<div><strong>Simar Singh</strong><br> </div><div>Remember Nintendo? The company that opened the doors of video gaming with Mario and a slew of hand-held Gameboys which were a must-have for any self-respecting kid in the 90s and 00s. Till, of course, Sony’s Playstation and Microsoft’s Xbox took their spot in the sun and now smartphones and tablets. Haven’t thought about them for a while have you?</div><div> </div><div>After months of speculation, the Japanese gaming company finally previewed its fist ever smartphone game in front of the media and investors in Japan on Wednesday. Named, ‘Miitomo’, Nintendo intends to make the game available for iOS users by March 2016.</div><div> </div><div>The company intends to release four more smartphone geared games by March 2017.</div><div> </div><div>The company says that Miitomo will be free to download with the option of add-ons that will be available to purchase via in-app purchases.</div><div> </div><div>The preview hints that Miitomo does not really fit the parameters of a game in the traditional sense. More of a communication-based app, it allows users to create their own avatars or ‘Miis’ which can communicate with each other in the virtual space.</div><div> </div><div>Nintendo says that this will help “to encourage people who are hesitant to talk to share things about themselves.”</div><div> </div><div>While we’ll have to sit tight till March while Nintendo engages itself in marketing efforts and “educating” people about the game, one can’t help but wonder if this will be the game maker’s catapult into mainstream consciousness. </div>
