Nintendo's First Mobile Game to Release in March, Will Have Photo Sharing

Nintendo's first smartphone game, Miitomo, will launch in March for both iOS and Android devices in North America and Europe. The release window was revealed in a shareholder meeting, where Nintendo said it plans to launch Miitomo initially in Japan by mid-March, and then bring it to other territories later that month.

During its presentation, Nintendo also revealed Miifoto, an in-app feature that allows users to share images with others via social networks. Pre-registration for Miitomo will begin on February 17, and users can use their Nintendo Network ID, social network accounts, or email addresses.

Those who register will receive updates about Miitomo and get a special bonus for the My Nintendo rewards program, which is the replacement for Club Nintendo. The exact nature of the rewards is unclear.

Miitomo was first revealed in October, 2015, when it was described as a an entertainment and communication platform. Although exact details are not clear, Miitomo appears to be reminiscent to Tomodachi Life.

"Miitomo is a social experience that uses Nintendo's Mii characters to engage friends in a lighthearted, playful and welcoming social setting," Nintendo explained in a recent press release.

"Using Mii characters users will be able to interact with their friends in an entirely new way to spark fun and interesting conversations such as 'what song has been stuck in your head lately?', 'do you believe in aliens?', or even 'if you saw a nose hair sticking out of your friend’s nose, what would you do?'"

It continues: "By answering questions in Miitomo, users will be able to discover surprising information and secrets about their friends, as well as share their experiences with others easily by taking and sharing photos featuring their Mii using the Miifoto feature."

Miitomo will "be free to play, with attractive add-ons that people can pay for."

The new My Nintendo rewards program will also launch alongside Miitomo in March and "aims to become much more than a traditional rewards program," according to Nintendo.

"It is a more comprehensive service that rewards users for interacting with Nintendo products and services in a variety of ways. Miitomo users with a Nintendo Account will be able to take advantage of My Nintendo to enhance their experience."

DeNA and Nintendo plan to launch five smartphone games by March 2017. Miitomo was expected to arrive before the end of the year but was delayed to March. Company president Tatsumi Kimishima said delay was due to "the need for more lead time to fully promote and explain Miitomo,"