Top Story
Nintendo ‘scaling back’ mobile business in lieu of renewed console success, says report
Nintendo started hedging their bets in the mobile space a few years ago, bringing many of their biggest IPs to iOS and Android – but the Switch’s overwhelming success is driving a pivot back to console.
Nintendo are re-evaluating their mobile ambitions thanks to hugely profitable games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the underwhelming performance of their mobile titles. Mobile game teams have even been told to ease up their monetization strategies to avoid hurting goodwill towards key IP.
Scaling back: Nintendo was planning to release new mobile games every year and projected $1 billion in mobile revenue, but are not satisfied with the results: “We are not necessarily looking to continue releasing many new applications for the mobile market,” said Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa.
Console future: On the other hand, Switch and Switch Lite have done well enough to convince Nintendo that they don’t need to publish on competing platforms and that developing their own hardware remains a good investment.
Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?
Which Lego Batman featured a mission where you play as the Suicide Squad?
- Lego Batman
- Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes
- Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today’s issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.
Daily Fact
If you thought the communists were bad, you have never fought giant ants
Westwood Studios released two expansions for Command & Conquer: Red Alert, and the Counterstrike expansion added some secret missions named It Came From Red Alert. You could only play them by holding down the shift key and clicking on the speaker in the top-right corner of the title screen.
The secret missions pitted you against a terrible new foe: Giant ants, a reference to the late-80s Amiga classic It Came From the Desert, itself a homage to 50s B-movies. Best of all: the ant-tastic missions are included in Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection!
Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today’s fact.
This Week In Gaming
Pokémon Café and remakes galore
This week is full of releases, with some clear mobile highlights: Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road and Pokémon Café Mix. There’s also a bunch of goodies for Switch, most notably Mr. Driller Drill Land and the Switch version of Pokémon Café Mix.
Monday – June 22
- Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 launches on PC
- Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road launches on iOS and Android
Tuesday – June 23
- Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour launches on Switch
- Little Town Hero launches on PlayStation 4
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated launches on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Switch
- Star Wars Episode I: Racer launches on PlayStation 4 and Switch
- Pokémon Café Mix launches on Switch, iOS and Android
Wednesday – June 24
- Ninjala launches on Nintendo Switch
Thursday – June 25
- Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia launches on Switch
- Collar × Malice launches on Switch
- Death Come True launches on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android
- Mr. Driller Drill Land launches on PC and Switch