A lot of buzz has been stirring around Nintendo’s plans for mobile game releases, ever since it announced that it was partnering with DeNA to bring some of its game characters to iOS and Android devices earlier this year. However, up until this point, just what kind of approach the company was taking was unknown – but at least now, consumers have a somewhat clearer picture.

Speaking with shareholders this weekend, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata didn’t quite nail down just how much the company’s mobile games would cost, but he did provide details on what kind of approach they would take, emphasizing on “free-to-start.”

Iwata did state that he was concerned about “games with a one-time payment system have not been doing a great job on smart devices,” thus creating a free-to-play style system that would benefit both the parent company and the partners at DeNA. But don’t expect one that other games use, as, according to Iwata, “we do not want to use the free-to-play terminology that implies that you can play games free-of-charge.”

So where does the term “free-to-start” come from Iwata said that “this term more aptly describes that at the beginning you can start to play for free.”

What this means is that games are likely going to come with in-game purchases, whether it’s unlocking levels, characters or other features that players will want to take advantage of. Again, no specifics were given, but it sounds like that’s the business strategy the team wants to go with. The implication also seems to be that after a certain point you won’t be able to play further in the game without paying in some fashion. This starts to sound much more like a free demo of the game rather than the free-to-play style common on mobile, which is perhaps why Nintendo is wisely insisting on using different terminology. Setting expectations properly is important for success, and Nintendo seems to be careful about managing expectations for its mobile games.

However, overspending probably won’t be an issue, as the company’s previously released Pokemon Rumble World proved with a $40 spending limit.

Iwata closed the Q & A by stating that there won’t be too many mobile games coming from the company “from this year to the next,” instead focusing on a smaller group of games based on popular franchises – the “quality, not quantity” approach. And that may be best for a company that’s just getting started in the mobile game business.

We’ll see just what Nintendo has planned when its first mobile release drops later this year.