Miyamoto: “Mobile apps will not be the primary path of future Mario games”

After previous resistance when it came to putting content on mobile, several years ago, Nintendo started to branch out and toy around with different apps you can experience on a smart device. Mario even got in on the action with Super Mario Run, which is available on iOS and Android. However, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has indicated that mobile won’t be Mario’s home in the future.

Miyamoto told Variety in an interview: “Mobile apps will not be the primary path of future Mario games.”

Miyamoto reiterated Nintendo’s strategy of having “a hardware and software integrated gaming experience”. When working on Super Mario Run, “it was challenging to determine what that game should be.”

Miyamoto stated:

“First and foremost, Nintendo’s core strategy is a hardware and software integrated gaming experience. The intuitiveness of the control is a part of the gaming experience. When we explored the opportunity of making Mario games for the mobile phone – which is a more common, generic device – it was challenging to determine what that game should be. That is why I played the role of director for Super Mario Run, to be able to translate that Nintendo hardware experience into the smart devices.”

Something Miyamoto did acknowledge is that when Mario games are on mobile, it “expands the doorway for far more audience to experience the game, and also expands the Mario gaming experience, where you only need your thumb on one hand.”

As for when we’ll see the next major Mario game, Miyamoto teased: “All I can say is please stay tuned for future Nintendo Directs.”