Why Nintendo’s Super Mario Run may not have the same instant success as Pokémon Go

Casual mobile games, including the popular Pokémon Go from Niantic, Inc., enjoy the highest benefits from word-of-mouth virality, according to Peanut Labs’ new survey of mobile gamers. But while many people know Nintendo’s Mario character as a brand, a lot of people don’t know that the Super Mario Run mobile game is debuting soon.

Peanut Labs, a subsidiary of Research Now, found those results after it conducted the survey of more than 1,100 gamers to better understand mobile consumer needs, discovery, engagement, and monetization strategies. It sheds new light on some of the top games in the $36 billion mobile gaming market.

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This study unveils key performance indicators for some of the biggest mobile games in the hopes of enlightening other mobile game developers, publishers, and marketers.

Peanut Labs separated its groups into female gamers, male gamers ages 18 to 24, and male gamers 25 to 49 with household incomes of $100,000 or more.

Some of the consumer findings include:

• Among mobile gamers, only 52 percent are familiar with the concept of the mobile release Super Mario Run, which debuts on December 15. That suggests Nintendo has a lot of advertising to do.
• Clash of Clans has the highest re-engagement rate via push notifications, and Mobile Strike has the highest re-engagement rate via email notifications.
• Among five hits that Peanut studied, Madden NFL Football enjoys the highest (more than 90 percent) recommend intent, where consumers say they will recommend it to their friends.

The survey found that multiple ways exist to engage and retain players. The mid-core game (which appeal to hardcore gamers but have short play sessions) Clash of Clans from Supercell uses push notifications aggressively. But another mid-core hit, Madden NFL Football, balances gameplay experience and push notifications to earn top honors and the highest user recommendation.

Meanwhile, the mid-core strategy game Mobile Strike from MZ achieves the highest play time, monetization, and lifetime value.

For branded or original-intellectual-property content, game creators may want to test consumers’ sentiment, price
sensitivity, and trial/purchase intent early and frequently, Peanut Labs said.

A survey of the Research Now/Peanut Labs panel took place between October 12 and October 17, 2016.