Nintendo held its quarterly financial meeting last night, diving into the sales numbers of its software and hardware and also teasing some big upcoming projects from the company. Of note were discussions concerning an animated Mario movie and a new mobile game. Fans looking forward to Nintendo’s proposed Switch online service will be pleased as a new release date was also announced.
Details are scarce but we’ve rounded up the biggest news from Nintendo’s meeting in one place.
MARIO KART TOUR
Mario Kart Tour is Nintendo’s next mobile game, but outside of the name no other details were given. Fans should expect the release in the fiscal year ending in March 2019.
That leaves the Mario Kart Tour release date window anywhere from November 2018 to March 2019.
The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near. A new mobile application is now in development: Mario Kart Tour! #MarioKartTour Releasing in the fiscal year ending in March 2019. pic.twitter.com/8GIyR7ZM4z
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
Mario Kart Tour will be the company’s fourth mobile, joining Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp.
NINTENDO & ILLUMINATION MARIO MOVIE
Nintendo wants to expand its IPs into other ventures. The company already has plans for an amusement park, not to mention shoes and McDonald’s Happy Meals, but the next step seems to be a new Mario movie.
But unlike that OTHER Mario movie from the 90s, Nintendo will enlist the help of Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me and Minions to create an animated film based on Mario. The film will be co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri, the CEO of Illumination.
NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE SERVICE
When the Switch released last year, Nintendo offered a free trial of its online service. Gamers could use it and play its robust online titles with no financial obligation. After first announced for a fall 2017 launch, Nintendo decided to push the online service release back to 2018, but offered no solid release date. Until now.
Nintendo announced during the financial meeting that the Nintendo Switch online service will begin in September 2018.
The paid service will charge gamers $3.99 a month, $7.99 for three months or $19.99 for a full year. Not only will subscribers be able to use Nintendo’s online service for its current titles, but access to download classic games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Doctor Mario.
So what do you think of Nintendo’s announcements? Which are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments section below.
