Mario Kart Tour Multiplayer Testing to Begin in December: Nintendo

Mario Kart Tour currently lacks the option to race against friends, leaving the game without a key element.

By Reuters | Updated: 1 November 2019 12:46 IST

Mario Kart Tour Multiplayer Testing to Begin in December: Nintendo

Mario Kart Tour comes as a major test of Nintendo's shift to mobile

Highlights

Nintendo's shares jumped almost seven percent on Friday
Nintendo Switch Lite sales hit 2 million mark in 10 days after launch
Luigi's Mansion 3 for Switch also went on sale on Thursday

Nintendo said on Friday it would begin testing a multiplayer option for its Mario Kart Tour mobile game in December, a step towards the full multiplayer mode demanded by players and seen as essential to boosting the title's revenues.

A major test of Nintendo's shift to mobile, Mario Kart Tour currently lacks the option to race against friends, leaving the game without a key element that has helped make it one of Nintendo's longest running franchises.

Nintendo's shares jumped almost seven percent on Friday, a day after the Japanese gaming company also reported strong demand for a low-cost version of its hybrid home-portable Switch console.

Nintendo said on Thursday it sold almost two million units of its handheld-only Switch Lite device in the 10 days after its September launch, with the company's operating profit doubling in the second quarter.

Switch Lite is being purchased by many gamers as a second device and is also gaining traction among female players, Nintendo said, helping expand the device's mainstream appeal beyond a hardcore gaming contingent.

As Nintendo bolsters its hardware and software lineup ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season, the latest high profile Switch release, Luigi's Mansion 3, went on sale on Thursday to a positive critical reception.

Nintendo is not the only gaming company looking to mobile to bolster revenues, with Konami Holdings on Thursday launching a mobile version of its long running LovePlus dating sim series in Japan.

Konami's shares were trading up 4.2 percent at the midday break in Tokyo. Nintendo's shares were up 5.9 percent, with the benchmark index down 0.4 percent.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.