Nintendo’s first smartphone app, Miitomo, will launch here in the States this March on both the iOS and Android platforms, and just yesterday Nintendo revealed that would-be early adopters can start prepping for the release later this month.
Beginning February 17th, fans can pre-register for Miitomo by signing up for the new Nintendo Account service using their existing email, social media accounts, or current Nintendo Network ID. Those who pre-register will be notified first regarding Miitomo‘s availability, and Nintendo even plans to offer a special bonus to those who sign up prior to launch.
Other details were scarce, but Miitomo was described as “a social experience that uses Nintendo’s Mii characters […] to engage friends in a lighthearted and welcoming environment.” This will include answering daily get-to-know-you questions–not unlike the Wii’s Everybody Votes Channel opinion poll–as well as Mii-centric photo sharing options.
This release will also coincide with the long-awaited replacement of the discontinued Club Nintendo service in the form of the new My Nintendo rewards program. My Nintendo promises to be more than a traditional rewards program, specifically “a more comprehensive service that rewards users for interacting with Nintendo products and services in a variety of ways.” Exactly what ways remains to be seen, though the crew at Tiny Cartridge did get the scoop from a recent Japanese investors meeting.
With more mobile apps on the horizon, the Nintendo-faithful have a lot to look forward to in 2016, but I’m actually rather taken by the Tomodachi Life-style charm of Miitomo itself. While I certainly don’t think it’ll replace Twitter or Facebook for my regular online interactions, it does appear to put a fun, flexible slant on the community Nintendo has been trying to foster with existing features like the Miiverse/Nintendo Network.
…and it might be the first “social network” my tween kids engage with besides just emailing and chatting with friends on gmail or direct texting. It’s actually a surprisingly robust idea. Sony and Microsoft and Apple and Google have nothing like it.