"Mario Kart Tour" might be Nintendo's most profitable game franchise. A Nintendo Life report tells us that the game has recently hit unbelievable numbers. Since its release in 2019, "Mario Kart Tour" has topped 200 million downloads and $200 million in player expenditure, according to the most recent big sales update in April 2021. This is astounding, especially for a game released three years ago.
Nintendo's Biggest Game?
Why is "Mario Kart Tour" still performing well after being on the market for three years? It all comes down to a vibrant racing series with distinct characters and engaging course designs. It also helps that "Mario Kart" games have been incredibly well-polished in terms of both appearance and controls.
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Its multiplayer appeal is limitless, and its single-player challenge is intriguing and addictive despite the game's simple gameplay. It also helps that a new mechanic is introduced with each iteration, which keeps things interesting even when the overall experience does not change considerably.
Big Changes Coming
Last Sept. 2, a "Mario Kart Tour" official account tweeted about an upcoming update that will be bringing major changes to the game. This includes removing some features and adding an in-game marketplace called "Spotlight Shop."
"Here's a peek at #MarioKartTour's update coming late September! Battle mode will be added, along with a Spotlight Shop, where you can exchange rubies for drivers, karts, and gliders! Also, pipes you can fire by using rubies will be removed. See the notification for details."
According to VG247, along with the news of the game's successful numbers comes information that Nintendo plans to remove loot boxes from the competition. This comes as a surprise, especially because of the fact that the loot box is one of the most profitable features of the game.
As stated in the tweet, loot boxes will now be replaced by the Spotlight Shop. The same announcement informs the public that these changes will take effect on the next major game update scheduled later this month.
In the Spotlight Shop, players can access a large selection of drivers, karts, and gliders exchangeable by rubies. The next update will also be removing kart pipes that can be fired using rubies. Meanwhile, a game mode called "Battle Mode" will be making its "Mario Kart Tour" introduction late this Sept.
Gambling-related Effects
According to a Gamesindustry report, some governments around the world have been discussing whether loot boxes qualify as gambling and should be regulated for years. Although the United Kingdom government refrained from taking such action, it did recommend that the gaming industry do more to protect children from the detrimental impacts of loot boxes' gambling-related effects.
These days online gamers are beginning to blur the line between gaming and gambling, especially at a time when NFT continues to develop. With reference to gaming and gambling, a report from Gamenguide shares that several Twitch fans have lately come forward to admit that some Twitch streamers inspired them to jump headfirst into online cryptocurrency gambling. These audience members who have become gamblers are now in a downward gambling spiral that leads many to bankruptcy.
