Super Mario Run, the first-ever official mobile game starring Mario, launches later this week. Akin to Pokemon GO, it features one of Nintendo’s strongest franchises. What can Super Mario Run learn from Pokemon? Read on to find out.
Pokémon GO had novelty (by mainstreaming augmented reality), and was able to integrate itself into users’ lives by absorbing previously “non-mobile time.” The game was noticeably absent from app store home pages at launch, and didn’t earn its first major feature until August 8. Additionally, infrastructure issues and a lack of communication from Niantic led to many frustrated would-be players worldwide. Despite these hiccups, the game has gone on to be incredibly successful, with word-of-mouth marketing being an especially strong acquisition channel.
Nintendo has set Super Mario Run on a course for success with a tight, integrated marketing plan. The one question remains: Is Super Mario Run prepared for its popularity?
This is where Pokémon GO provides an interesting point of comparison. Publisher Niantic leveraged Google Cloud to deliver the app to users around the world. The technical team had developed a launch target as well as worst-case scenario in order to ensure server stability. The actual traffic at launch was 50 times the initial target, 10 times the worst-case estimate.
It’s important to keep in mind that this was when Pokémon GO was only available in a few countries. On December 15, at least 20 million users in 151 countries will get a notification that Super Mario Run is now available, and countless more will pour into its App Store page based on feature placements, social media, news and word-of-mouth mentions. We’re hoping the technical team behind app has their game face on. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
Source: App Annie Intelligence
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