Nintendo has cut its profit forecast for the financial year by 34 percent after a sizeable Q3 slump – and the 3DS may be to blame.
The most iconic video game company in the world had expected to make a 50 billion yen (£316 million) operating profit for the financial year ending March 31. However, it has just revised that prediction to 33 billion yen (£208 million), with revenue dropping by 12.3 percent.
The culprit for this slump appears to be a decline in 3DS performance. Hardware sales forecasts for the handheld are down 13 percent to 6.6 million, while software sales predictions for the format have been dropped 16 percent.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Nintendo fans, however. Its Wii U hardware sales predictions are holding firm (though they’re still not great), while Wii U software sales are actually 17 percent better off than expected. It will still be turning a modest profit this financial year, too.
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Meanwhile, Nintendo has plenty of major releases and announcements on the horizon. There’s its much-anticipated entry to the smartphone gaming market, new Pokemon Sun and Moon games, the next major Zelda release, and – most excitingly of all – the brand new Nintendo NX console.
In fact, some would argue that the Nintendo NX is the biggest tech launch of 2016, even though no one is quite sure exactly what it’ll be just yet. Chin up, Mario fans.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.