Super Mario Run Turns A Tidy Profit

Matt Davis

January 31, 2017

Nintendo’s first real mobile game, Super Mario Run, has done surprisingly well. The game is available to try for free, but for those who wish to unlock the full experience, Super Mario Run is unlockable for $10. The price is relatively expensive in a market where most mobile games are available for a dollar or two, but Nintendo reports that more than 5% of players have paid to unlock the full game. While that may not seem like a lot of players, the majority of cheaper mobile games see a purchase rate of less than 5%.

The Wall Stree Journal reported that Super Mario Run has been downloaded more than 78 million times. With the 5% conversion rate, that amounts to roughly 53 million dollars in revenue for Nintendo. Though these metrics are impressive, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said in an earnings report that the company had hoped for a purchase rate percentage in the double digits. This report also reported third quarter earnings for the company of 569 million dollars with the biggest profit coming from the wild success of Pokemon Sun And Moon which shipped 15 million copies. The Wii U sold terribly this holiday season, but that’s not surprising considering production will stop soon in preparation for the Nintendo Switch.

This report also reported third quarter earnings for the company of 569 million dollars with the biggest profit coming from the wild success of Pokemon Sun And Moon which shipped 15 million copies. The Wii U sold terribly this holiday season, but that’s not surprising considering production will stop soon in preparation for the Nintendo Switch.

Though this is the first mobile game from Nintendo, it certainly won’t be the last. Fire Emblem: Heroes is set for a launch this Thursday and an Animal Crossing game for mobile will be released sometime after April of this year. It’s unlikely that these titles will pull the same numbers as Super Mario Run, but it looks like Nintendo’s capitalizing on the success of their first release and expanding future development for mobile devices.