Always-online requirements have been the death of so many games. Take the XBox One launch for instance. How could Nintendo not see this? The real problem: With Super Mario Run they expect every kid with a phone or tablet to have cell data. Even though Nintendo’s audience of kids likely do not have cell data. Unless the parents have money to spare on like 20 dollars a month for cell data per child.
Super Mario Run’s always-online requirement will hold it back severely
The reason it’s online always is because they wanted to reach the mobile gamers. They probably didn’t expect that many serious Nintendo fans to play (considering how everyone that has a console or a PC absolutely hates mobile games). So they wanted to reach the people that play mobile games a lot. The people complaining are the ones that don’t play mobile games. Hell, one of the YouTubers said that after this was announced for the first time, they went out and played a couple of mobile games. He made it clear that he doesn’t play mobile games. So yeah, that’s why it’s always online.
On the other hand, the other side of the debate makes sense as well. Why would making always online a requirement make it more likely for anyone to play it, regardless of whether or not they play mobile games often? It seems more like they thought they could get away with it for the reasons described previously instead of doing it to attract people?
Another thing to note, though, is that Nintendo actually does have a fanbase that only plays their games on mobile. Miitomo, Pokemon Go, and now Super Mario Run are the first games available to the average consumer who doesn’t want to drop >$100 on a console or handheld. Which incidentally are likely the same people who won’t want to waste money on mobile data. To take the people who are just getting to know Nintendo on mobile and give them an app that’s always-online for no reason (not like Pokemon Go where it’s necessary) is, in our opinion, quite foolish.