Nintendo look to Local Play to spur 3DS success overseas

With the realms of online multiplayer reducing the desire to play locally with family and friends, Nintendo will look to differentiate themselves in overseas markets.

They will do so by promoting Local Play, Nintendo 3DS games normally allowing up to four players to play against one another through a local wireless connection. This has proven particularly popular in Japan mainly through the Pokémon, Monster Hunter and Yo-Kai Watch series, and Nintendo will promote how it allows player to share gameplay tips or games that they have been enjoying.

“We are also planning to further promote multiplayer Local Play in order to further accelerate the expansion of Nintendo 3DS in overseas markets,” Iwata explained Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing.

“During the popularisation process of handheld gaming systems in Japan, multiplayer Local Play has contributed greatly to the Pokémon, Monster Hunter and Yo-Kai Watch franchises.”

He continued, “We believe that multiplayer Local Play has played such a significant role in the expansion of handheld gaming systems for a variety of reasons: it creates a fun environment where users teach one another, games that are actually really fun to play tend to spread by word-of-mouth and for the experience of the super-stable 3D feature of New Nintendo 3DS, seeing is truly believing.”