Topic: Major Mario Kart Tour Update Removing Gacha Mechanics, Adding Battle Mode

[Shaymin]

Clearly Rosalina was sick of sharing time in Vancouver with the Random Number Goddess.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/61382/major-mario-kart-tour-update-removing-gacha-mechanics-adding-battle-mode

Mario Kart Tour is dropping a major update soon that will remove one of the game's most controversial aspects.

Beginning on October 5, Tour will add a "Spotlight Shop" where units and gear will be made directly available for purchase using the ingame "rubies" currency: alongside this, the "summoning pipe" (the game's gacha system) will be removed entirely. It will still be possible to purchase rubies with real money, as is the case with the Fortnite "V-Bucks".

Most of Nintendo's mobile products have or had featured some form of gacha mechanic, the major exceptions being the AR-based Pikmin Bloom and fixed-stage platformer Super Mario Run which sold its stages in a single in-app purchase. Fire Emblem Heroes offers a selection of "free" heroes (usually adding 2 a month) via a separate currency than its main summoning currency ("orbs").

The move could allow for Tour to expand service into countries where so-called "lootbox laws" which ban random chance elements exist, such as have been passed in Belgium and discussed in the Netherlands; other Nintendo mobile products have shut down service in those countries entirely.

Alongside the update, Tour will also add the traditional Mario Kart battle mode.

[nickmitch]

I wonder why they're making this move now. Was the game not generating enough revenue? Or do they just want to expand their audience?