According to Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data, Nintendo's first quarter in 2019 has been its third-best period for mobile gaming revenue to date. The Japanese publisher's mobile titles grossed approximately $85 million worldwide across the Google Play and App Store, which is a six percent increase year-over-year. This figure still trails behind the fourth quarter of 2018 ($112.3 million) and the first quarter of 2017 ($106.6 million).
Fire Emblem Heroes was the company's top earner during this period, with an estimated total of $46.6 million player spending globally. This was a 30 percent decrease when compared to the game's first-quarter earnings in 2018 ($66.2 million). However, quarter-over-quarter it was a five percent increase for the title.
Nintendo's most recent mobile release Dragalia Lost suffered from a 55 percent decrease in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018 (earning roughly $23.4 million), but this was still enough to increase the company's overall mobile growth and prevent it from being "down 23 percent" from the previous first quarter.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp had somewhat of a resurgence in player spending during the first quarter of 2019, with gross revenue worldwide reaching $12.9. This was a 30 percent increase year-over-year when compared to the $9.9 million it pulled in 2018. Lastly, Super Mario Run made up just three percent of Nintendo's total mobile revenue (approximately $2.3 million) in the most recent quarter - though, this was a 15 percent increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. Compared to the first quarter earnings in 2018 ($3.9 million), this was 41 percent less.
The upcoming mobile releases Mario Kart Tour and Dr. Mario World - releasing in the second half of this year - are expected to make significant contributions to Nintendo's mobile earnings.
[source sensortower.com]
Comments 27
Seems like the many people are big spenders 😅
What about Pokémon go?
Never played it.
Darn Android sheeples. These are the type that would stand in line to a slaughterhouse where they would be turned into pudding for the fat cats. Oh, well, I'm still steering well clear of this.
@Tantani Nintendo don't produce the app but there's usually a monthly article about its performance.
@Tantani Go is published by Niantic.
@VrginX @Rob3008 I know it’s from niantec but Nintendo is getting a big chunk of the money, don’t they?
@Tantani I believe they own a percentage of the company so probably take a percentage of its revenue from mobile games. The titles mentioned in the article are all Nintendo owned/developed.
Nice little earner for Nintendo.... Along with the continued great sales of the Switch Nintendo are on form!!!!
Looking forward to MARIO KART TOUR for my IPhone!!! Hope they release a Double Dash 2 for Nintendo Switch as well!!!
Second half of this year? Dr. Mario World is scheduled for launch in early summer
They need to develop a game that combines awesome gameplay, that sweet spot of graphics and style, and social elements. Then integrate a seasonal pass subscription model.
Suppose I need to try Super Mario Run but I'm not really into gaming on my phone. As the 3DS dies out I guess Nintendo will need to make money from mobile games since they won't have a dedicated handheld console anymore (Switch isn't something you can put in your pocket so I don't consider it a true handheld).
As much as I love playing Fire Emblem Heroes, I can't imagine spending more than $10 here and there. Getting first place on a leaderboard for one week is not worth the thousands of dollars it takes to get you there. I'm perfectly comfortable floating by in the second highest tier.
I'd love to see Nintendo do something new with the mobile market, or at least something with an IP that isn't already overexposed like Mario or Fire Emblem. Dragalia Lost is a step in the right direction, being a new IP, but it's still just another gacha-based RPG at the end of the day.
Revisiting Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir from 3DS would be something. There was that cancelled DSiWare game GhostWire whose augmented reality gameplay would be a good fit for smartphones, after all. Just set that in the Fatal Frame 'verse.
And while I would prefer a proper Switch sequel, Endless Ocean would be a good fit for the free-to-play market, too. The original games always sold at budget cost, and there's tons of options for cosmetics that would become microtransactions, especially if they brought back EO2's island and reef decorating.
I'm not keen on mobile games myself bar the odd bit of online pool. But I'm glad Nintendo are doing this so that they can build up fan followings in developing countries where Switch isn't sold but phones are. Everyone deserves to be able to play a bit of Nintendo.
Fairly meh numbers. Dragalia's Lost, while performing better than Mario Run and Pocket Camp, isn't a terribly big hit,
Mario Kart Tour should be massive if it's good. The fact that it is still in development, with no info whatsoever thus far, is a bit sad, given how much potential it has.
Time to finally release dragalia Lost in Europe then? Lol
Still not possible to download it here in the Netherlands? Why is that?
Dragalia Lost is fun if you like building up characters. It's a slow grind but I love being able to play any time and anywhere. As a graphic artist by trade, I'm really digging the work they put in this game--art and design wise.
FEH is dying - going to be a dead game by the time Three Houses comes out
The only Nintendo mobile title that I ever played on a regular basis was Miitomo, and they shut it down. That was kind of a shame, because it had a clever question and answer feature that reminded me a bit of the Everybody Votes Channel on the Wii. Nintendo has come up with some interesting online interaction models. I miss MiiVerse and StreetPass. And PictoChat. And I never get Swapnote letters from Nikki anymore. ;-(
I have mixed feelings about Nintendo focusing on mobile games, as I have minimal interest in "free to play" games with annoying mobile-style monetization schemes.
@Desrever I am also unenthusiastic about p2w, and that sort of thing has kept me away from FEH.
Non-mobile Animal Crossing games really got play-and-wait right, precisely because you cannot accelerate time with microtransactions - you have to either wait or adjust the system clock, which could incur the wrath of Mr. Resetti! (Of course I have never done so, so I cannot say for sure.)
@blecch this x100.
I always assumed Miitomo would be the Mii Channel/friends app for the Switch. By the time the Switch came out your would already have a large friends list and have an established companion app for the online service. Instead we have the terrible Switch online app which has no Nintendo style at all.
Not surprised FEH dropped from last year. The 2nd year anniversary was almost insulting.
@Mogster FEH has really lost the edge because their greediness. Upcoming update was a lackbuster, more powercreep units still keep coming as selling point for the whales and a monthly free stuff are getting fewer.
Nintendo should do something with this manner.
@Tantani @Rob3008
Nintendo own part of The Pokemon Company, which owns part of Niantic. So I believe Nintendo gets very little from Pokemon Go.
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