Nintendo’s first smartphone game to be announced tomorrow, analyst says

It seems that Nintendo could well announce its first smartphone game tomorrow.

The Wii U and 3DS platform holder will tomorrow announce its latest financials, and analyst Serkan Toto says the news will be accompanied by details of the first game to stem from its partnership with DeNA.

One day to go until Nintendo’s first of two briefings this week,” he said. The first app will use existing IP, but don’t expect too much from it. Don’t get your hopes up too high for Mario. But I heard Nintendo and DeNA are planning to pull out the big guns (bigger IPs) next year.

About the membership service – I heard technical challenges made a roll-out earlier in the year impossible. Another point: according to my sources, Nintendo+DeNA experiment with different business models, so non free-to-play apps are possible.”

Toto, who has been accurate with his predictions in the past, did warn however that we should take all of this with the appropriately sized grain of salt”, suggesting his information was not first hand.

After a prolonged period of dampening talk of a move to smartphones, late Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata earlier this year announced a partnership with DeNA that will see its IP developed for iOS and Android devices.

The news came after intense pressure was put on the exec to branch away from its own hardware, although Iwata subsequently denied he was forced into the move. New Nintendo boss Tatsumi Kimishima has said he will not be deviating too far from the strategy put in place by his predecessor.

1) One day to go until Nintendo’s first of two briefings this week. The first app will use existing IP, but don't expect too much from it.

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) October 27, 2015

2) Don't get your hopes up too high for Mario. But I heard Nintendo and DeNA are planning to pull out the big guns (bigger IPs) next year.

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) October 27, 2015

3) About the membership service, I heard technical challenges made a roll-out earlier in the year impossible (well, this isn't trivial).

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) October 27, 2015

4) Another point: according to my sources, Nintendo+DeNA experiment with different business models, so non free-to-play apps are possible.

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) October 27, 2015

5) Thank you for reading, and please take all of this with the appropriately sized grain of salt. /end

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) October 27, 2015