Why ‘Super Mario Run’ disappoints mobile gamers - The Washington Post

Not fun for Nintendo investors

"Nintendo shares took a dive on the Tokyo market after the disappointing reviews and sales since its launch. “Super Mario Run” made an estimated $4 million in its opening weekend. That's a lot of gold coins, but not on par with the latest mobile-game hit “Pokémon Go,” which had made an estimated $35 million of that in its first weekend — and at least $600 million in revenue since its release.

Both the poor reviews and sales numbers suggest Nintendo may not understand what makes players stick with mobile games. For instance, “Super Mario Run” isn't designed to make money on mobile devices in the same way that other hit games have recently. It's taken a more traditional approach to selling it to us. Like the phone games of yore, Mario is essentially a game you buy up front. There are a few free levels, but the company is essentially asking you to pay once for everything."

Why ‘Super Mario Run’ disappoints mobile gamers - The Washington Post