Nintendo Working on 'Mario Kart Tour' Game for Mobile Devices

[MacRumors]

Nintendo this evening announced that a new mobile game is in the works, and this time the company is planning to bring a major fan favorite series to iOS devices -- Mario Kart.

According to Nintendo, a new Mario Kart game called "Mario Kart Tour" is in development. Little is known about the game at this time, but Nintendo says it will be released by March 2019.

The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z
-- Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018

Mario Kart is on of Nintendo's most popular titles, and a Mario Kart mobile game would follow successful mobile versions of games in the Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and Fire Emblem franchises.

Nintendo's other mobile games include Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Fire Emblem Heroes. The company's first game on iOS devices was Miitomo, which was released in March of 2016. Nintendo this week announced that it plans to shut down Miitomo on May 9, 2018.

Though Miitomo was not a successful venture for the company given its imminent termination, Nintendo's other games have done better. Nintendo's smartphone profits reached 11.2 billion yen this fiscal quarter, seeing growth thanks to the recent launch of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The game has generated an estimated $17 million globally.

Nintendo also said back in October that Fire Emblem Heroes is on track to meet its business and profit objectives. Unfortunately, Super Mario Run, Nintendo's one game that is a paid app rather than free-to-play, had not reached an "acceptable profit point" as of late 2017.

Nintendo says it has "learned a lot" about game development and deployment from Super Mario Run, however, and it is too early to tell whether the new Mario Kart game will be free-to-play or another game with an upfront purchase.

With more than a year to go before Mario Kart Tour launches, we'll likely learn more about it over the course of the next several months. Given the current example of mobile versions of Nintendo games, it's unlikely to be a full Mario Kart title, but fans of the series will undoubtedly be looking forward to the debut of a Mario Kart smartphone game.

Article Link: Nintendo Working on 'Mario Kart Tour' Game for Mobile Devices

 

[Aussi3]

Now this might be alright! Until they announce first race is free then it’s pay per race... lol

 

[mtneer]

I wish this can make use of Apple's AR features to really make an awesome racing experience.

 

[MDF314159265]

YES!!!!





YES!!!!!!!!!

 

[redneckitengineer]

Hopefully this won’t canibalize Switch sales. It’s a while out, but still, gotta keep something sacred.

 

[DamoTheBrave]

I hope they execute this one well.

 

[mbrannon47]

Is it just me or is it awkward to specify the release date to customers as "in the fiscal year ending in March 2019."

 

[shigzeo]

My body is ready.

 

[RyCan3]

Omg I don’t know what to do with my hands! Super pumped about this!!!

 

[vertsix]

as a huge mario kart fan


i'm happy

 

[macduke]

Please don’t dumb it down too much…please don’t dumb it down too much…please don’t dumb it down too much…

 

[ghost187]

If you expect MK8 like experience, it’s never coming. These are all free advertisements for Nintendo. It worked for me. I have stopped playing video games for years, than downloaded Mario Run, finished it in 30 minutes, completed everything over a weekend, than bought the Switch day 1 and got blown away by Zelda BOTW.

 

[libmanj]

This makes me very happy.

 

[mrbobdobolina]

I want to be excited about this, I LOVE Mario Kart, but... March 2019? That's a long way out.

 

[sparkso]

Nintendo this evening announced that a new mobile game is in the works, and this time the company is planning to bring a major fan favorite series to iOS devices -- Mario Kart.

According to Nintendo, a new Mario Kart game called "Mario Kart Tour" is in development. Little is known about the game at this time, but Nintendo says it will be released by March 2019.

​

Mario Kart is on of Nintendo's most popular titles, and a Mario Kart mobile game would follow successful mobile versions of games in the Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and Fire Emblem franchises.

Nintendo's other mobile games include Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Fire Emblem Heroes. The company's first game on iOS devices was Miitomo, which was released in March of 2016. Nintendo this week announced that it plans to shut down Miitomo on May 9, 2018.

Though Miitomo was not a successful venture for the company given its imminent termination, Nintendo's other games have done better. Nintendo's smartphone profits reached 11.2 billion yen this fiscal quarter, seeing growth thanks to the recent launch of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The game has generated an estimated $17 million globally.

Nintendo also said back in October that Fire Emblem Heroes is on track to meet its business and profit objectives. Unfortunately, Super Mario Run, Nintendo's one game that is a paid app rather than free-to-play, had not reached an "acceptable profit point" as of late 2017.

Nintendo says it has "learned a lot" about game development and deployment from Super Mario Run, however, and it is too early to tell whether the new Mario Kart game will be free-to-play or another game with an upfront purchase.

With more than a year to go before Mario Kart Tour launches, we'll likely learn more about it over the course of the next several months. Given the current example of mobile versions of Nintendo games, it's unlikely to be a full Mario Kart title, but fans of the series will undoubtedly be looking forward to the debut of a Mario Kart smartphone game.

Article Link: Nintendo Working on 'Mario Kart Tour' Game for Mobile Devices

 

[DrumApple]

Interesting. Seems like a significant conflict of interest to their console (Switch) business. I guess money is money!

 

[joeblow7777]

Mario Kart on my iPhone?
YYAAASSSS!

But not until March 2019.

 

[Apple blogger]

I hope they don’t screw this up.. Pokemon and mario both are stupid right now..

 

[B4U]

Is it just me or is it awkward to specify the release date to customers as "in the fiscal year ending in March 2019."

I believe that has to do with when Japan begin their fiscal year, which is April 1 of each year.

 

[quietstormSD]

Looks like they are adopting Apple’s method of release dates.

 

[69Mustang]

Nintendo also said back in October that Fire Emblem Heroes is on track to meet its business and profit objectives. Unfortunately, Super Mario Run, Nintendo's one game that is a paid app rather than free-to-play, had not reached an "acceptable profit point" as of late 2017.

Nintendo says it has "learned a lot" about game development and deployment from Super Mario Run, however, and it is too early to tell whether the new Mario Kart game will be free-to-play or another game with an upfront purchase.

tl;dr Our next game will be IAP

 

[DaPizzaMan]

I want to be excited about this, I LOVE Mario Kart, but... March 2019? That's a long way out.

It can come out anytime in the fiscal year that begins this March. So expect it to release anytime between March 2018 and March 2019.

 

[sterlingindigo]

Sounds awesome! I hope they can code around the iPhone updates that are causing the ridiculously sluggish performance. Because I would want a kart that’s faster than typing on my laggyazz keyboard. (Two week old iPhone 6 running current iOS).

 

[UL2RA]

Sounds awesome! I hope they can code around the iPhone updates that are causing the ridiculously sluggish performance. Because I would want a kart that’s faster than typing on my laggyazz keyboard. (Two week old iPhone 6 running current iOS).

“Two week old iPhone 6” ... buying it recently doesn’t make it new.

 

[nviz22]

Hope they do not screw it up!