Reggie on Miitomo – why it doesn’t have real-time messaging, “long-term opportunity”, mobile goals, more
Members of the media recently went hands-on with Miitomo, which also included some interview opportunities. TIME is one outlet that has an interview up with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. During the discussion, Reggie commented on why Miitomo doesn’t have real-time messaging, “long-term” plans for the app, mobile goals, and more.
Head past the break for some of Reggie’s remarks. You can read the full interview on TIME here.
On how Miitomo may not be a traditional Nintendo game, but it’s still a form of play…
“It’s true that Miitomo, at its core, aims to foster social engagement. That’s what it’s all about. And we believe it will do that in a new and engaging way. It’s not a game in the traditional sense that you’ve seen from Nintendo in the past, but those who have used it have commented that it can turn communication between friends into a form of play.”
On how it doesn’t support real-time messaging on purpose…
“We want Miitomo to create an atmosphere that’s distinctly Nintendo. Just like our games, we want usage to bring smiles. And we believe Miitomo will do that.”
“One of the key components of Miitomo is that you are connecting with your friends. That is a significant measure to ensure that the user experience is consistently pleasant. There are also parameters around the communication that can be done in Miitomo. It doesn’t start as a free-form communication experience. By responding to questions, the dialogue starts as a focused interaction—from there the friends can take things in any number of directions, which is part of the fun.”
On how Reggie hopes it’ll get people to reengage with Nintendo…
“We know that many people have established habits with other social apps and services. We want to do something different. Maybe the best way to consider this is looking at your Mii as an intermediary. For example, if you’re on the phone talking to a friend, and that friend says of a mutual friend, ‘Hey, you’ll never guess what Chris told me.’ That person on the other end of the phone is your Mii. He’s working for you.”
“We expect people’s experience with Miitomo to be a rewarding one in its own right. But at the same time, it’s also a way to have them engage—or reengage—with Nintendo. The way they get involved with My Nintendo will reward them both figuratively and literally down the road. So Miitomo gets people involved with their friends. And one of those friends is Nintendo.”
On how Miitomo will change over time and engage directly with My Nintendo…
“Our overall mobile goals are significant. We’re aiming to create multiple apps retaining popularity over extended periods of time—simultaneously. We’re not making any predictions, but we currently have active sustaining communities congregated around franchises like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart and Splatoon. Can we do the same thing on mobile? We hope so.”
“We’re also looking at Miitomo as a long-term opportunity. We expect that the Miitomo experience will expand and evolve over time through updates. It’s a service that we will continue to add to. In that sense, looking to quickly make a judgment on the impact of Miitomo may not tell the full story like it would with a traditional packaged game.”
“Another aspect of Miitomo that we believe to be important is its interaction with our new My Nintendo service. The two will launch at the same time, and My Nintendo will bring a variety of benefits to Miitomo users. Out of the gate, My Nintendo will be a points-based reward program but over time will evolve into a true hub for all the different ways that people can interact with Nintendo. It’s a significant long-term initiative for us that starts with Miitomo and will grow from there.”
