Nintendo has recently caught fire for announcing a handful of “time-limited” releases that will be dragged by March 31 next year.
On this special day, Super Mario 3D All-Stars no longer sold physically or digitally, Super Mario Bros. 35 getting away from the eShop and the Super Mario Game & Watch system is no longer available for purchase. Ouch!
So what’s going on? This is all because it is a “celebration” of Mario and this anniversary will never be around, according to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser. The good news is, it is No a “widely used” strategy going forward:
“Yeah, I think I’m using a simple word: celebration. Exactly – this is a celebration of Mario’s 35th birthday. And we wanted to celebrate in unique and different ways. , and we have done that through games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, or we will do so through future releases, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser Clays. “
“And then we’ve also done it through releases like Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., or through Mario Kart Live: Home Tour. There are several ways we celebrate 35th Mario. And with some of those titles, we felt it was an opportunity to release for a limited time. They did very well. Super Mario 3D All-Stars has sold more than 2.6 million units in the U.S. alone. And so obvious, users are able to jump in and enjoy that. And it’s not a strategy we’re going to use widely, but it’s one we thought was very specific for the very anniversary. “
So what are the plans for the limited-time calls beyond this date? Right now, Doug can’t say exactly what will happen:
“Yeah, at this point, the decision was made around that feature and the signaling aspect. I can’t talk to plans beyond the end of March.”
What do you think of limited time calls? Can you understand Nintendo’s reasoning when it comes to Mario’s 35th birthday? Share your thoughts below.