Nintendo has revealed that their very first free-to-play title will be based on Steel Diver, the 3DS submarine sim. Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed the news via
IGN where he revealed that the new free-to-play title isn't just a 3DS port, instead gaining new features including multiplayer.
"There is something we’re doing with the Steel Diver idea that I think is going to open things up with that game... It’s going to be very fun. We’re exploring from a perspective of where we can take that from a multiplayer standpoint - it's going to have this four-player battle mode that I think is going to be very interesting," Miyamoto told me.
Nintendo has yet to decide on how exactly the title will be monetised; Miyamoto revealed that the company is tossing up between memberships or micro-transactions for extra benefits, ensuring that a balance is kept between the free-to-play and paid users. The game has also been given a guarantee of seeing a retail release for those still uneasy about digital ordering.
Miyamoto also added that "It's something that we're hoping to be able to show relatively soon" so hopefully that means an appearance in any of their upcoming Nintendo Direct streams.