It’s been roughly a week since Nintendo launched the free-to-play Fire Emblem Heroes on iOS and Android and it looks like it’s doing pretty well for itself. According to Time’s interview with Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima, the games has already been downloaded over a million times and has made US$5 million in revenue. As a lesser known franchise from Nintendo, we have to say it’s doing well for itself so far.
According to Kimishima, the company is trying out different monetization models for its mobile game business to see what works. “As a result of these experiments with monetization styles, we’re gaining what you might call confidence in our mobile business efforts,” he says.
Getting results like this helps the company achieve its three goals for its mobile business. One is getting its IP to tens of millions of consumers who have smart devices but don’t have consoles and then perhaps entice them to buy Nintendo hardware. Another is to boost popularity of Nintendo characters and create buzz that would have people buying more Nintendo games (much like how Pokemon Go drove interest in Pokemon legacy products and new titles like Pokemon Sun & Moon). And then the third is to have “mobile to be a pillar in and of itself—a business pillar that is profitable.”
Source: VG247