Rumor has it that a new Mario Kart game is in production for the Switch, and that it's going to take some sort of risk. If that information sounds vague, that's because it is, as industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto didn't say much about the project when revealing its existence to GamesIndustry.biz earlier this week. The few details that he did share paint an interesting picture: Toto said that Mario Kart 9 is in "active development," that it could be revealed later this year, and that it will have a "new twist," although he didn't explain what exactly that "twist" entails.
Since Toto came forward with the information, there's been plenty of speculation about what Mario Kart 9's twist could be; from an open-world take on the franchise similar to the recently released Forza Horizon 5, to a major gaming crossover title like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While there are an infinite number of possibilities for what could be in store for Mario's next karting outing, the series taking a live-service approach makes a lot of sense for the future of the franchise, and for Nintendo as a whole.
A Live Service Mario Kart Game
So far, Nintendo has been reluctant to make the shift that a lot of other major gaming companies have made to the live-service market when it comes to mainline console releases. This comes in part to the company's unwillingness to fully embrace online elements in its titles, as the internet isn't always the most family-friendly place, and family-friendly is a major part of Nintendo's brand. Its mobile releases, on the other hand, fully lean into a lot of the live-service elements that are present in the rest of the industry, so it feels like it's nearly time for Nintendo's live-service efforts to make the jump from mobile titles to console ones.
Mario Kart seems like the perfect franchise for Nintendo to use as its live-service title given its consistent major popularity and approachability. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe launched on the Switch in April 2017, and has been a best seller on the platform every single month since its release, so the audience for new Mario Kart games is widespread among Switch owners. This would allow a live service Mario Kart 9 to flourish, as it would already have a huge playerbase. The number of fans returning to it regularly to complete daily and weekly challenges, as well as participate in limited-time events, especially following launch, would be large.
Further adding to this, Nintendo has already tested the waters of a live-service Mario Kart game with the mobile title, Mario Kart Tour which has players returning to complete daily and weekly challenges while also participating in seasonal events. Bringing those elements to a console Mario Kart game that would also include the franchise's classic modes could do a lot to innovate the franchise and start bringing Nintendo up to speed in terms of online gaming.
The only thing truly standing in the way of Mario Kart 9 potentially being a live-service game is Nintendo's family-friendly branding, as live-service titles have often been compared to casinos, due to the inclusion of things such as random loot boxes and cosmetics that cost real money. In-game purchases are things that Nintendo has shied away from in its first-party releases, but the company has done a good job on the Switch with its parent controls that bar accounts from making purchases on the eStore or accessing specific games. The company could potentially integrate those features into the game to keep younger players from accessing that content or making purchases.
Mario Kart 9 is reportedly in development.
Source: GamesIndustry