Nintendo’s first smartphone game is called Miitomo

Yesterday we told you that details of Nintendo’s long-awaited first foray into mobile gaming were about to be revealed, and today they were. The first of several planned titles will be released in March 2016, and it’s called Miitomo.

It’s a messaging game in which you and your friends’ Mii avatars chat to each other. Does that even sound like a game? We’re not sure to be honest, but Nintendo calls it a “communication application that helps friends share fun personal facts and interests”.

Miitomo will communicate only with other users that you’ve registered as “Friends” within the app, the idea being that you’ll be finding out new things about people with whom you’re already acquainted, rather than being bombarded with the lowdown on thousands of randos’ favourite colours.

Super Mario Mobile this ain’t – and perhaps that shouldn’t come as a surprise, seeing as Nintendo claims it’s looking at mobile gaming as a means to push new customers towards its consoles and “real” games, as well as make more people aware of its existing IPs. Of course, the company still wants to make money from mobile. So while Miitomo will be “free to start” according to Nintendo, it will include in-app purchases. It’s a freemium model, essentially, and the grubbiness that surrounds such things won’t sit well with a lot of diehard Nintendo fans. We don’t yet know exactly what the game will be trying to sell you, but we’d certainly guess that new outfits for your avatar will be among the options.

Nintendo has partnered with Japanese mobile developer DeNA for Miitomo, and has four more mobile titles planned for release by March 2017.

[Source: Nintendo investor briefing]