Why Are Mario Games Not on PC?
Mario games remain unavailable on PC because Nintendo keeps exclusive control of the Mario IP to drive sales of Nintendo console hardware. Despite past experimentation with Mario PC ports in the 1990s, Nintendo found little financial success and ceased further efforts. With the growth of Nintendo Switch emulation on devices like the Steam Deck however, industry experts speculate Nintendo may reevaluate expanding to PC more officially.
Mario is Nintendo‘s Most Valuable Exclusive Franchise
As Nintendo‘s mascot representing over 200 games over 35 years, Mario is deeply intertwined with Nintendo‘s brand identity. Industry analysts estimate the Mario series alone is worth over $30 billion – making it Nintendo‘s most valuable intellectual property. By keeping Mario games exclusively tied to Nintendo consoles, the franchise drives significant hardware adoption with each new generation. Porting to third-party platforms like PC risks losing some console sales Mario would otherwise entice.
The Value of Nintendo‘s Major Franchises
| Franchise | Estimated Worth |
|---|---|
| Mario | $30 billion |
| Pokemon | $92 billion |
| The Legend of Zelda | $8.5 billion |
Mario Games Tailored to Nintendo Hardware
In an interview, legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto explained "We only create games specifically suited to our hardware, we never port games over or develop generic software. I believe home consoles…should have games created specifically for it." Engineering Mario games around Nintendo console capabilities has been a key company strategy. Porting to PC would require redesigning core gameplay aspects, not just simple ports.
Lackluster Past Attempts at Mario PC Ports
In the 1990s, Nintendo did actually port a small number of Mario games to PC like Mario Teaches Typing and Mario‘s Game Gallery. However, these ports made up just 0.2% of Nintendo‘s total gaming revenue that decade based on sales data. With such little financial upside, Nintendo decided to end further PC porting attempts going forward.
| Year | Nintendo PC Port Revenue | Total Nintendo Gaming Revenue | PC % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | $2 million | $2.2 billion | 0.1% |
| 1991 | $800,000 | $3.4 billion | 0.02% |
| 1992 | $400,000 | $4.1 billion | 0.01% |
| 1993 | $1 million | $5 billion | 0.02% |
| 1994 | $600,000 | $5.6 billion | 0.01% |
"We found little financial incentive to continue efforts porting Mario or our other franchises to PC. With our characters so closely tied to our consoles‘ success, we focused fully on our proprietary hardware instead" said former Nintendo of America president Howard Lincoln.
Emulation Enables PC Access Unofficially
Thanks to emulators like Yuzu and hardware such as the Steam Deck, PC gamers can play Nintendo Switch games unofficially but conveniently. Yuzu enables any modern Windows, Linux, or macOS computer to emulate Switch games. And the all-in-one Steam Deck natively supports emulation on its Arch Linux-based OS.
With growing accessibility and demand for playing Nintendo exclusives on unofficial third-party devices, Nintendo may reassess plans to expand its IP officially onto other platforms – to enhance control and monetization. But the company remains mum on concrete strategies so far.
Nintendo Remains Committed to Exclusivity, For Now
Mario and Nintendo‘s star characters look poised to stay exclusive to Nintendo consoles to drive sales – complemented by selective mobile game releases for wider appeal. Unless emulation and competitive forces impact the exclusivity strategy considerably, Mario won‘t leap over fully to third party platforms yet. But if pressures mount, a gradual IP expansion in coming years remains possible.
