If there’s one thing that Nintendo has been big on recently it’s sending mixed messages. Our most recent report came from comments made during a financial results briefing where the late Satoru Iwata provided some clues as to Nintendo’s free to play plans with their mobile partner DeNA. Per our article, “Iwata was constantly hinting at innovating rather than emulating in the area of monetization models, and that can only be good news for the App Store provided the walk matches the talk." Therein lies the rub: It’s well and good to have all these grand plans, but it all comes down to how it actually gets implemented. For some clues on that, let’s look at how Nintendo is selling a very IAP-like product for a IP that’s near and dear to the heart of any Nintendo fan, Animal Crossing.
If you missed recent announcements, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is an upcoming 3DS game that (obviously) takes place in the Animal Crossing universe with a focus on interior (and exterior) design. Here’s the E3 trailer, while you watch it be sure to pay attention to the card that’s shown:
Those cards that are used in game are RFID enabled much like Nintendo’s Amiibo figurines. If you’ve got a new 3DS, you’ll be able to just tap ’em against the screen. Alternatively, there’s an RFID reader setup if you’ve got an older 3DS. The cards bring new characters into the game, which in turn bring new challenges and other items for the players to interact with. Details of the cards’ functions beyond that seem a little vague, but like the Amiibo figurines and recent Wii U games, it seems reasonable to assume their functionality is going to be important for hardcore fans of the series.
Here’s where things get weird: Unlike Amiibos where you can just hunt out the specific figure you want, these cards are going to be sold in mystery packs like any other trading cards. The US market will have packs featuring six cards, and while pricing has yet to be announced, three card packs in Japan are going to be selling for roughly $1.50, putting the US packs in the neighborhood of $3 which is pretty much in line with the rest of the packs in the trading card aisle of your local store. One card from each pack will be a “special" card, and again, it’s not clear what these “special" cards will do as much as it is clear that Nintendo is throwing rarity into the mix.
This is where the mixed messages come in that I mentioned earlier. If Nintendo’s whole schtick is they’re not going to be “emulating existing monetization models," why are they quite literally directly aping the gacha card mechanic of tons of high-earning free to play games on their flagship systems using beloved IP? Folks chasing rare cards in Marvel: Contest of Champions (Free) is what’s keeping that game glued near the top end of the top grossing lists. Additionally, if existing Amiibo-mania is any indication, it seems very reasonable to expect that these cards, particularly the rare ones, will catch a pretty penny on eBay regardless of how optional their functionality in game will be.
It’s reading tea leaves for sure, but, it this whole mystery card pack thing definitely casts a shadow of a doubt over the assumptions many were making regarding how friendly Nintendo was likely going to be with the IAP in their mobile offerings. Nintendo tried this with the eReader once, but that was an accessory almost no one had, not functionality that was baked into the device. I’d love to be wrong, but… Chasing rare cards to do something in a Nintendo game which only a few years ago would’ve just been totally included in the original purchase price feels disappointingly non-Nintendo. In light of this, I’d recommend tempering any expectations when it comes to Nintendo’s future foray in mobile.
[via Eurogamer]
