Super Mario Run Won’t Work Without the Internet

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, has revealed that you will need an Internet connection to play Super Mario Run, the character’s debut on mobile releasing next week.

Speaking with Mashable, Miyamoto said that the decision had been taken to combat the game’s piracy. “For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us,” he added. “And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we're able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure, and that they're able to play it in a stable environment.”

(Also see: Super Mario Run iPhone Development Was Not ‘Simpler’: Nintendo)

When Mashable asked if he was referring to the risk of piracy in “security”, he said: “That’s correct. Unlike our dedicated game devices, the game is not releasing in a limited number of countries. We're launching in 150 countries and each of those countries has different network environments and things like that. So it was important for us to be able to have it secure for all users.”

“…Actually, the security element is one of the reasons that we decided to go with iPhone and iOS first,” Miyamoto noted. “We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the [Super Mario Run] modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure.” Miyamoto said that they considered branching off the World Tour mode into its own app – the only mode out of three that doesn’t rely on Internet connection – to allow offline-play but decided against it in favour of keeping things simple.

(Also see: Nintendo Shows Off Super Mario Run and Nintendo Switch in Action)

It’s unclear at this point if Super Mario Run will need a persistent online connection, which would prevent you from continuing gameplay in poor network areas or underground. We won’t have to wait too long to find out though, Super Mario Run hits App Store December 15.

We discuss Super Mario Run and what to expect when it hits a wider audience on Android. All this and more on Orbital: The Gadgets 360 Podcast.

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