Super Mario Run Sets App Download Record, But Nintendo Takes Heat Over Pricing
Nintendo’s first smartphone game set a download record this week, but users aren’t pleased with the price of playing the full game.
Super Mario Run saw more than 25 million downloads less than four days after launching on Apple’s App Store, generating around $21 million in revenue, but players have been complaining about the game’s $10 cost to unlock all levels.
According to Sensor Tower estimates, just 8% of those who play the game have decided to pay to unlock additional levels. One major gripe is that the amount of free play is very limited—any player familiar with the franchise will complete the free content in less than 15 minutes of gametime before being prompted to fork over ten bucks.
According to Nintendo, the $10 charge was designed so parents didn’t have to worry about being charged several times for microtransactions.
Shares in Nintendo dropped this week following investor skepticism that the company’s long-anticipated smartphone debut will be a financial boon.
Nintendo’s next console, Switch, is slated for release in March.
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