Miitomo launching in Japan next week

Miitomo will be available for download starting March 17 in Japan, Nintendo announced on Twitter. Pre-registration for the mobile title, Nintendo's first, is currently open.

Miitomo is a social-focused, free-to-start app. Players will create Mii characters that can communicate with those belonging to their friends and others. Miis can pass along messages to each other that pose questions or reveal secret facts about their owners. There's also a photography mode that allows players to upload pictures of their Miis in different situations to social media.

Users can also buy new outfits and customization options for their Miis. These are bought with Miitomo coins, which can be accrued by playing the game or through in-app purchases.

The app requires players to have a Nintendo Account, a new service Nintendo launched earlier this year. Registration for an Account is currently open.

Nintendo announced Miitomo at a meeting for investors last October, saying then that it would be available on iOS and Android worldwide by March 2016. It's one of five mobile titles Nintendo has in development with partner DeNA. Nintendo plans to launch the apps, which will be both original concepts and based on existing intellectual property, on smart devices by March 2017.

We've reached out to Nintendo about Miitomo's Western launch date and will update accordingly.