The latest figures are in and Nintendo is now worth a staggering 10 Trillion Yes… or about $85 Billion. I real money that is around R595 000 000 000.
Or around double our entire annual GDP (*Update Below), how can a gaming company be worth more than an entire country? It does bring into reality why Japan is considered a serious piece of the gaming puzzle and why South Africa is not usually on the list of countries to release to first.
The phenomenal success of the Wii and DS has seen the value of Nintendo triple in just under a year. Is it really worth that much though? While the Wii is obviously a lot more than just a fad I can’t see it sticking around for more than 5 years, will it really make anywhere near that amount of money in pure profit in 5 years?
[Update] It seems that I am incapable of distinguishing between Dollars and Rands, as sludge rightly points out they still have a long way to go before being worth more than our GDP (Which is $250 Billion), but they are worth more than some countries at least.
Actually they are worth more than 130 countries ranging from Kazakhstan ($77 Billion) to Kiribati? ($60 Million)
Economic lesson for the day, South Africa is rated 29th in the world with $255 Billion GDP which is ahead of major countries like Ireland ($222 Billion) and Finland ($210 Billion)
Nintendo market value tops 10 trillion yen – Engadget
Last Updated: October 16, 2007
Burns ZA
October 16, 2007 at 10:00
Staggering numbers that! It’s incredible how Nintendo have turned things around since they were bounced out of the game by Sony a couple of years ago.
abev
October 16, 2007 at 10:38
Good For Nintendo!
They should introduce some swap program,
I have an original gameboy that still works,
but it would be cool if I could swap it out for a ds!
sludge
October 16, 2007 at 11:18
Good news for ninty! 😀
However… our GDP is more like around $250 billion a year…..
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Do not worry, if all goes well with the wii, nintendo may actually pass us 😀 But not today 😀
brevity
October 16, 2007 at 11:33
I have an idea – Nintendo should use their megabucks to make a new console with twice the power of the PS3 – and sell it for $100. Sure, they’ll take a 10 billion dollar loss – but it would be so worth it. For the execs and for poor gamers.
LazySAGamer
October 16, 2007 at 11:54
@sludge, serves me right for not looking at the currency in front of the figures :(….
Burns ZA
October 16, 2007 at 12:27
Economic lesson for the day, South Africa is rated 29th in the world with $255 Billion GDP which is ahead of major countries like Ireland ($222 Billion)…….
Ireland population: 4 million.
South African population: 47 million.
But yes impressive Nintendo!
LazySAGamer
October 16, 2007 at 13:00
We are also rated higher than Pakistan
South Africa Population : 47 million
Pakistan Population : 167 million
But hey this is not an economics site ;), interesting stuff anyway
abev
October 16, 2007 at 14:31
Isnt Pakistan following India and fast becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world?
Jak
October 16, 2007 at 15:48
I have not heard that. I seriousy doubt it as there is way to many undercover operations going on there for it to become like India.