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Nintendo's big mobile earner Fire Emblem Heroes had a bumper summer

Nintendo's lucrative mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes is showing no signs of slowing despite having being out in the wild for 18 months.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

September 5, 2018

1 Min Read

Nintendo's lucrative mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes is showing no signs of slowing despite having being out in the wild for 18 months. 

According to analytics outfit Sensor Tower, the free-to-play tactical RPG raked in more cash this summer than it did last year, with revenue between July and August rising to $63 million in 2018 from $47 million in 2017. 

That represents a spending increase of 36 percent year-over-year, and shows players are still dropping cash in the hopes of obtaining rare hero characters using the title's 'gacha' mechanic.

Despite being the company's most successful mobile offering to date, one notable Nintendo employee isn't enamored with its freemium trimmings. 

Earlier this year Super Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto expressed a desire to see developers become less reliant on free-to-play techniques, and suggested an overindulgence might result in consumers becoming less willing to pay for premium products. 

It's a fair point, but the results speak for themselves, and as it stands Fire Emblem Heroes accounts for 78 percent of Nintendo's mobile revenue to-date, having earned over $400 million so far.

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2018

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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