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Comment by brucethemoose2 | Hacker News Reader

> Mario Kart Tour has generated $300 million

Its crazy how this is considered a "failure" for Nintendo.

Then again, they spend more developing the "game" part of Mario Kart Tour than most mobile games, so maybe it isnt really worth it when a match 3 game can make twice as much?

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Well I don't think it's a failure because it didn't generate enough money, I think it's a failure because it a certain class of microtransaction-centric game does brand damage to perhaps the premiere game brand in the world.

Also, Nintendo famously maintains an iron grip over all its IPs, especially Mario.

I feel like brand image considerations went out the window when you could race a mercedes benz gle in mariokart.

It's a mild inclusion of a luxury car brand. I don't think it really hurt nintendo.

My head is spinning trying to fit Mario's GLE purchase into the canon

Mario kart canon?

He's leasing

Mario used his coins to purchase one at the dealer in New Donk City

You don't remember the crossover episode with Dominic Toretto?

> microtransaction-centric game does brand damage

Now this is pretty crazy but hear me out.....they could have just not turned the game into microtransactions

Then it most certainly would have been a financial failure.

Really unfortunate how that was true for all Nintendo games I've played on mobile: Mario Kart, Pokemon Go, TCG and United. Seems mobile gaming is a lost cause.

> a certain class of microtransaction-centric game does brand damage

How? The target audiences for games like Mario aren't going to suddenly stop liking it because a predatory mobile game exists in the same series.

They did generate some bad press, but I dunno how much of that translates to actual brand damage.

Maybe Nintendo didn't like the trajectory, or the potential for brand damage to their treasured IP, even if the mobile games weren't even denting the reputation yet.

Nintendo tried various ways of monetizing their mobile games, from gacha to pay-per-play to time-saving. But the irony is that their most profitable game is Fire Emblem Heroes, which uses the gacha system.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold over 50 million copies at a price that has mostly been $60 and which I don't believe has ever dipped below $40, so that should give you a flavor for the types of numbers they are looking for when it comes to Mario Kart.

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