Super Mario phone app news sends Nintendo shares jumping
Pokemon Go’s success had little effect on Nintendo’s bottom line because it did not own the licence to the game
Tokyo — Shares in gaming giant Nintendo jumped more than 5% Wednesday after giving details of the launch for its keenly awaited new Super Mario game for iPhones, hot on the heels of the Pokemon phenomenon that swept the globe. Kyoto-based Nintendo said it would release Super Mario Run worldwide for Apple’s iPhone and iPad through the App Store on December 15 at a cost of $9.99 in the US, but would provide free access to limited elements of the game. The firm’s stock price soared as much as 5.5% at one point before easing slightly to close up 2.77% at 25,550 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Nintendo’s shares more than doubled in July — making it more valuable than Sony at one point — as its Pokemon Go game exploded into the public consciousness, being downloaded half a billion times. However, because the firm did not own the licence to the game — that is owned by San Francisco-based Niantic — its success had little impact on the firm’s bottom line. But while its share price has dippe...
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