Nintendo's First Phone App Miitomo Ending Support On May 9

Miitomo, Nintendo's first attempt at a smartphone app after announcing its venture into the mobile world, is shutting down on May 9, according to a post on the company's website.

The freemium social app was released by Nintendo in March 2016, confounding fans who expected something a bit more traditional after the company stated its intentions to develop smartphone apps. Miitomo had players take Miis and answer Nintendo-made questions from friends, with answers being broadcast within the social circle. 

It was commonly criticized for little practical use and poor optimization, forcing excessive loading screens whenever the app was opened.

While it had ten million downloads, surveys by mid-2016 suggested that only a quarter of users ever opened it more than once. The low engagement numbers are likely why Nintendo is cutting the service off despite the grand ambitions to establish it as a social network in its own right.

 

Our Take
It is not terribly surprising to see the app end, as I never heard anyone even talk about it after its launch window. Nintendo took too long to get room customization into the app and it failed to even be a good avenue for monetization.