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Nintendo's Mobile Games Earned $348 Million in 2018

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Nintendo earned approximately $348 million from its iOS and Android apps in 2018, according to new estimates shared this week by analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Player spending hit a new record of $117 million during the fourth quarter of 2018, a 47 percent increase over the fourth quarter of 2017. Overall, Nintendo increased its earnings 15 percent compared to 2017.

nintendo2018earnings-800x474.jpg

Much of the money that Nintendo earned came from Fire Emblem Heroes, its most popular title. Fire Emblem Heroes accounted for approximately 66 percent of Nintendo's 2018 revenue, with more than $230 million spent in the game across the globe.

Since its debut, Fire Emblem Heroes has earned more than $487 million.

Though it is Nintendo's newest game, Dragalia Lost brought in an estimated $58.4 million worldwide, while Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which turned a year old in November, earned Nintendo $48.6 million during 2018.

Nintendo's original mobile game and first paid title, Super Mario Run, brought in just $10 million in 2018, down from $31 million in 2017.

In 2019, Nintendo plans to expand its portfolio of mobile titles with the launch of Mario Kart Tour, set to be released in March. Like Fire Emblem Heroes, Dragalia Lost, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour will be free to play and supported through in-app purchases.

Article Link: Nintendo's Mobile Games Earned $348 Million in 2018
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/04/nintendo-mobile-games-2018-348-million/
Not surprised at all to see Super Mario Run at the bottom of the list considering its in-app purchase and always-on-connectivity-requirement scheme.
 
Super Mario Run and Animal crossing were among the lowest earners, I have heard of those.

Meanwhile a game I’ve never heard of earns 4-5x more money, and I just checked it out on the App Store...what.
 
Not a knock against Nintendo in particular, but I have to wonder how much more good might be done with the money people are spending on virtual goods for virtual games (inevitably lining the pockets of wealthy corporations), when it might be better spent by paying real people for real goods, perhaps making a real difference in the real world.

People complain about "the system" being rigged, with increasingly large concentrations of wealth being held by a select few. The sad fact is, many people simply choose to fritter their money away.
 
trusso said:
Not a knock against Nintendo in particular, but I have to wonder how much more good might be done with the money people are spending on virtual goods for virtual games (inevitably lining the pockets of wealthy corporations), when it might be better spent by paying real people for real goods, perhaps making a real difference in the real world.

People complain about "the system" being rigged, with increasingly large concentrations of wealth being held by a select few. The sad fact is, many people simply choose to fritter their money away.
Click to expand...
Watcha talkin' bout? People play games to have fun and distract themselves from the outer world. Paying for this is like paying for a music or video subscription service like Spotify or Netflix, or even regular cable plans.
 
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trusso said:
Not a knock against Nintendo in particular, but I have to wonder how much more good might be done with the money people are spending on virtual goods for virtual games (inevitably lining the pockets of wealthy corporations), when it might be better spent by paying real people for real goods, perhaps making a real difference in the real world.

People complain about "the system" being rigged, with increasingly large concentrations of wealth being held by a select few. The sad fact is, many people simply choose to fritter their money away.
Click to expand...

People do work at corporations and do get paid to create the games and apps. $350m is small compared to what Apple milks from the users purchasing the devices to play these games.
 
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I am always surprised people spent so much money on apps. I think the only app I bought in the last 2+ years was AdGuard Pro but congrats to those devs.
 
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joshwenke said:
Not surprised at all to see Super Mario Run at the bottom of the list considering its in-app purchase and always-on-connectivity-requirement scheme.
Click to expand...

Oldest title in their offerings. Earnings were higher despite the in-app purchases the other years.
 
Nintendo’s always on connectivity requirement turned me off thier iOS games . Poor greedy decision , and I’d be happy to pay a premium
 
MacRumors said:



Nintendo earned approximately $348 million from its iOS and Android apps in 2018, according to new estimates shared this week by analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Player spending hit a new record of $117 million during the fourth quarter of 2018, a 47 percent increase over the fourth quarter of 2017. Overall, Nintendo increased its earnings 15 percent compared to 2017.

nintendo2018earnings-800x474.jpg

Much of the money that Nintendo earned came from Fire Emblem Heroes, its most popular title. Fire Emblem Heroes accounted for approximately 66 percent of Nintendo's 2018 revenue, with more than $230 million spent in the game across the globe.

Since its debut, Fire Emblem Heroes has earned more than $487 million.

Though it is Nintendo's newest game, Dragalia Lost brought in an estimated $58.4 million worldwide, while Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which turned a year old in November, earned Nintendo $48.6 million during 2018.

Nintendo's original mobile game and first paid title, Super Mario Run, brought in just $10 million in 2018, down from $31 million in 2017.

In 2019, Nintendo plans to expand its portfolio of mobile titles with the launch of Mario Kart Tour, set to be released in March. Like Fire Emblem Heroes, Dragalia Lost, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour will be free to play and supported through in-app purchases.

Article Link: Nintendo's Mobile Games Earned $348 Million in 2018
Click to expand...

Can’t anyone here see the big picture?
Most game companies make less than 1 billion years in sales per year even publishing their games on all available consoles/pc platforms...

And this one made a third of that from 4 games on ios...
 
Amacfa said:
Super Mario Run and Animal crossing were among the lowest earners, I have heard of those.

Meanwhile a game I’ve never heard of earns 4-5x more money, and I just checked it out on the App Store...what.
Click to expand...

Fire Emblem is a decidedly more niche series, but it's been around for 30 years. It's a strategy/RPG... I feel like the most well known thing to compare it to would be Dungeons and Dragons.

Dragilia Lost is a brand new IP for Nintendo. I haven't really looked into it. Looked very anime - a more Japanese focused game from Nintendo that isn't meant to appeal to anyone else (IE, the way Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, and Mario are intended to be franchises with global appeal.)

I think the takeaway here is that Nintendo is making their money off of "serious" and/or Japanese gamers, not the "casual" and/or "Western" gamers who play Mario and Animal Crossing.

I guess it'd be interesting to see the regional breakdown of where the money is coming from. Is it all Japan, or is it balanced across the world?
 
Fine, Games & Streaming Media Content "sub" apps do well in Tim Cook's iOS App Store ...

but, does anybody know the Top 10 Grossing NON-Games / NON-Streaming Media "sub" apps ???

And more specifically, apps that started life in the iOS App Store since Cook took over as CEO in 2011.

I am UN-aware of even a single major App Success Story OUTSIDE of Games & Streaming Media Content subs !
 
Cosmosent said:
Fine, Games & Streaming Media Content "sub" apps do well in Tim Cook's iOS App Store ...

but, does anybody know the Top 10 Grossing NON-Games / NON-Streaming Media "sub" apps ???

And more specifically, apps that started life in the iOS App Store since Cook took over as CEO in 2011.

I am UN-aware of even a single major App Success Story OUTSIDE of Games & Streaming Media Content subs !
Click to expand...
What is your definition of "success story?"
 
rafark said:
Watcha talkin' bout? People play games to have fun and distract themselves from the outer world. Paying for this is like paying for a music or video subscription service like Spotify or Netflix, or even regular cable plans.
Click to expand...

Mcmeowmers said:
People do work at corporations and do get paid to create the games and apps. $350m is small compared to what Apple milks from the users purchasing the devices to play these games.
Click to expand...

The fact that corporations pay their employees wages and that people should enjoy the occasional distraction from the outside world, which I am fully aware of, does not refute my point that money could be better spent in other places where it might make a bigger difference.

Just trying to share an alternative point of view. Hopefully you can understand. :)
 
I think Mario would have more if the content wasn’t so stale, no new levels to play and only one new game mode since it’s been released. I enjoyed the game a lot until I completed all the levels including the coin challenges. Now iOS auto deletes it to save space.
 
trusso said:
The fact that corporations pay their employees wages and that people should enjoy the occasional distraction from the outside world, which I am fully aware of, does not refute my point that money could be better spent in other places where it might make a bigger difference.

Just trying to share an alternative point of view. Hopefully you can understand. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah I totally get it. But not all the time people need to spend their money on productive or long lasting goods. Sometimes a small entertainment purchase here and there is completely fine (and often times, necessary).
 
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