Fire Emblem Heroes got off to a strong start last week with 2 Million downloads on its very first day! Nintendo isn’t stopping there, as they have already announced plans for new content being added over the next five weeks.
Starting yesterday, February 6th, they released the first "Launch Celebration Map". Nintendo will release one new map each week on Monday for the next four weeks. You will find these in the Special Maps section of the Battle Page. They also come in two difficulty settings offering 3 orbs apiece upon completion. This week’s map is perfect for those just getting started as it's only at level 5 and 15 in difficulty.
Orbs are the main form of currency for the game. These are used to summon new heroes, enhance your base, and more. It takes five Orbs to summon your first hero with discounts for summoning multiple heroes at once. In fact, it’s beneficial to summon five heroes at a time due to the substantial savings on each. This is where Nintendo hopes to make their money with the game and so far, it seems to be working.
As you can see by SensorTower's data, Fire Emblem grossed $2.9 Million on day one. While this is substantially less than Super Mario Run's day one haul, they were released with very different revenue models. Super Mario Run has an upfront cost of $9.99 once you get past the demo section. You buy it once and it's unlocked forever. On the other hand, Fire Emblem Heroes is completely free. Nintendo hopes to entice you with a Gashapon system, commonly referred to as Gacha, where the character you receive is unlocked completely by chance.
If you are confused, think of the small vending machines outside of your local supermarket. You may get an awesome Batman tattoo or you might get one of those cheap sticky hands, or in Fire Emblem's case, Donnel.
How much have you spent in Fire Emblem Heroes so far? Have you enjoyed it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
