Mario Kart Tour has begun a limited closed beta test on Android devices for randomly invited users, and it appears that timed-stamina refills, time gating for courses, premium gems, and gacha-style loot boxes will all be a part of the game’s monetization structure.

First off, Mario Kart Tour appears to have two types of timers that limit how players access the content and their playtime. There is a bar with five hearts, and each time a player begins a race, one of these hearts is depleted. It begins to replenish itself automatically over a period of twelve minutes.

Via: 9to5google.com

Presumably, players can refill these instantly with real money or “gems,” which are the game's premium currency, however this is not set in stone. As many games do follow this sort of “Stamina” system that refills gradually over time or by paying, it seems like a logical assumption to make that we will see the same system here.

The second type of timer is rather strange in that they seem only to gate access to content. There are currently 13 confirmed racetracks in the game, however one player reported a one-hour timer that needed to expire to access the “Toadette Cup.” During the beta, there was no way of bypassing this time gate, but that may change in the future.

The game also has a form of gacha-style loot box that will require the emerald gem premium currency to unlock. Spending five emeralds allows for a single, random unlock of either a new character, a go-kart model, or a glider accessory. As there are currently at least 30 confirmed characters in game, up to 3-6 karts per character based on weight class, gliders for those karts, and the possibility of other unreleased cosmetics or boosts, we could easily be looking at a loot table of over 100 items. Unfortunately since the price of these gems is not yet available, we cannot speculate on what it would cost to unlock everything on day one using only premium currency.

Via: iphon.fr

One aspect that may turn off some players from these loot boxes are that certain items have a higher rarity level than others. These characters, karts, or gliders may not be any more useful when racing, but they will be more difficult to acquire, forcing players to open many loot boxes. In the process, duplicate items that have already been opened are often replaced with a small amount of currency, perhaps at 20% the value of an uncollected item. If these items of greater rarity offer players any sort of a competitive advantage, then there will certainly be issues taken with the microtransaction model.

RELATED: Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp & Fire Emblem Heroes Are Being Discontinued In Belgium Due To Microtransaction Laws

While this initial examination of the monetization model for Mario Kart Tour may seem less than ideal, players should look to Nintendo’s history in similar situations. Both Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp employ a similar form of gacha-style loot box feature, and while the option to purchase premium currency exists, players have written extensive guides on how to play those games for the long haul without spending any real money. Doing so may speed things along, but they are not necessary purchases to play the game.

With that said, the entire idea of monetization through these types of loot boxes is currently a hot topic for debate. In Mario Kart Tour, they appear at the forefront of the consumer experience. The pre-race selection has a single button that takes you straight to the store, and so players are always a click away from being able to spend money. As the game currently stands, it will not be releasing in Belgium due to their new laws regarding video game loot boxes.

There is also the possibility that Nintendo changes how the game is monetized based on previous statements. In fact, the loot box, stamina, and premium currency revealed today is a bit of a shock considering how adamant Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima was after speaking about Super Mario Run. That game employed a pay-once model and then failed to meet expected sales goals, and so the issue of monetization for future mobile projects was brought up. At that time, Kimishima asserted that the pay-once model would continue to be used in future projects. It appears that there must have been some serious discussion at Nintendo to merit such an about-face on their own plans.

For now it is best to be patient and wait for concrete details to be released regarding premium currency and the viability of playing the game without excessive spending. Hopefully Nintendo can find an appropriate balance between consumers wanting to support the developers to justify their costs, while also not leaning towards the price-gouging tactics of other mobile games.

Mario Kart Tour is still expected to release in the summer of 2019.

NEXT: Blizzard Unveils 18 Hearthstone Card Buffs And A New Legendary Coming In June