Author: Stephen

Nintendo is embracing mobile games

| November 3, 2015

Nintendo plans to launch its first authentic mobile game in 2016

Nintendo has become the latest game developer and publisher to begin focusing more on mobile games. The Japanese company has a long history with making games mobile-friendly, being the premier name in the provider of handheld gaming consoles. Now, the company is unveiling its first game made specifically for smartphones: Miitomo. The game will serve as a type of social application, allowing users to share information with one another with their Mii avatars.

Company sees significant promise in the mobile gaming space as more consumers rely on their smartphones for entertainment

The company had initially planned to launch the game at the end of this year, but has delayed the launch until March of 2016. This has cast some doubts on Nintendo’s mobile gaming plans, leading to a 10% decrease in the company’s shares. Despite this, however, Nintendo believes that its Miitomo title will be a success among its longstanding fans, especially those that have become very interested in mobile games over the past several years.

Miitomo will make mobile games more social

Mobile Games - Gaming on Mobile DeviceMiitomo resembles other social applications in that it allows users to interact with one another in real time. They will be using their Mii avatars to accomplish this, with the avatars themselves serving as a way to allow user sot get to know one another. Nintendo intends to introduce some of its popular characters into the mobile game at a later date, introducing some nostalgia into the title and making it more familiar with consumers that have been Nintendo fans since the company got its beginning.

Nintendo will not be focusing exclusively on mobile games

Nintendo is just one of several companies that has begun to focus on mobile games. Konami, another Japanese developer and publisher, recently announced that it would be focusing almost exclusively on mobile titles for the foreseeable future. Nintendo does not intend to follow suit, but the company will be paying more attention to the mobile space, especially as the demand for enjoyable and highly social mobile games continues to rise among consumers.

Google to add loyalty program to its popular mobile payments service

| October 29, 2015

New program could add more value to Google’s Android Pay service

Google is looking to add value to its already popular Android Pay service. The company released its new mobile payments solution in September of this year, and it has managed to attract a great deal of support from consumers interested in using their smartphones to make purchases. Google already had an established mobile payments service, called Google Wallet, but relatively few people opted to use this. Android Pay, however, offers better features that have proven more attractive to consumers.

Majority of those using Android Pay have never used Google Wallet

According to Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s senior vice president of ads and commerce, several million people with Android devices are now using Android Pay. Approximately 60% of these people have never used Google Wallet before, making Android Pay their first experience with Google’s mobile payments infrastructure. While consumers have already shown interest in the service, Google is looking to make it more attractive and the company plans to introduce a loyalty program.

Loyalty program will provide consumers with reward points they can use for products they may be interested in

Mobile Payments - Loyalty ProgramThe loyalty program is expected to be launched in the coming months and will focus on numerous companies, with Coke being the first. Through the loyalty program, Android Pay users will be able to tap their smartphone to one of Coke’s soda cans that they purchase. Doing so, they will earn reward points that can be used to purchase Coke products. Google believes that the loyalty program will add more value to Android Pay, making it more attractive to consumers and retailers alike.

Google aims to raise awareness of mobile payments among consumers

Raising awareness of mobile payments is also a priority for Google. The company has begun partnering with several organizations, including AT&T and MasterCard, in order to help consumers learn about mobile commerce. One of the attractive aspects of mobile payments is its convenient nature, and Google intends to highlight this as one of the drawing points for Android Pay. Raising awareness may add more momentum to Google’s mobile payments plans.