According to an in-game news update Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will offer paid subscription memberships, and the option will be released later this week.
Players will have the option to convert one of the animals into a camp caretaker, allowing them to offer some valuable help for the campsite. It will also be possible to receive fortune cookies and transfer furniture and clothing to a warehouse with the help of another animal.
The move isn’t surprising since the recently released mobile game Mario Kart Tour was also released with an optional subscription in October. Players who decided to pay $4.99 for the Gold Pass will gain access to a faster race mode and a larger selection of in-game items. More information about the Animal Crossing subscription service should be released on November 20.
Investors have urged Nintendo to release mobile games based on the popular IPs owned by the company, but the mobile division has remained quite insignificant for the overall business plan. The company didn’t publish any figures for the mobile games, but a recent earnings report mentioned that revenue obtained from mobile and IP licensing had reached 19.9 billion yen.
At first sight, these numbers seem to be impressive, especially since the amount grew by 6.4% in comparison to 2018, but it is important to take into account the fact that it represents less than 5% of the overall sales.
The revenue generated by Mario Kart is also impressive when compared to the download numbers. Besides loot boxes, the game gathers revenue with the help of the Gold Pass subscription, which has been acquired by a large number of users who enjoy the features. It seems that the success of the subscription in the case of Mario Kart Tour encouraged Nintendo to experiment with subscription options for other titles.
If the strategy works well, it could be implemented in future mobile titles.
Robert J. Smith is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including JoyStiq and Android Authority. In regards to academics, Robert earned a degree in business from Fordham University. Robert has passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.