Nintendo

Nintendo's Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem mobile games will be free-to-play, following in the footsteps of the popular Miitomo app.

The company previously announced plans for five smartphone games, developed in partnership with Japanese mobile firm DeNA. Although Miitomo is more of a communications app centred on the Mii player avatars, it confirmed the remaining four would be more traditional games.


In April, Nintendo revealed that the first two of these would be adaptations of community life sim Animal Crossing and strategy RPG Fire Emblem. What wasn't announced at the time was whether these would be paid releases or follow Miitomo's path.

However, DeNA chief executive Isao Moriyasu confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that "Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing are both free-to-start apps." The games are expected to launch - at least in Japan - this autumn, coming to both Android and iOS handsets.

The term "free-to-start" is Nintendo's preferred - and refreshingly honest - label for what much of the mobile gaming industry calls free-to-play. Like Miitomo, expect the Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing apps to be free downloads, but include micro-transactions to access prestige virtual items.

Quite what form these games might take under such a monetisation model is unclear, although it's easier to imagine for Animal Crossing than Fire Emblem. The former, with its penchant for slow, gentle gameplay and ability to build and decorate a village to your liking, could likely sell items for players to place in their character's home. The latter, if the recruitable warriors and multitude of weapons found in standalone instalments are any indication, could easily slip into 'pay to win' territory if stronger characters are sold.

Nintendo has plans for two further smartphone games under its DeNA deal. Both are due for release by March 2017, although no further details have been revealed yet. It seems a safe bet that, whatever they are, they will be free-to-start too.