14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware maker and publisher Nintendo has announced that it has managed to limit the losses it has suffered during the fiscal quarter from April to June of this year, going from 25.5 billion Yen ($326 million or €268.4 million) during the same period of 2011 to 17.2 billion Yen ($220.4 million to €181.5 million).
Despite the limited losses, there’s also bad news for Nintendo as the company failed to increase its overall revenue, which dropped from 93.9 billion Yen ($1.2 billion) to 84.8 billion Yen ($1.08 billion).
During the period from April to June Nintendo says that it managed to improve the sales numbers for the 3DS handheld, which have more than doubled, from 710,000 during the same period of 2011 to 1.86 million.
The main reason is the price cut that the company introduced in August 2011 and the various new big titles, powered by Mario and Zelda, which arrived on the 3DS.
The increase in the 3DS has been balanced by a big drop in the numbers of the Wii home console, which has gone from 1.56 million units in 2011 to just 710,000 in 2012.
Overall Wii sales are over the 8.47 million mark.
The DS continues to move units to players, about 540,000 during the first quarter, even as the recently launched Pokemon Black & White 2 has managed to deliver 8.48 million copies to players all over the world.
Nintendo has not offered any clear information on how the launch of the new Wii U home console will impact its future revenue, but the company is committed to eliminating losses.
The new platform currently lacks a clear price or a solid launch date but Nintendo says that gamers on all major markets will be able to buy it in time for Christmas.