Nintendo's mobile game Super Mario Run marked the company's first full venture into mobile gaming. However, bad reviews of the game caused the share price of Nintendo to an 11% fall.
Since its release on December 15, Nintendo shares have fallen. DeNa Co, which helped develop the game also saw its shares fall by 14% over the same time period.
The game, which can be downloaded via Apple's app store earned an average rating of only 2.5 stars. Players have criticized the game, which costs $10, for being too expensive compared with other titles in the store. Only the first three levels of the game are free to play. Players have also complained that the free levels could be completed too quickly. The game also limited when and where the players can access the game since it needs an always-on internet connection.
"A $10 upfront cost to unlock the game is a huge ask and one that flies in the face of current mobile games being free-to-play," Daniel Ahmad, an analyst for researcher Niko Partners, told Bloomberg.
The game is the company's first since it announced in 2015 a plan to shift into making mobile games, as the company had no previous ventures on making apps.
Although the game received negative reactions, the game has topped the charts for the most profitable games in many nations. App Annie, an analysis firm monitoring the game, said that Super Mario Run was downloaded more than 37 million times in its first three days. The analysis also suggests that people spent an average of more than 13 minutes every day on the game.
The launch of Super Mario Run followed the relaunch of Pokemon Go by Nintendo and partner Niantic. Pokemon Go emjoyed huge success earlier this year. However, as updates on the game dried up, players have shown less interest in the game.
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