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Super Mario Run has, on the surface level, had a strong launch. Reportedly downloaded over 37 million times since launch, it's set records and also done well in the charts; at the time of writing it's still the most downloaded and highest grossing iPhone app in the US and UK, according to App Annie, and is top 5 grossing in Japan. App Annie estimates around $4 million in spend on the app on 15th December alone.

Nevertheless, Nintendo's share value is enduring a fearful hammering in trading; having tumbled late last week the decline has continued. The opening week has been sobering for both Nintendo and its partner in mobile, DeNA.

After the drop of last week Nintendo's shares fell a further 7% as trading closed in Tokyo on 19th December, taking them down to 24,540 Yen; over 11% has been lost since Super Mario Run launched, with DeNA losing 14% share value in the same period. You can see the scale of the decline below:

Nintendo's share value over the past month
Image: Bloomberg
Nintendo's share value over the past year
Image: Bloomberg

Concerns around Super Mario Run seem to centre around its monetisation potential (though it's faring well in grossing charts at present) and also the broader publicity around its price. Its average App Store review score is under 3 stars, with plenty unhappy with the unlock price; some, to add balance, are also unimpressed with the actual gameplay, not all complaints are about price.

Super Mario Run accumulated rather decent review scores, and we liked it in our Super Mario Run review, but issues over its pricing and how well the app persuades users to unlock the full game were always a potential sticking point.

Super Mario Run's download and grossing numbers look strong so far, but it's evidently been a mixed launch with some notable issues and downsides. We'll look into this in more detail a little later today.

[source bloomberg.com]