We told you last month that Nintendo’s market cap had doubled in the first three months of the year, but the great big Japanese game-maker is now actually back in black. Nintendo’s posted its first annual profits in four years.
The Mario maker made a loss of 23bn yen ($193m) last year, but has this year made a far nicer 41bn yen ($411m) in profit. Unfortunately, it has little to do with the Wii U. According to Eurogamer, just 3.6m Wii U units were sold in the last year, bringing lifetime sales to 9.54 million worldwide. That’s less than half the number of Gamecube’s lifetime sales.
It’s got a lot more to do with their handhelds, with have sold over 9 million units in the past 12 months. That includes the 2D and the recently-released New 3DS. It puts the 3DS family’s sales at 52 million units sold. It sounds impressive, but it’s around a third of what the DS sold in its lifetime.
Game sales have been pretty exceptionally, with the newest Pokémon selling through nearly 10 million copies, and Super Smash Bros selling about the same split between the two platforms its available on. To make profit next year too, Nintendo hopes to sell through another 7.6m 3DS and 3.4m Wii U consoles in the next year.
Another contributing factor to Nintendo’s reversed fortunes is its toys-to-life Amiibo characters. While they absolutely, positively suck at the toys-to-life bit of it, they’re incredibly well made, ridiculously cute and highly collectible things. And my good god, do people want to buy those things.
Last Updated: May 7, 2015
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:00
Yay!
FoxOneZA
May 7, 2015 at 16:24
Ninty making more profit than the PS4 😛
Emily Johnson
May 7, 2015 at 17:31
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Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:04
Good choice on the header alt-text. High Voltage would’ve been a disaster. 😉
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:06
So he’d have taken the highway to hell if he went any other way, right?
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:07
Well it’s either hell or high water.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:09
That’s on the razor’s edge
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:10
Which is why you send for the man.
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:11
Hell’s bells, you’re right. Maybe it’s time to bring out the big guns?
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:12
And shoot to thrill?
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:13
You know it. This house is on fire with the comments today. 😀
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
And we’re burnin’ alive.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
The skies on fire
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
Nope. It’s thunderstruck.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:15
(Hammer already did that one!!)
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:15
Not before I saw it. It still counts. Don’t be such a ballbreaker.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:16
I’m a war machine!
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:16
Hail Caesar.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:17
Anything goes
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:17
Nope. It’s Rock or bust…
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:17
…on this Stormy May Day!
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:18
mmmm. You shook me all night long. (Yeah, what she said)
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:18
All those Decibel generation!
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:18
Riding on Big Jack!
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:19
Stand up. You won’t be safe in New York City.
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:23
Danger is my middle name
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:20
TNT comes in small packages?
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:21
Only in your case. “Big Jack”. 😀
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:21
I think it’s about time to stage a jailbreak.
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:22
What? Before we walk all over you?
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:19
Who made who shake the whole night?
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:20
I’d explain but you’re #ForeverSP. You wouldn’t understand.
Dropping that T.N.T. like a boss.
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:21
True, that could shake the foundations.
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:15
That’s not what she said, unless you’re talking a whole lotta rosie.
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
On fire? Sure you’re not just thunderstruck?
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:15
You are spoilin’ for a fight
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:16
I’m happy to be a fly on the wall
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:16
…for those about to rock?
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 7, 2015 at 14:17
Rather that than sink the pink
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:16
Eh, hell aint a bad place to be.
Hammersteyn
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
The comment section has been Thunderstruck?
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
Well, money talks!
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:15
It’s a dog eat dog section.
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
We livin’ the rock ‘n roll dream
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:13
Too many women…
Pariah
May 7, 2015 at 14:13
But the girl’s got rhythm…
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:13
All those dirty deeds…
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:14
Just have a drink on me
Lord Chaos
May 7, 2015 at 14:23
This comment wall gives me a Brain Shake
Greylingad
May 7, 2015 at 15:01
Then you should rock the blues away…
Admiral Chief
May 7, 2015 at 14:10
Itsa meeee, Angus!
Hammersteyn
May 7, 2015 at 14:12
So now Mario can quit his day job and go back to the Mushroom Kingdom?
Kromas,powered by windows 10.
May 7, 2015 at 14:21
It is always good to keep that plumbers certification on hand in case the WiiUDS or whatever the next handheld will be called fails. 🙂
Hammersteyn
May 7, 2015 at 14:38
hahaha
justlikemo
May 7, 2015 at 14:25
yeh, he kinda sucked as a plumber.
Krabby Paddy
May 7, 2015 at 15:41
Jump up and down, Toyi toyi to get more coin. Sounds like he’d make a great SA plumber.
justlikemo
May 7, 2015 at 20:50
rofl
RinceThis
May 7, 2015 at 14:21
I’d be interested in seeing how they have actually changed the Old Boy’s business model. Pretty sure it’s still the same it was 20 years ago.
Goal9
May 7, 2015 at 14:42
Oh boy! Now I can get another Mario game! 😀
Now they dont have to innovate and try new things anymore when they can just play it safe for another generation. <3
Ottokie
May 7, 2015 at 14:52
http://weknowgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nintendo-at-e3-gif.gif
Greylingad
May 7, 2015 at 15:02
I came here for the header, the comments section did not disappoint….
MaryFHuffman
May 7, 2015 at 19:14
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Niq Callaboe
May 7, 2015 at 16:26
I applaud Nintendo regardless what the sells are. I grew up off Nintendo and most games wouldn’t have their shine if it wasn’t for Nintendo publishing some of their first games. Keep up the good work
Cyberats
May 8, 2015 at 17:48
It’s about the games, I kept telling folks, consoles are for MULTI physical players, not online.
For young couples and old gamers Wii offers fun group time. Whereas the others, same old boring frustration & single seating mind grinder for the last 5+yrs..
Kudos for Nintendo, keep making fun stuff and bringing humanity to gaming.
Cyberats
May 8, 2015 at 17:48
It’s about the games, I kept telling folks, consoles are for MULTI physical players, not online.
For young couples and old gamers Wii offers fun group time. Whereas the others, same old boring frustration & single seating mind grinder for the last 5+yrs..
Kudos for Nintendo, keep making fun stuff and bringing humanity to gaming.