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Nintendo will pull the plug on 'Miitomo' in May
Before Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, there was Miitomo. A sort of social network in disguise, it was Nintendo's first push into mobile gaming on iOS and Android, but now the company has announced it will shut down May 9th. It rocketed to the top of app stores upon release in 2016 and gained more than 10 million users, but just as quickly fell off since it lacked basic features that would keep players coming back. Eventually, things like chat and increased customization arrived, but it was too little too late. A note on the website informs users that the sale of premium coins has ended, however, it will offer daily login bonuses from now until it shuts down as part of a "Final Thank You Festival." Once the lights go out at 3 AM ET on May 9th, users won't be able to see or use any of its features. They'll need to save Miifotos locally to their device before the shutdown, and backup any Sidekick Mii characters they'd like to save as a QR code usable on 3DS or Wii U. To save your Mii, you'll need to link a Nintendo Account, but all you'll get is its look -- the personality will not carry over. At least we still have Pokémon Go.
Nintendo Switch still uses friend codes for some reason
As recently as January, we were told that Nintendo's awful friend code system for finding and adding buddies for multiplayer games would be no more. That made us hope a better system for adding Switch contacts was on the way. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime even told CNET, "There are no friend codes within what we're doing." It turns out that's not true at all, as the company revealed that friend codes are very much alive and well.
Miitomo makes it easy to share Miifotos with your friends
Do you want some sort of a Miifoto central where you and your friends can check out each other's snapshots on Miitomo? Then you'll want to download the social networking app's latest update. It adds a feature called Miifoto Log, where you can post your Miifotos with commentary. The feature also comes with a timeline where you can see your friends' posts, so you can comment on each other's entries like on Facebook. In addition, you can now attach images to your Mii's and Sidekick Mii's answers as some sort of a visual aid to go with your Q&A replies.
The best games of 2016
The year is nearly over, and I don't think I'm alone in saying that I'm ready to leave behind the dark, twisted fantasy that is 2016. No matter your political persuasion, social status or country of residence, you'll have felt disquieted by events at some point this year. The sheer scale of 2016's failings allows for such blanket statements. Natural disasters, mass shootings and political events have left me buffeted by wave after wave of anxiety. Because of this never-ending cycle of unease, video games have been more important to me this year. Of course, they're always a form of escapism, but in 2016 they've had to function as a kind of digital cocoon. Gaming has been a place to retreat. A moment of respite. Whether passing the minutes on a mindless clicker or puzzle game, losing myself for hours in grand strategies and sport sims or taking a long weekend to head out on a fantastic adventure, gaming has helped me. A lot. Perhaps that's why I've been reacting to game delays with all the composure of a YouTube commenter. And, God, the delays have come thick and fast.
Nintendo's big Miitomo update adds chat and room customization
Nintendo is trying to get back all the Miitomo players it lost by releasing features a quasi-social network should have had from the start. The biggest addition that comes with its huge November update? Chat. Players can now send messages to each other in app by sending Mii characters as cute, little avatar messengers. They can now customize their rooms, as well, using wallpapers and flooring from the Miitomo Drop game and posters created from their own photos.
Nintendo loses less money, but Switch can't come fast enough
Nintendo's latest financial report is more dour reading for console gaming. While the company saw sales of 74.8 billion yen ($718.86 million), up since last quarter, it has to contend with an operating loss of 813 million yen ($7.8 million) over the last three months. Well, at least it's a smaller loss than the last quarter. It sold 1,770,000 3DSes and 349,000 Wii U home consoles. In fact, Nintendo almost doubled the number of 3DS consoles it sold compared to Q1. 3DS software sales -- and this is before the launch of a highly anticipated new Pokemon title -- was a highlight, with over 10 million games sold. Pokemon Omega and Alpha and Kirby Planet Robot both sold over a million copies, respectively. On the Wii U, Nintendo sold just 3.6 million titles; a decrease for the a console that simply hasn't caught your imagination.
Nintendo's 'Miitomo' app update reminds you it still exists
Nintendo's debut smartphone game is making efforts to get you back into its weird and wonderful social world by offering more opportunities for wardrobe items and accessories without excessive in-app payments. According to an update teaser inside the Miitomo app itself, a new Candy Drop game will let you use all that accumulated candy (earned through in-game interactions and when you missed the good stuff in the original crane mini-games) for in-game upgrades. The greatly despised consolation prize finally has a use.
Nintendo hints at smartphone controller plans
Nintendo executives have dropped an unsubtle hint that it is working on a peripheral to enable people to play its action games on smartphones. At the firm's annual shareholders meeting, Shinya Takahashi said that his team have looked at third-party controllers on the market and "may develop something new by ourselves." Takahashi was responding to the question that playing Nintendo's more famous titles (i.e. Mario) is difficult using the virtual controls that are available with touchscreen devices. After all, it's clear that more than a few people would be happy to lay down money to play a classic Mario title on their smartphone.
'Miitomo' players are apparently abandoning Nintendo's app
Nintendo's first big foray into mobile gaming, Miitomo, boasts 10 million downloads, but it's more than a game -- it's a quasi social network that's apparently turning into a ghost town. It's generally understood that games see a big bump in players at the outset and gradually that number declines over time. For social networks, where the typical "gameplay," so to speak, is interacting with others, once the user-base declines, there isn't much else you can do. Just ask whoever is still on Ello. The folks at the SurveyMonkey Intelligence blog have been keeping an eye on Miitomo and have made some sobering observations on how Nintendo's smartphone app has performed since launch.
Why Nintendo chose 'Animal Crossing' over 'Mario' for mobile
Last week, Nintendo announced that it will bring popular titles like Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem to its new smartphone game lineup. While this was good news for fans of those franchises, it still raised some questions, like why those franchises specifically? During a special Q&A session after Nintendo's latest earnings report, current president of Nintendo Tatsumi Kimishima chose to shed some light on the situation, explaining that Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem were selected to "follow Miitomo from the viewpoint of increasing the diverse types of consumers interested in Nintendo, and widening opportunities for gameplay."
Nintendo's 'Miitomo' app passes 10 million users
Nintendo dropped a pile of news on our laps this morning. Along with its earnings, the Japanese game company gave us a release date for its new NX console, announced a pair of new mobile apps and delayed Zelda into 2017. Buried in among these bigger items is the detail that its first mobile app, Miitomo, now has over 10 million unique users.
'Animal Crossing' and 'Fire Emblem' are coming to smartphones
Nintendo is working on two new smartphone apps based on Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. They'll be released in the fall and take different approaches to their respective franchises. Fire Emblem, for instance, is normally a tactical role-playing game, giving you control of a small anime army as it battles through difficult skirmishes. Nintendo says the mobile version will be a "more accessible" take that still offers "great value." Animal Crossing, on the other hand, is a casual franchise about living in a carefree village and furnishing a beautiful home. Nintendo describes its upcoming smartphone app as a "connected" experience with "the world of Animal Crossing" on consoles. It's not clear, however, if this is a reference to a new Animal Crossing game, or existing titles like New Leaf, Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival. "By playing both Animal Crossing games, users will find increased enjoyment," Nintendo hints.
Nintendo is bringing 'Splatoon' gear to its 'Miitomo' app
Since its launch, Nintendo has held back from offering video game-related clothing in Miitomo. You can quickly earn a Mario hat, but otherwise there are few items to show off your love for a particular franchise, like Star Fox or The Legend of Zelda. That's now changing, however, as Nintendo readies its first batch of Splatoon-themed gear. From April 27th through to May 29th, users will be able to unlock inkling shoes, shorts, t-shirts and hairstyles through the app's Miitomo Drop mini-game. Colorful squid pins will also be redeemable using regular coins in the Miitomo Shop.
My Miitomo addiction proves social media is just a game
I used to think there was no room for another social network in my life. I already have Twitter for public interactions and jokes, Facebook for connecting with friends and family, Instagram for sharing closeup photos of my dinner and Snapchat for when I feel like goofing around. Upstart social networks like Ello, App.net and Peach never resonated with me. But for the past two weeks, I've been flirting with a new contender. It's called Miitomo, a game from Nintendo that's really a social network in disguise. And my Miitomo obsession has made me wonder if the social networks I use the most often -- Twitter, Facebook and Instagram -- aren't games of a sort too.
Nintendo's 'Miitomo' reportedly has over 4 million users
Nintendo's first smartphone app, Miitomo, launched with a lot of fanfare. But how many people are actually interested in it? Quite a few, if you ask SurveyMonkey. It estimates that Miitomo has racked up 4 million people who use it at least once a month, and 1 million who use it every day. Supposedly, that translates to about $280,000 in in-app purchases every week. That's not a huge amount of cash in the context of Nintendo's console games, but pretty healthy for a brand new (and relatively niche) social network.
Nintendo's Miitomo app launches in the US on March 31
Nintendo has announced that Miitomo, its first smartphone game, will be launching in the US and Europe on March 31st. The company had previously promised a "March" release outside of Japan, so, with only a few days remaining, we were starting to wonder if the app had been delayed. Clearly there was no need to worry. It'll be available on iOS and Android, with the option to import a Wii U or 3DS Mii using a QR code.
Nintendo's first smartphone game racks up 1 million users
Nintendo's first smartphone game is performing well in Japan. Miitomo, which the console maker launched on March 17th, has already snapped up 1 million users on iOS and Android. Of course, Japan is Nintendo's home turf -- so some success was always likely -- but the number still bodes well for the app's international release. While the exact launch date is still unknown, Nintendo has said it plans to launch Miitomo in 38 regions, including Canada, the US and the UK, sometime later this month.
I lost a weekend playing 'Miitomo,' Nintendo's first smartphone game
So here it is: Miitomo is Nintendo's first smartphone app. It's a social interaction game that's ... kind of existed before. Tomodachi Life was a surreal 3DS title populated by your own avatar, as well as StreetPass users, friends and any other Miis you made. It's not a conventional game: You don't move around a world collecting things or defeating things. This time, though, Nintendo is opening up this weird, wonderful universe of conversations, customizable clothing and interactions to anyone with a smartphone. There's no Mario, mushrooms or ink-spitting guns (yet), but the app is already No. 2 in the App Store and it's rocketing up Google Play's charts as well. It launched last week in Japan, where I live, so this is how I spent the weekend. Welcome to the time (and battery) sucking word of Miitomo.
Nintendo's 'Miitomo' mobile app goes live in Japan next week
For people in Japan, the anticipation of Nintendo's first smartphone app will be over soon. The company announced today via Twitter that Miitomo, its long-awaited, free-to-play mobile title, is launching in Japan on March 17th. As a refresher, the game is expected to have a major social aspect to it, based around Mii avatar interactions between you and your friends.
Claim your Nintendo account username now
Nintendo's new cross-console (and phone) account system is live. You can register with your existing Nintendo Network ID, or with Facebook, Twitter and Google login details. While this is where Nintendo's debut smartphone game, Miitomo, will debut, there's not much else to do until it launches sometime next month. (Well, you can assign your Mii as your profile pic, but that's no great shakes.) The most important part: land grab that username, before it's too late. (Update: and pick up a Platinum coin bonus in the process, by signing for Miitomo updates!) The service is now live, globally.
