Category: Apps

It seems users may already be growing bored with the video game company’s first smartphone app.

Almost two months ago, Nintendo entered the mobile gaming market, launching its first game app, Miitomo. Unsurprisingly, it was a huge success when it first hit app stores, surpassing 4 million active users in mid April and pulling in an impressive $280,000 per week for the company. Since its launch, the Nintendo mobile game has had over 10 million downloads. However, it seems to have lost momentum, and interest for the game appears to be waning, turning this somewhat social network-style game into a ghost town.

Currently, only an estimated 2.5 million users play Miitomo.

A recent study conducted by Survey Monkey Intelligence found that while the game has had 10 million downloads, not all of these players have returned to the game. In fact, according to the study, it is estimated that presently only 2.5 million users actively play it, which is a low number considering the millions of downloads the game has had.

Furthermore, the study found that when compared to two popular mobile games, King’s, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, and Supercell’s, Clash Royale, Miitomo is only played half as much per week. It also has a fairly high weekly churn rate at 48% compared to Clash Royale’s 20% rate and Candy Crush Jelly Saga’s 23%.

This is problematic for Nintendo because since the game is like a social network, the gameplay relies on users interacting with one another. Therefore, once the user-base drops, there isn’t too much that can be done to maintain interest.

The fact that this Nintendo mobile game also functions like a social app could be one of its downfalls.

One of the reasons why Miitomo may be declining so rapidly is due to the fact that it is a social app/game hybrid. Once a player’s Mii is fully customized, all that’s left for a player to do is explore little quests and play the app’s solitary games. While players can use their Mii to interact with other players, unless players want to interact with random strangers more than their friends, it likely won’t be that fun.

That said, it’s still too early to tell if Miitomo will become the Japanese gaming giant’s first mobile app blunder. Nevertheless, even if it turns out to be a bust, this Nintendo mobile game won’t be the company’s last.

One in four mobile consumers has at least one mobile app specific to restaurants on their smartphone.

This statistic was discovered by a recent study published by RetailMeNot, Inc., which commissioned Google Consumer Surveys to poll more than 1,000 American consumers on their dining and food habits, including smartphone usage for searches and activities related to restaurants. What the study found was that there were several interesting consumer smartphone trends related to food and dining, such as among the participants surveyed who said that they dine out eight to ten times per week, over two-thirds of these respondents use a restaurant-specific mobile app.

Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 engage in the most restaurant research on their mobile devices.

The main reasons why restaurant goers use their smartphones is to locate restaurants (53%), browse a menu (49%) and research new restaurants (37%). According to the study, smartphone users in the 25 to 34 age range (millennials) were the most likely to research new restaurants on their mobile phone compared to any other age group (60%).

Mobile marketing is an important part of restaurant-related consumer smartphone trends.

It was discovered that nine out of ten diners who participated in the survey said that they have searched for a restaurant deal at least once. Furthermore, those who earn the most money also tend to be the ones who use online or mobile restaurant deals the most. That being said, eight out of ten consumers who participated admitted that they would likely try a new restaurant if a deal was being offered.

Chief marketing officer in North America for RetailMeNot, Inc., Marissa Tarleton, explained that with the increasing number of consumers turning to their smartphones to assist them with their dining choices, it is becoming more important for restaurants to make the most of mobile advertising.

“Mobile marketing technology is a powerful medium when it comes to serving up the right dining content, in the right location, at the right time,” Tarleton said. “When done well, mobile has the ability to drive more diners through their doors and keep them coming back for more.”

The bottom line is that while researching restaurant locations and new venues is among the bigger smartphone trends for American restaurant patrons, it seems that the majority of consumers actively use their mobile devices to take advantage of restaurant deals.