"Super Mario Run," the first mobile game from Nintendo, will require a stable internet connection to play. The highly anticipated mobile game comes out next week for iOS before it is made available for Android next year.
In a recent interview with Mashable, "Super Mario Run" producer Shigeru Miyamoto explained the surprising restriction, saying that the decision to not make the game available in offline mode is one way of deterring piracy. "For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us," he said. "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."
Miyamoto also told the outlet that the issue of security is one of the reasons Nintendo decided to release "Super Mario Run" for iOS and the iPhone first. The video game producer also confirmed that the always-on internet connection requirement applies to all three of the game's modes and will keep all of them functioning together. "So this is just - based on the current development environment - a requirement that's been built into the game to support security and the fact that the three different modes are connecting to the network and interacting with one another." While many "Super Mario Run" fans will doubtlessly be disappointed by the internet requirement, 9to5Mac notes that Nintendo could do away with the restriction sometime in the future.
"Super Mario Run" is Nintendo's first game to be released for non-Nintendo hardware. And unlike typical Nintendo video game releases, "Super Mario Run" will be made available in 150 countries. The upcoming side-scrolling auto-runner video game will be free to download but will require a one-time fee of $9.99 to unlock all levels. It is slated to drop for iOS on Thursday, Dec. 15, and for Android sometime in 2017.