Nintendo has a plan to put Super Mario back on the map with "Super Mario Run," an endless runner game for iOS. While it might not be the Mario game everyone is looking for, we might have to deal with it, as it seems Nintendo will not be taking advantage of the burgeoning virtual reality technology on consoles.
In an interview with USA Today, Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto explained why they brought the property to mobile with "Super Mario Run"—a game that originally wasn't going to be a Mario game when it started development last year. In doing so, he also explained exactly why even though they're willing to try out new platforms, they won't be bringing the franchise to VR.
According to Miyamoto, Mario was designed to be an all-around experience—players can play it alone, but younger players can also play it with the rest of their family. Because virtual reality is largely a solo experience that involves closing oneself off to the rest of the world, Miyamoto and Nintendo felt that it didn't really fit with the values the franchise and the company represented.
Also, another practical reason against VR is that Nintendo wanted an experience where people could play as long as they wanted, and the virtual reality experience can get physically exhausting, especially if it involved moving the body around. A VR Super Mario platformer would most likely involve a lot of walking in place.
It also doesn't help that "Super Mario Run" will be on iOS, and Apple hasn't yet made any moves to join the virtual reality race, as GameRant speculates. "Super Mario Run" will be available on iOS devices later this year, while an Android version will also come out next year.
