It’s no secret that these past couple years have been tough for Nintendo. Their latest console, the Wii U, failed to catch on commercially, and that fact deeply impacted Nintendo’s bottom line. Earlier this year, Nintendo reported a net loss for the third year in a row, and gamers began to question whether Nintendo would be ditching the Wii U in an effort to rectify this loss. Nintendo has refused to abandon the Wii U, and despite the uphill battle, it looks like it may slowly be starting to work in the company’s favor.
For the six month fiscal period ending last September, Nintendo is now back in the black with a modest profit of $132 million, Time reports . This has no doubt been the result of games like Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors , which have helped to bolster the sales of the hardware. And with the upcoming Super Smash Bros. and Amiibo toy line coming up, Nintendo is likely hoping to bring their Wii U sales closer to their target goals for the fiscal year; despite the upward trajectory in sales, they are still falling short. IGN reports that Nintendo has a goal to sell 3.6 million Wii U units by the end of the fiscal year next April, but is only at 1.1 million units thus far, which is less than a third from their target (It is, however, more than double what Nintendo sold in the same period last year).
Things aren’t looking so fantastic on the handheld front for Nintendo either. While 3DS sales have been okay, they have only sold 2 million units from April to September of this year, compared to the 3.9 million units sold last year in the same period, Gamespot reports . Granted, the 3DS has been around a bit longer, and is currently pushing 45 million units (compared to the 7.29 million units for the Wii U). However, with the recent release of Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS, as well as the release of the New 3DS model coming up, it is very possible Nintendo will be able to boost the sales in the next six month period before the fiscal year ends.
On the whole, the news from Nintendo is very promising, proving the Wii U is a far more capable machine than we initially thought. With the Xbox One and PS4 breaking records left and right, it’s easy to dismiss Nintendo as the third wheel. But as Nintendo has proven many times in the past, they are a resilient company that won’t let the hits keep them down for long.
Next year looks like a good year for the Wii U, with its reliable juggernaut Legend Of Zelda series coming out with a new entry, and its new IP Splatoon making its debut. Will next fiscal period once again be profitable for Nintendo? We shall see.