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Nintendo returns to profit

by on31 January 2017


But sees trouble ahead


Former playing card maker Nintendo has managed to make its first profit in four quarters thanks to its mobile gaming division.

For those who came in late, like Nintendo, the game maker did not want to touch mobile gaming with a 10-foot barge pole because it would cannibalise its portable console market. However it looks like it was wrong.

It warned that there might be trouble ahead as there are lower game downloads for its consoles.

Operating profit reached $284 million in October-December, which is 3.7 percent lower than the same period a year earlier but better than the cocaine nose-jobs of Wall Street expected.

For the year ending March, Nintendo cut its operating profit forecast by a third due to lower game software downloads for its consoles.

Nevertheless, projected income from investments and a weaker yen allowed it to almost double its net profit forecast.

In the nine months through December, the games maker said it earned $93,903,200 from mobile gaming, accessories and related merchandise, including from its first Nintendo-branded mobile game, Super Mario Run. The figure was up from $36 million in the same period a year earlier.

Super Mario Run, featuring the princess-rescuing Italian plumber, has reached about 78 million downloads since 15 December, Nintendo said.

But the game has also received a high number of reviews from users complaining mainly about its $9.99 one-time cost, with less than 10 percent of users paying to unlock all features. Most mobile games are free to play and charge small payments for special features.

Nintendo has said it plans to release around three mobile games a year, with two titles - Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - planned for the coming months.

Still, it continues to regard mobile gaming primarily as a means of luring players to its mainstay consoles. Nintendo's president, Tatsumi Kimishima, said at a news briefing on Tuesday that the games maker plans to move up production plans to meet orders.

Last modified on 31 January 2017
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