Due To Piracy Concerns, Super Mario Run Will Require An Internet Connection At All Times To Play

With Super Mario Run going out to the public starting next week, more and more tidbits about the game are coming into fruition.

In an interview with Mashable, producer Shigeru Miyamoto says that Super Mario Run will require a constant network connection in order to play the game. Nintendo says this is due to piracy concerns.

The game is free to download but requires a one-time $9.99 in-app purchase to unlock all levels. Piracy on iOS can be achieved through jailbroken devices with app stores dedicated to pirating applications.

Here’s Miyamoto’s response to the question:

For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us. And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we’re able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure, and that they’re able to play it in a stable environment.

We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the [Super Mario Run] modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure. This is something that we want to continue to work on as we continue to develop the game.

Just to be clear: When you say “security,” you mean the risk of piracy, right?
That’s correct.

According to the transcribed interview, Nintendo is worried about piracy risks as the game will be launching in 150 countries on devices it does not have any control over. The company says that a network connection is used to update game saves and sync progress across devices via a Nintendo cloud account.

However, ‘at one point’ it wanted to make the World Tour story mode available offline but it proved to be a technical challenge as it had to incorporate too other modes: Toad Rally and Kingdom.

It’s likely that this news will not go well with the public. One of the biggest advantage of iPhone games, or any mobile game for that matter, is that it doesn’t need to be tethered to a particular location.

Requiring an internet connection greatly hinders the game’s availability as it will be unavailable while on planes, underground trips, and various other places that can’t receive an internet connection.

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