作者：Motoi Okamoto

上周，《超级马里奥跑酷》同时在150多个国家发行了。当然了，我也马上就购买并尝试了这款游戏。并且我认为这款最新超级玛丽授权游戏是最佳手机平台游戏之一！

所以我想在此分享自己对于这款游戏的看法。

super mario run(from gamasutra)

这款游戏是手机平台游戏的一大进步，它的诞生是具有里程碑意义的。游戏概念非常明确。就像我的前老板宫本茂所说的，我希望所有人都可以在一只手忙着吃汉堡的时候另一只手还可以玩游戏。而任天堂的游戏设计师便想到手机游戏的最大优势之一便是能让玩家用一只手玩游戏。

所以现在我们拥有这么一款可以用一只手来玩的全新超级马里奥游戏。它也提供给了玩家包括熟悉的敌人以及像GOOMBA，KOOPA TROOPA，BULLET BILL等等在《新超级玛丽兄弟》等游戏中出现过的优秀内容。

这是从两手游戏玩法（手动运行）到一手游戏玩法（自动运行）转变的一个典型例子。这款游戏中的马里奥只能向右奔跑。游戏中的创新机制让玩家可以在自己想要的任何位置重新开始游戏。

同时玩家也可以通过Mario Spinning去延伸跳跃距离并通过像Stop Block等全新机制去控制前进时间。马里奥能够使用像Arrow Block和Long Jump Blok等全新方式去进行像Backflip和长距离跳跃等不同跳跃方式。

《超级马里奥跑酷》的快速成功

这是一款获得了杰出成就的优秀平台游戏！它出现在包括美国和一些欧洲国家等50多个国家的最畅销iOS游戏排行榜单上。

根据AppAnnie，这款游戏在发行后的短短3天时间里在全世界范围内创造了超过3700万的下载量以及1400万美元的收益。游戏的免费玩家到付费玩家的转换率为4%。换句话说，这款游戏拥有将近150万的付费用户。

（游戏邦注：在日本，也就是马里奥的家乡，《超级马里奥跑酷》在第一天的畅销游戏榜单中位列第6。）

GrossingRanking(from gamasutra)

但是这也不是说这款平台游戏便获得了意料之中的成功。为什么呢？

《超级马里奥跑酷》的理想目标

虽说《超级马里奥跑酷》将带给任天堂更多收益，但其实它的潜能却不止如此。首先，任天堂希望在iOS和Android平台上能够卖出多少《超级马里奥跑酷》呢？

让我们看看下面内容：

需要注意的是，售价50美元的《新超级玛丽兄弟》（面向NDS）在全世界范围内共卖出3000多万份。面向Wii的《新超级玛丽兄弟》也是如此。

任天堂计划在春天发布既面向掌机也面向主机的全新游戏平台。但如果《超级马里奥跑酷》能够卖出超过3000万份，该公司便能够拥有一个和NDS或Wii同样重要的游戏平台。也就是《超级马里奥跑酷》的销量将影响者该公司的游戏平台测策略。

如此看来他们的最终目标便是获取3亿的下载量和3000万的销量。这会不会太有野心了？好像是这样的，但是在2006年和2009年的时候该公司曾销售过高出5倍价格的超级马里奥授权游戏。

免费游戏和免费开始的区别

其实不用想也知道，《超级马里奥跑酷》要想卖出超过3000万份游戏并不轻松。除了硬核马里奥玩家外，这款游戏还需要吸引更加休闲的玩家。所以他们需要鼓励更多人去关注游戏并通过各种病毒媒体传播去吸引更多人的注意。

从根本上来看，手机开发者可以使用“免费游戏”策略去最大化游戏参与者。而任天堂选择了他们所谓的“免费开始”策略。

我想在此强调的是，尽管“免费游戏”策略和“免费开始”策略看起来一样，但它们其实并不相同。这也是关于如何去利用用户免费游戏的时间。

《超级马里奥跑酷》只提供给所有玩家3个免费游戏阶段。换句话说就是所有玩家只能免费游戏5分钟左右。但这样的时间却不足以让他们去考虑是否要购买所有游戏内容。

也就是说该公司不能有效利用90%的参与者去执行市场营销。相反地，只有10%的玩家购买了游戏内容，而剩下90%的玩家只是在不同社交媒体上散布一些有关该游戏的负面评价。

在AppStore评论以及像Twitter等社交媒体上有很多人在抱怨这款游戏的价格以及糟糕的演示版本。同时也有一些购买者对没有多少可供持久游戏的阶段进行抱怨。这真的是一次糟糕的市场营销。

所以任天堂该如何做？

在《超级马里奥跑酷》发行后，任天堂和DeNA的估价都出现下跌。也有一些分析预测《超级马里奥跑酷》不会提前达到自己的期待值。

同时也有些开发者认为，如果游戏是作为一款付费应用发行（没有演示版本），结果可能会更好。我也对此表示认同。即如果游戏最好能够创造多出两倍的游戏阶段并提供2至4个作为免费游戏阶段。

因为通常停止游戏的玩家都不会在社交媒体上发布游戏的正面评论。所以最关键的还是玩家能够维持多长时间的免费游戏。在一些手机戏中，至少2至4个人实时多人游戏以及简单的阶段编辑器等都能有效延长玩家的游戏时间。

我认为任天堂如果要创造《超级马里奥跑酷》的续集就需要将“免费开始”策略改成“免费游戏”或“付费游戏”并扩展更多内容。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转发，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Super Mario Run is the best model of the mobile platformer and the worst model of selling.

by Motoi Okamoto

Super Mario Run launched at the same time in about 150 countries last week. Of course, I purchased, played and beat it in hot haste. Definitely, I’m confident that the latest Super Mario franchise is one of the best mobile platformer!

I recently responded to some interviews, including the WSJ and so I would like to note my impressions here.

The game is a brilliant advance of the platformer genre in mobile games and a historical milestone. The concept of the game is clear. My former boss Miyamoto said that everyone can play with one hand while eating a hamburger with one hand. I know that some Nintendo game-designers have thought that one of the great advantages of mobile games is playing with one hand.

So now we have the New Super Mario Bros we can play with one hand. It offers many gamers keening the series an excellent play feels like NEW Super Mario Bros, including familiar enemies and gimmicks like GOOMBA, KOOPA TROOPA, BULLET BILL, fire bar, lift and so on.

It is a wonderful example of conversion from two-hand gameplay (manual run) to one-hand gameplay (auto run). Mario in this game can only run to the right. The bubble, the excellent, innovative mechanic relaxes that frustration, allowing players to restart from the place they want

Also, players can extend the jump distance by Mario’s Spinning in the air and control the timing to advance by the new gimmicks like Stop Block. Mario uses new gimmicks such as Arrow Block and Long Jump Block to do various jumps like Backflip and long jump.

The instant success of Super Mario Run

This excellent platformer accomplished the brilliant achievement! It got top of iOS grossing ranking in about 50 countries, including US and some European countries.

According to the AppAnnie, the game accomplished more than 37 millions downloads and more than $14 million worldwide in just three days after its release. The conversion rate from free download to paid user is roughly 4 percent. In other words, the number of paid users is roughly 1.5 million.

(In Japan, Mario’s home ground, Super Mario Run was ranked 6th on the first day grossing ranking. )

Nevertheless, it is not to say that this excellent platformer reached the expected success. Why is it?

The ideal goal of Super Mario Run

Super Mario Run would bring huge “earning extra money” to Nintendo, but its potential might be even larger. At first, how many Nintendo as ideally want to sell Super Mario Run on iOS and Android?

Let me explain the following facts:
It should be noted that New Super Mario Bros (for NDS) sold nearly 30 millions worldwide at a price of around $50. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, too.

Nintendo plans to release of Nintendo Switch, a new game platform with aspects of both handheld and console, in this spring. It might lead to a shrinking business. But, if Super Mario Run would sell over 30 millions, the company could get “one more game platform” equal to NDS or Wii. How much Super Mario Run sells might affect the company’s game platform strategy.

From this point of view, the final ideal goal is to achieve 300 millions downloads and 30 millions sales. Is it too ambitious? Sure, but the company sold New Super Mario franchises despite the price 5 times, in 2006 and 2009. The ideal goal for Super Mario Run is to sell 300 million downloads and 30 millions.

The difference between free-to-play and free-to-start

Needless to say, it is not easy that Super Mario Run would have a great success to sell more than 30 millions. Naturally, the game needs to attract more casual gamers beyond core Mario-gamers. So, It needs to encourage more people to pay attention to it and to get interest it through various viral media.

In general, mobile developers choose a “free to play” strategy to maximize participants int their games. Nintendo chose a “free to start” strategy named by the company.

I would like to note here. Although the “free to play” strategy and the “free to start” strategy seem to be nearly equal, there is a large clear difference.It is how to utilize time of users playing for free.

Super Mario Run offers all players only 3 free-to-play stages. In other words, all players are permitted free-to-play for about 5 minutes or so. Whew. It is not enough time to consider purchasing the right to play all the stages.

So, the company isn’t able to utilize 90 percent of participants as collaborators of buzz marketing. On the contrary, while 10 percent of players purchase, the remaining 90 percent of players are spreading negative comments through various viral media.

Many many many complaints with the price and poor demo of this game are overflowing in AppStore reviews and social media like Twitter. Also, never few purchasers complain about the too few stages for sustained play. It is nothing but a large NEGATIVE buzz marketing.

So what should they do?

The share prices of both Nintendo and DeNA have dropped after Super Mario Run was released. Never few analysts forecast that Super Mario Run will not reach their own expectations in advance.

Never few developers say that Super Mario Run would have been better if it was released as a paid App without free demo. I agree, too. As an alternative, the game should have twice the number of stages and offer at least stages up to 2-4 as free-to-play stages.

Because usual players stopped playing don’t post positive comments about the game to social media. It is crucial how long players can continue to play for free. In some mobile games, real-time 2-4 people multiplayer, simple stage editor and so on are introduced to extend playing time.

I believe that they change “free to start” strategy to “free to play” or “Paid” and expand the amount of contents if there are the sequel to Super Mario Run.

Acknowledgment

Thank you for reading this to the end. I hope this article gives you valuable insights. Ask me in the comments If you have questions about this article.(source:gamasutra)