Nintendo discusses cheaper Amiibo figures, trading cards

Future iterations of Nintendo's Amiibo figure line will include cards, the company revealed during last week's investor Q&A. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and longtime designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the company's near-field communications initiatives, Miyamoto stressing that Amiibo "can take forms other than figures." Miyamoto offered Amiibo-style cards as an example, hypothesizing a game that would require players to pass "several cards over the NFC reader/writer" in the Wii U Game Pad.

"I cannot discuss any of the details today, but Amiibo has the potential to propose new ways to play card games," Miyamoto said. The designer also brought up Animal Crossing as an example of a brand that could receive Amiibo compatibility in the future. Miyamoto noted that Nintendo plans on launching "smaller and even more affordable Amiibo figures in the future."

The first set of Amiibo figures, available for pre-order now, will launch on November 21 alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. All of the initial Amiibo figures will be compatible with Hyrule Warriors, and Nintendo just confirmed that Amiibo support will arrive in Mario Kart 8 soon.