In his talk at Computer Entertainment Developers Conference (CEDEC) 2018, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto spoke out against the current norm of free-to-play models, instead advocating a fixed-price model that doesn’t overcharge the player. [Thanks, Bloomberg!]
The fixed-price model is the key to a more sustainable games industry that values its games, according to Miyamoto. He explained that Nintendo’s thinking is that because the games industry has such a giant market, big profits will naturally emerge if games are delivered at reasonable prices to the widest audience possible. Nintendo is currently exploring various models to reach this goal.
Speaking on Nintendo’s mobile games such as Super Mario Run, Miyamoto admits that the fixed-cost model hasn’t seen much success, but states that Nintendo will continue with this path “until it becomes entrenched”, so that people can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, Nintendo can continue boosting their mobile game business.
Next, Miyamoto states that the industry needs to learn from the music industry, which took a hit from file sharing and Youtube, and “learn to get along with” subscription services. However, this also went back to his first point of creating a culture of paying for valued software.
“When seeking a partner for this, it’s important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them”, said Miyamoto.
