© 2024 WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting
Member-Supported Public Media from Southern Illinois University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Coming To The App Store: Nintendo's New Game 'Super Mario Run'

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Fans of Nintendo's Mario received a little joy yesterday because the company said it's releasing a Mario mobile game for the iPhone. NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF KOJI KONDO SONG, "GROUND THEME")

LAURA SYDELL, BYLINE: Fans of a funny little plumber named Mario will recognize that music because it probably accompanied hours of play on Nintendo consoles and handhelds. But yesterday, Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, appeared onstage at an Apple event to announce that Mario has always run towards new worlds on new platforms.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SHIGERU MIYAMOTO: And now, Mario is running towards his next goal - iPhone.

SYDELL: Actually, Nintendo has only experimented with lesser-known games on mobile.

MICHAEL PACHTER: Rolling out their biggest brand signals that Nintendo is willing to put virtually its entire list of brands onto mobile, and that's a big deal.

SYDELL: Michael Pachter follows games for Wedbush Securities. Pachter thinks Nintendo made this move after the success of the mobile game Pokemon Go, which is based on a game by Nintendo but was created by another company. But Pachter is skeptical that Mario is going to be as successful because after a little bit of play on the iPhone of what's called Super Mario Run, gamers will have to pay.

PACHTER: Nintendo's rolling back to a proven sales business model.

SYDELL: Pachter says the most successful mobile games make money with things like in-app purchases. Still, news of Mario's arrival on the iPhone will make at least some fans happy. Laura Sydell, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Laura Sydell fell in love with the intimate storytelling qualities of radio, which combined her passion for theatre and writing with her addiction to news. Over her career she has covered politics, arts, media, religion, and entrepreneurship. Currently Sydell is the Digital Culture Correspondent for NPR's All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and NPR.org.
As a WSIU donor, you don’t simply watch or listen to public media programs, you are a partner. By making a gift, you help WSIU produce, purchase, and broadcast programs you care about and enjoy – every day of the year.