
“While we cannot disclose future app development details, we are actively working on new mobile games,” he said later.
Referencing the recent Nintendo Music app, he added: “We will continue to explore various ways to integrate smartphones into our gaming ecosystem.”
“Given that many people now experience their first games on smartphones rather than on Nintendo hardware, we have been exploring how to leverage this trend. Expanding touchpoints beyond consoles, such as through theme parks, official stores, media content, and mobile devices, remains a key part of our strategy.”
Nintendo currently operates three live mobile games, Fire Emblem Heroes, Mario Kart Tour and Super Mario Run. It pulled ongoing support for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, choosing to release it as a premium title subtitled Complete, in December 2024. Nintendo also works with Niantic on walking game Pikmin Bloom.
As we reported last month, the changes to Animal Crossing and the end of new content development for Mario Kart Tour had previously suggested Nintendo is giving up on mobile, especially with Switch 2 on the horizon. Appmagic figures suggest the Japanese giant has earned over $1.6bn from its mobile games to date.
