Ahead of Console Launch, Nintendo Finances Boosted by Pokémon
Two Pokémon games in 2016 ensured a strong finish to the year for Nintendo, who hopes to continue the momentum with the launch of Switch, its next-gen console, in March.
In its latest quarter, Nintendo reported more than $500 million in profit on revenue of $1.5 billion—a big step up from the quarter before, when Nintendo was in the red.
Revenue for 2016 was down overall, but Pokémon Sun and Moon for 3DS have sold nearly 15 million units since their November release. And Mario Run for iOS, Nintendo’s first mobile game, broke records with 40 million downloads in four days.
Wii U sales are down 75% year-over-year and game sales are down 45%. So while mobile has performed well for Nintendo, the Switch is a necessary continuation of its home-based console gaming.