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“Yeah, I think I use a simple word: celebration. It just – this is a celebration of Mario’s 35th anniversary,” Bowser explained. “And we wanted to celebrate in unique and different ways, and we’ve done that through games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, or we will be doing that through future releases, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.”
“And then we’ve also done it through releases such as Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., or through Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. There are various ways that we’re celebrating Mario’s 35th,” he added. “And with some of these titles, we felt it was an opportunity to release them for a limited period of time. They’ve done very, very well. Super Mario 3D All-Stars has sold over 2.6 million units in the U.S. alone. And so clearly, consumers have been able to jump in and enjoy that. And it’s not strategy that we’re going to be using widely, but it’s one we thought was very unique for the actual anniversary.”
So, that seems to be what Nintendo is going with. it won’t quiet a lot of the fears in different corners of social media about a Disney Vault style of releases going forward. This conversation obviously links to ongoing discussions about video game preservation and archival as well. For now, fans who really wanted access to these titles would have to move quickly. But, if those titles end up on the Nintendo shop all separately priced for more than the original bundle, there are going to be more questions coming Mr. Bowser’s way.
Do you think Nintendo is going to stick to their words here? Or is that just a little too convenient? Let us know down in the comments!
