14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo once again posted a loss, widely linked to the Wii U and its underwhelming sales, but the leadership of the company is sure that results will improve in the medium term as the 3DS gets more big releases and the home console becomes more attractive for customers.
Satoru Iwata, the president of the hardware and software giant, is quoted by VG247 as saying that there are 43 million 3DS devices in the hands of players all over the world and that such a big install base is a good sign for the future.
This means that Nintendo can launch high-profile titles, like the coming Pokemon remakes and Tomodachi Life, that have the potential to sell millions of copies and create a solid long-term revenue stream.
The company also believes that Monster Hunter 4G and Yo-kai Watch 2, which are created by third parties, will deliver solid performances on the 3DS.
The Wii U might be selling less devices than expected, but due to improvements in technology, Nintendo is no longer recording a loss on each device that’s being delivered to players.
A planned June firmware update for the home console will also increase the boot speed by 20 seconds and big software launches like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. will be able to attract the attention of players and increase hardware sales all through 2014.
Nintendo also says that its 3.6 million in sales estimate it has recently issued is conservative and that it might change it for the better in the coming months.
The much talked about mobile shift of the company will also be implemented this year with an app for a wide range of smartphones that will be linked to Mario Kart and will allow users to share clips and rank them.
Nintendo says that it does not have plans to launch full mobile versions of any of its titles, but that a new development team will test ideas about apps that can enhance sales on the 3DS.
The quality of life platform that the company has mentioned recently will apparently start playing a big part in terms of sales and revenue during the 2017 fiscal year, with information about it withheld from the public until then.
Investors directly asked President Satoru Iwata about the moment when Nintendo might introduce a new gaming platform and the executive claimed that he was unable to speculate on the issue.