Nintendo asks its mobile-gaming partners to rein in their microtransactions

Nintendo games may be part of a microtransaction problem. (Source: Geek Insider)

According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo has at least started to intervene in order to prevent disproportional amounts of in-game transactions in the titles it has licensed to Android and iOS developers. This may reflect the increasing drive to regulate such charges, which can lead to significant profits as a result of using free apps.

by Deirdre O Donnell, 2019/03/06

Nintendo has reportedly stepped in to stem the ever-growing trend of spending on in-game transactions. These microtransactions are often a part of games in Android and iOS, and can allow developers to cash in on otherwise free-to-play games. This strategy has worked out extremely well for groups such as Tencent and Epic Games.

The Japanese corporation has gotten into mobile gaming itself by licensing its titles to mobile game studios such as DeNA. The results have been games such as Super Mario Run, the experience of which can be enhanced via upgrades that are accessed via microtransactions. However, if they became excessive for some users, it is reasonable to suppose that Nintendo would be the most likely name dragged through the mud in connection to it.

Therefore, it has decided to ask its mobile-app partners to at least consider imposing liimts on the amount of in-game upgrades they can offer per user. This move mirrors a similar initiative by the American Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which has recently introduced a new advisory sticker that indicates the probability of microtransactions in a given game.