Nintendo reports strong sales, projects profits leading into new period

The numbers don’t lie in Nintendo’s fiscal year end report, projecting profits driven by strong sales for the Switch, the new Zelda and Pokemon.

The Facts

In a release showing the company’s financial figures up to the fiscal period ending March 31, 2017, Nintendo reported strong sales for its new console the Nintendo Switch, with 2.74 million units sold worldwide since its release on March 3, 2017. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” also saw strong total sales, with 2.76 million units and sold for the Switch as well as 1.08 million units sold for the Wii U.

In addition, the 3DS saw strong console and software sales, driven by the release of “Pokemon: Sun and Moon” which sold 15.44 million units worldwide. The NES Mini proved to be a runaway success with demand far outpacing supply, and their mobile game offerings like “Super Mario Run” and “Fire Emblem: Heroes” also drew strong support.

Looking forward, the company expects good sales from its upcoming Switch titles “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” in April, “Arms” in June and “Splatoon 2” in July. They currently project Switch sales to reach 10 million units and a projected profit of 45 billion yen, or $404.8 million, by the end of the fiscal year 2018.

Author’s Take

The release of the Switch certainly gave Nintendo the financial shot in the arm it needed, and the NES Mini busted open the door for limited rereleases of their older consoles as shown by the rumblings of the SNES mini releasing later this year. With several titles slated for release throughout this year, we could very well see Nintendo re-establishing itself as a powerhouse in the console and gaming market.