Nintendo will allow for a "free-to-play" service, allowing consumers to download apps for free but still have in-app purchases. Popular franchises such as "Fire Emblem" and "Animal Crossing" will adopt this capability after launch.

Nintendo's upcoming smartphone renditions of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing will be free-to-play, according to DeNA's Chief Executive Isao Moriyasu. DeNA specializes in the development of mobile games.

The terminology used by Moriyasu was "free-to-start," as a consumer will not have to pay anything to start the mobile game.

However, they will be monetized by the use of in-app purchases. The partnership between Nintendo and DeNA has increased recently, in an attempt to grow the number of mobile apps available on Nintendo's handheld devices. This could be seen as a norm going forward should the company's strategy be a success.

Mobile apps such as Animal Crossing use its own currency, much like other games. An app like Animal Crossing uses "bells" as its currency. This allows players to purchase items in the game, pay off their in-game homes and much more.

Free-to-start is also known as free-to-play and is a strategy commonly used by mobile-game firms which allows users to begin a game free of charge, but contains in-app purchases to upgrade that allow for a more effective and wholesome gaming experience.

This newer business model aims to attain new users quicker as there is no billable barrier to entry for the user. According to The Wall Street Journal, Serkan Toto, a Tokyo-based game consultant, said free-to-play is "the king" in today's game industry, stressing that Nintendo should embrace the trend to survive.

It remains unclear as to how Nintendo will handle the strategy and high-profile franchises, however, free-to-play will almost certainly get more users downloading their mobile apps. Reactions to the in-app purchases and how they technically affect the user experience of the mobile game is yet to be discovered.