Nintendo Stock Plummets After Poor Super Mario Run Reviews Nintendo's plight highlights the issues in the mobile gaming market.

The launch of Super Mario Run was meant to be a moment of triumph for Nintendo. Even though it's the company's first major foray into the mobile market, Super Mario Run was anticipated to be a huge success. Although there's no indicator that the game is doing badly, or that it's a bad product, Nintendo stock has steadily declined in price after the initial spike that came with Super Mario Runs debut.

From a high of around 30,000 yen per share ($255.99 USD) on December 10, Nintendo's stocks today are going for 24,540 yen ($209.40 USD). The reason for this massive decline in stock price is poor customer reviews for Super Mario Run, the majority of which are not because the title is a bad product, but because the full version of the game is $9.99.

Nintendo Co Ltd. Stock

Nintendo is suffering from an issue that many Apple App Store developers have faced. There seems to be a ubiquitous view from those who predominantly game on mobile devices that paying a one-time fee to purchase a game is undesirable. This customer outrage at having to pay a premium price for a premium is what's led to the rise of the free-to-play model in mobile gaming. Apple App Store customers main argument against Super Mario Run is that Nintendo is making a "cash grab" by charging $9.99 for the game and that it should be "free."

Nintendo has released Super Mario Run in a way that the first three levels of World 1 and the Toad Rally mode are free. This decision allows customers the chance to demo the game before they choose to purchase the full product. Nintendo has made clear that Super Mario Run is going to be sold at a one-time premium price since the Apple Keynote where it was revealed. However, customers are viewing Nintendo's decision to allow customers to demo the game then requiring a one-time payment for the full product as a "bait and switch," even though all these facts are clearly marked in the product description on the Apple App Store.

It seems that Nintendo's desire to avoid the timers and premium currency that plague mobile gaming has had the opposite effect. In a desire to make Super Mario Run appealing to everyone, it's alienated the mainstream mobile gaming crowd that would rather wait 6 hours to play another Toad Rally race or buy $100 in premium currency to build their Mushroom Kingdom.

Hopefully, this doesn't sour Nintendo's feelings on mobile gaming, or force it to start offering a much less customer friendly product filled with the things that make most mobile games frustrating and practically unplayable. For now, though, Nintendo will have to find some way to deal with the fact that public misunderstanding of Super Mario Run has lead to what looks to be an unfair devaluation of its company's stock.