Shigeru Miyamoto Commits to Fixed-Cost Model for Mobile Games

One thing that’s so often forgotten about Nintendo genius Shigeru Miyamoto is that he’s not just a brilliant game designer but he’s also a product of the video game crash of 1983. So when you look at some of the things Nintendo does, you have to remember that a lot of their decision making comes from a guy who’s seen what becomes of a market over-saturated with low-quality products. That’s probably why they put so much emphasis on releasing a few, quality games, rather than attempting the quantity-over-quality approach that some platforms thrive on.

In fact, talking to the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in Japan, Miyamoto took one such market to task: the mobile industry, which is well-known for being oversaturated with “free” games. And in his talk, Miyamoto said that even though their current model might not be the best, they’ll keep pushing it because it’s better for everyone long-term:

“I can’t say that our fixed-cost model has really been a success. But we’re going to continue pushing it forward until it becomes entrenched. That way everyone can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, we can continue boosting our mobile game business.

It’s necessary for developers to learn to get along with [subscription-style services]. When seeking a partner for this, it’s important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them.”

Considering Nintendo’s had some pretty poor luck with the “pay then you own” system of mobile games, compared to their more aggressive free-to-play titles, it’s admirable that they want to stick to it. But I doubt that attitude will remain if they keep suffering loss after loss, so hopefully Dragalia Lost works out better than Super Mario Run did.