Despite only being released in September, Mario Kart Tour has been the most downloaded game on iOS in 2019.
Nintendo has had mixed results when it comes to its foray into the mobile market. Super Mario Run was its first major mobile title and despite surpassing the 200 million download mark, Nintendo has since revealed the title was not profitable. Three years later, the gaming giant seems to have learned from its mistakes in the form of Mario Kart Tour.
Tour might have been criticized by many players for being riddled with microtransactions but that hasn’t slowed down the success it has enjoyed. More people had played Tour than have played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch within days of the mobile game’s release. A little more than two months later and Nintendo has another reason to celebrate Mario Kart’s first mobile game.
Apple has released information regarding the top ten best-selling games of 2019 on its platform, and Tour is in number one, reports The Verge. What makes that feat even more impressive is the game wasn’t released until September, meaning Tour has only had three months while others have had eleven. Although Apple hasn’t supplied exact download figures, it’s known that Call of Duty: Mobile achieved 100 million downloads in its first week, and that game is in fourth.
Color Bump 3D, Roller Splat, and the ever-present Fortnite also made Apple’s top ten. However, it is Tour that reigns supreme in 2019. Chances are Nintendo will ride the mobile game’s momentum into 2020 as it continues to update the game every two weeks, taking its players on a brand new tour each and every fortnight. The mobile platform has a new heavyweight, and it comes courtesy of Nintendo.
That doesn’t bode well for traditional gamers who despise the microtransaction model. Nintendo has been enjoying so much success on that front that even some Switch games have started to employ it. The gaming landscape is changing, and the industry might soon come to a fork in the road. Continue on with microtransactions, or commit to the subscription service-based system. The success of services such as Apple Arcade will likely dictate which route the industry takes.
Source: The Verge
