• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
TechVideo Games

Mario Kart Tour Bursts off the Line to Become Nintendo’s Most Downloaded App in Its First Month

By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 31, 2019, 1:03 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Just one month after releasing Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo is already taking a victory lap.

According to a report released by Sensor Tower on Wednesday, the video game console maker’s newest mobile app has burst forth from the starting line with 124 million downloads in its first month, leaving the company’s previous mobile products in the dust. Of the six apps Nintendo has released since it launched social mobile app Miitomo in 2016, Mario Kart Tour is poised to be the company’s most successful mobile app to date.

Mario Kart Tour‘s download numbers were so good that the racing game even came close to matching how successful Pokémon GO was at launch. Pokémon GO (which actually falls under app-maker Niantic and not Nintendo despite Nintendo serving as Pokémon’s publisher) had 163 million downloads in its first 30 days and became a cultural phenomenon through the summer of 2016. Mario Kart Tour beat Pokémon GO‘s record for first-day downloads by a few million, but couldn’t sustain that great start to overtake the popular GPS-based mobile game.

Over the past three years, Nintendo has slowly built up its mobile repertoire with mixed results. None of its previous apps have come close to the early success Mario Kart Tour is seeing. Nintendo’s first app, Miitomo, shut down last year due to a lack of active users. Its next mobile venture, 2016’s Super Mario Run, was its second most successful, and that only had about 22 million downloads in its first month. Nintendo would later release Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Dragalia Lost, and Dr. Mario World, all of which have seen fewer than 20 million downloads in their first months. Mario Kart Tour, released by Nintendo in late September, brought the Japanese gaming giant’s kart-racing franchise to mobile, after years of exclusivity on the company’s hardware.

But Nintendo was also early to the mobile gaming trend allowing it to experiment with different monetization strategies. It seems like its efforts are finally paying off.

“Nintendo actually started moving into mobile long before a lot big players in the PC and console industries did. I remember at the time there was a lot of skepticism around that, especially from a lot of hardcore gamers,” Sensor Tower mobile analyst Katie Williams told Fortune. “Clearly, they were wrong. It’s working out very well for them.”

For comparison, PC and console staples like Call of Duty and Elder Scrolls only started investing in mobile releases recently with both franchises releasing gaming apps this year.

Despite the success of Mario Kart Tour, the app is not a big money-maker just yet. Sensor Tower estimates the app is only generating $0.26 per player. But Mario Kart Tour also launched with a subscription model—a new strategy for Nintendo’s gaming apps. For $5 a month, players can unlock in-game items, badges, and the fastest Mario Kart playing mode. Williams noted that it’s the most popular purchase on the app and that charges for the purchase aren’t immediate, suggesting Nintendo could see higher revenue figures in the future. “I can only see them making more and more money,” he says.

“They already have some of the most well-known properties in gaming,” Williams said. “I think Nintendo will continue spinning out games in these franchises.”

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—AT&T’s CEO appeased activist investor Elliott Management
—The wireless industry needs more airwaves, but it’s going to be costly
—Spotify’s way to convert free users to paying customers: even more freebies
—Apple looks ahead to augmented reality
—Lyft tries again with monthly memberships. Here’s how much it costs
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Author
By Lisa Marie Segarra
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Amazon Prime Day isn’t a midsummer shopping event anymore. Here’s what changed in 2026
RetailAmazon
Amazon Prime Day isn’t a midsummer shopping event anymore. Here’s what changed in 2026
By Vidhi Choudhary and Retail BrewJune 23, 2026
7 hours ago
The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
Workplace Cultureburnout
The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
By Mikaela Cohen and HR BrewJune 23, 2026
7 hours ago
Quantum computing stocks surge after Trump signed executive orders backing the sector
Investingquantum computing
Quantum computing stocks surge after Trump signed executive orders backing the sector
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 23, 2026
8 hours ago
Alan Greenspan testifying before the Senate Banking Committee.
BankingFederal Reserve
The man who invented the Fed’s magic trick just died. His successor is about to try it again
By Eva RoytburgJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis (left) stands on a spiral staircase next to Google DeepMind researcher John Jumper.
NewslettersEye on AI
Defections from Google DeepMind prompt questions about Alphabet’s efforts to stay at the forefront of AI
By Jeremy KahnJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago
college
SuccessEducation
47% of Harvard seniors admit to cheating — and the problem existed long before ChatGPT
By Austin Sarat and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
16 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
18 hours ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
3 days ago
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Investing
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.