"Pay 99 Cents To Make Mario Jump Higher," Hedge Fund Urges

[Andy Chalk]

"Pay 99 Cents To Make Mario Jump Higher," Hedge Fund Urges

The founder of Hong Kong-based Oasis Management is calling on Nintendo to make a big move into the mobile game business.

Nintendo's forward-looking policy on making games for smartphones is a definite maybe, with a hint of probably not but hey, you never know. Satoru Iwata said late last month [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131818-Nintendo-on-Smart-Devices-Nothings-Ruled-Out-Not-Even-Games] that he's not ruling out the possibility, although the likelihood of seeing any Nintendo characters you might actually care about on an iOS or Android device seems pretty remote.

But Oasis Management founder Seth Fischer wants to see it happen, and he's written to Iwata to push the idea, saying that Nintendo has "arguably the largest library of casual games" at its fingertips.

"The same people who spent hours playing Super Mario, Donkey Kong, and Legend of Zelda as children are now a demographic whose engagement on the smartphone is valued by the market at well over $100 billion," he wrote.

Oasis Management owns shares in Nintendo but it's a relative small fry in the business, so it doesn't have enough pull to force the issue. It does, however, hint at growing dissatisfaction among shareholders with Nintendo's financial performance; after years of slapping around Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo suffered a dramatic downturn in its fortunes, first with waning interest in the Wii and then with the launches of the Wii U and 3DS, neither of which have come close to matching the popularity of their predecessors.

Fischer had previously contacted Nintendo with his ideas last June and said he was prompted to reach out again by Facebook's recent $16 billion acquisition [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132361-Facebook-Buys-WhatsApp-for-16-Billion] of Whatsapp. "We believe Nintendo can create very profitable games based on in-game revenue models with the right development team," he wrote. "Just think of paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher."

Source: Wall Street Journal


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[AzrealMaximillion]

If Nintendo were to do this I sure as he'll hope they know that they'll have to price competitively. Maybe instead of full releases they could put up a lot of the Virtual Console game on smartphones.

 

[medv4380]

The day Nintendo puts in a Micro Transaction to make Mario jump higher gaming is dead.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I would rather Nintendo made mobile version of the old (Game Boy Advance and backwards) first party titles than pursue Free to Play type shenanigans. The number of shameless clones kicking around says the market exists and whilst very few people will buy a 3DS or Wii U to get Pokemen Red again there must be plenty of people who would drop $2.50 to have it on their Galaxy/iPhone without a second thought.

F2P has always struck me as (a chance for) short term gain at the expense of long term damage to your brand name and credibility.

 

[Ken_J]

No. I know Nintendo is going into the free to play market but '99 cents to make Mario jump higher' while good in the short term is a terrible practice from a game development and long-term business strategy.

How many people will not touch a game that has Final Fantasy in it's name on the apps store after that 'All the Bravest' crap that happened last year. I Nintendo wants to go mobile or free to play that's fine they just need to do it smart.

 

[Brian Tams]

If Nintendo were to actually make you pay 99 cents to get Mario to jump higher, I would do everything in my power to make them die a slow painful death (and I'm a huge Nintendo fanboy saying that).

 

[Evil Smurf]

It's clear that this dickhead is no gamer, why put a cost on something that's been free from its inception!

 

[Ham Blitz]

When I first read this, I thought it might be a saying essentially meaning extending the reach of Mario beyond Nintendo consoles but the more I read it I think he really means micro transactions. Now, I doubt he wants them to literally do the Mario jumping a bit higher example, but that still worries me. Then again, I don't really ever buy phone games, I only really play free ones occasionally while waiting for things (In between classes, for example, but the 3DS is starting to take over that time more often) so this won't effect me much.
I would be really ashamed of Fischer if he thinks Mario jumping higher for 99 cents is a good idea.

 

[Vivi22]

"Just think of paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher."

This is why hedge fund managers aren't game designers.

Also, fuck this guy!

 

[JoJo]

Fuck no. Nintendo needs some new ideas but attaching themselves to the free-to-play model is not the way to go and especially not with terrible micro-transactions like this guy suggests. Luckily I think Nintendo have been in the game long enough to know why this wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Nintendo games with microtransactions. Joy. ¬__¬ If this ever happens I want someone to shoot me.

 

[Johnson McGee]

I'd like to believe that '"The same people who spent hours playing Super Mario, Donkey Kong, and Legend of Zelda as children"' are now a demographic that would rather eat their smartphone than think of 'paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher.'

I'm pretty sure only people who rated Dungeon Keeper Mobile as 5 stars would think this is a good business plan.

In fairness a simple, well-priced Mario or something (with no microtransactions) would probably do well on mobile. The issues for Nintendo are whether this will negatively impact their own console market in the long run and whether they want to give up control of their hardware to various third parties, I doubt they're looking at Sega's recent history with longing and admiration. Also, it seems like these hedge-fund people are focusing exclusively on the success stories and ignoring flops like All The Bravest.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

Why are people still talking about mobile gaming like it's actual video gaming? The mobile "gaming" industry is far more akin to the Las Vegas "gaming" industry, where psychological triggers and feedback loops rule the roost. Nintendo offering Mario with micro-transactions is exactly on par with licensing Mario to a slot-machine vendor, and the product of such endeavors should be treated with identical disdain by anyone who actually enjoys real video games.

If you recognize the motivation behind the insufferable social convention of "iPhone gamers are still gamers!" (hint: it's money), you don't get too upset over these sorts of announcements. You just realize these companies aren't targeting or talking to you anymore, and you redirect your wallets and purses to the companies who do cater to actual gamers. Obviously those companies want your money as well, but they have the decency to approach the matter from a customer service POV rather than wondering, increasingly aloud, how they can trick you into coughing up wads of cash with psycho-social hooks.

Edit: in fairness, there are actual video games for mobile and horrendous cash-grabs for consoles/PC, but the overwhelming majority of the attention given mobile platforms focuses on their profitability and growth potential - and those aspects of the platforms are deeply and irretrievably rooted in swindling.

 

[siveon]

Where did people get the idea that Nintendo was planning to put games on mobile? All I heard was that they're making a companion app to buy their games, but that's pretty much it. But now people are talking about virtual console ports and the like, it's odd.

OT: Fuck that guy. Microtransactions and pay-to-win crap have been nothing but a leech on this industry. Mobile gaming isn't really helping either.

 

[lacktheknack]

...orrrrr just sell the whole game for six bucks. I'd buy that before I bought a $1 higher jump.

 

[Gizen]

"Just think of paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher."

I don't need to think about it, all I have to do is look at EA. Fuck this guy.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Nintendo games with microtransactions. Joy. ¬__¬ If this ever happens I want someone to shoot me.

Me to -.-

This guy is the last person Nintendo needs to be talking to if/when they take their IPs to smart phones, cause I guarantee, it will end up hurting Nintendo in the long run.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Nintendo on mobile is a great idea as the mobile audience generally fits the same audience Nintendo games generally target.

That being said, annoying micro-transactions have never seemed to be Nintnedo's style. Having the game complete on purchase is a general trend with them.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Whilst the title speaks of inane business jargon that money grubbing hounds say to quell the pennies from idiots and not think it's a bad way to treat people, the idea of Nintendo passing a generation of gamers is one they should be concerned about.

Half the reason people still buy Nintendo games is because of nostalgia, if you don't plant those roots when they're young the won't prosper into wallets full of adult cash. Seriously kids these days are going to get all nostalgic over bloody Angry Birds and *shudder* Candy Crush Saga. That's like being nostalgic for Nazi Germany (it's a hyperbole I stand by).

They're probably one of the few that could do well on Mobile, they've got the most visually recognizable IP's and they seem a bit more 'ethical' in regards to DLC than most businesses, i.e. not EA that furiously humps the notion and imagines it in fishnet stockings.

That vault full of Wii cash won't last forever. Seriously, release the old Pokemon games on the iPhone and they can fuck up another 5 consoles at least and still have SQUILLIONS to squander on gimmicky bullshit.