Nintendo Quarterly Revenue Surges Thanks To Switch 2
Pent-up demand for the new gadget from the "Super Mario" gamemaker fuelled fan excitement at the release, which saw sold-out pre-orders and midnight store openings.
The Switch 2 smashed industry records by selling 3.5 million units in its first four days, and Nintendo said Friday it had shifted around 5.8 million consoles in its first month.
"Net sales increased significantly in the first quarter, due mainly to the launch of Nintendo Switch 2," the Japanese company said as it reported a 132 percent on-year jump in sales for the April-June quarter to 572 billion yen ($3.8 billion).
Net profit in the quarter was up 19 percent on-year.
"The launch of Switch 2 has surpassed many people's expectations," and it will be hard for another console to match its strong start, gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto told AFP.
"Nintendo should be able to comfortably ride on this momentum through the holidays and into 2026," although a key challenge will be maintaining a consistent supply of popular games, he said.
The company says it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 units by the end of March 2026, a target it left unchanged on Friday.
Although the Japanese gamemaker is diversifying into hit movies and theme parks, console hardware remains the core of its business.
The Switch 1, a hybrid console that can be used on-the-go or connected to a television, soared in popularity during the pandemic with hit games such as "Animal Crossing".
It has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third best-selling console of all time after Sony's PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS.
Although the Switch 2 has a bigger screen and more processing power, and new features including controllers that can also be used like a desktop computer mouse, the hybrid concept is the same.
It is also more expensive than its predecessor, at $449.99 in the United States, compared to a launch price of $299.99 for the original Switch.
The postponed launch of the hugely anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI" by US publisher Rockstar Games from this year to May 2026 will also be a bright point, Toto said.
"If GTA6 launched this year, it would have sucked almost all the oxygen out of the room and made marketing Switch 2 definitely harder for Nintendo," Toto said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
8 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Pope's 'Jubilee Of Youth' Closes With Huge Rome Mass
Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass in Rome for over one million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a youth pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world. The week-long event ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week. On Saturday night, before an twilight vigil led by the pope, organisers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts, and on Sunday the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people. Most of those attending slept on the ground in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats, awaiting Sunday's mass under sunny skies. To music from a choir, green-robed bishops began filling an enormous stage covered with a golden arch and a massive cross before Leo, who arrived by helicopter, began mass. The Vatican said 450 bishops and around 700 priests participated in the final event for the youth, who have filled Rome's streets since Monday. The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic "Woodstock". Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds. Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope. At over 500,000 square metres (125 acres), the grounds were the size of around 70 football fields. British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen -- a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away. "I'm so happy to be here, even if I'm a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!" he told AFP. "The main thing is that we're all together." The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo's papacy and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organised the last such youth gathering in Rome. The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus -- where chariot races were held in ancient Rome -- into an open-air confessional. The mass was held in a vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts AFP
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Filmmakers Try To Cash In On India-Pakistan Battle
Indian filmmakers are locking up the rights to movie titles that can profit from the patriotism fanned by a four-day conflict with Pakistan, which killed more than 70 people. The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India blamed Pakistan for an armed attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. The fighting came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire. Now, some Bollywood filmmakers see an opportunity to cash in on the battle. India tagged its military action against Pakistan "Operation Sindoor", the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads. The name was seen as a symbol of Delhi's determination to avenge those widowed in the April 22 attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which sparked the hostilities. Film studios have registered a slew of titles evoking the operation, including: "Mission Sindoor", "Sindoor: The Revenge", "The Pahalgam Terror", and "Sindoor Operation". "It's a story which needs to be told," said director Vivek Agnihotri. "If it was Hollywood, they would have made 10 films on this subject. People want to know what happened behind the scenes," he told AFP. Agnihotri struck box office success with his 2022 release, "The Kashmir Files", based on the mass flight of Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s. The ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party gave that film a glowing endorsement, despite accusations that it aimed to stir up hatred against India's minority Muslims. Since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, some critics say Bollywood is increasingly promoting his government's ideology. Raja Sen, a film critic and screenwriter, said filmmakers felt emboldened by an amenable government. "We tried to wage a war and then we quietened down when Mr Trump asked us to. So what is the valour here?" Sen told AFP of the Pakistan clashes. Anil Sharma, known for directing rabble-rousing movies, criticised the apparent rush to make films related to the Pahalgam attack. "This is herd mentality... these are seasonal filmmakers, they have their constraints," he said. "I don't wait for an incident to happen and then make a film based on that. A subject should evoke feelings and only then cinema happens," said Sharma. Sharma's historical action flick "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha" (2001) and its sequel "Gadar 2" (2023), both featuring Sunny Deol in lead roles, were big hits. In Bollywood, filmmakers often seek to time releases for national holidays like Independence Day, which are associated with heightened patriotic fervour. "Fighter", featuring big stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, was released on the eve of India's Republic Day on January 25 last year. Though not a factual retelling, it drew heavily from India's 2019 airstrike on Pakistan's Balakot. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews but raked in $28 million in India, making it the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of that year. This year, "Chhaava", a drama based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, a ruler of the Maratha Empire, became the highest-grossing film so far this year. It also generated significant criticism for fuelling anti-Muslim bias. "This is at a time when cinema is aggressively painting Muslim kings and leaders in violent light," said Sen. "This is where those who are telling the stories need to be responsible about which stories they choose to tell." Sen said filmmakers were reluctant to choose topics that are "against the establishment". "If the public is flooded with dozens of films that are all trying to serve an agenda, without the other side allowed to make itself heard, then that propaganda and misinformation enters the public psyche," he said. Acclaimed director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said true patriotism is promoting peace and harmony through the medium of cinema. Mehra's socio-political drama "Rang De Basanti" (2006) won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film and was chosen as India's official entry for the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. "How we can arrive at peace and build a better society? How we can learn to love our neighbours?" he asked. "For me that is patriotism." India tagged its military action against Pakistan "Operation Sindoor", the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads AFP The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India blamed Pakistan for an armed attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir AFP
DW
a day ago
- DW
Kenya, Africa's home of country music – DW – 08/02/2025
Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images The party took place in Kenya, but the atmosphere was unmistakably American: cowboy hats, boots and whiskey-soaked tales of heartbreak and heroes. Kenya has become the new home of a growing country music scene — perhaps the largest in Africa. On July 26 in Nairobi, thousands took part in line dancing, a traditional group dance closely associated with country music. Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images The festival crowd went wild for the king of the local country scene, "Sir Elvis" Otieno, as he performed classics such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and newer hits such as "Down to the Honkytonk" with his deep baritone voice. "When I started out it was a very tiny genre," the singer told the AFP news agency. "It's a dream come true to see a crowd like this today." Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images Sir Elvis and his band created a great atmosphere — but there's more to it than that. The artist sees parallels with the music of the Kenyan Kikuyu tribe, known as Mugithi. "Kikuyu folk music has the same kind of language, they draw from each other quite a bit," said Sir Elvis. "It's really crazy — so many thousands of miles apart, but the messaging is the same." Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images The festival was organized by Reja Manyeki, whose company "Cowboys and Cowgirls" offers fashion and events related to the country lifestyle. When he started in 2018, it was still a niche topic. Today, country music inspires people across Kenya, across all social classes. The extravagant outfits are also a major part of it. Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images Anne Anene, 26, still remembers the song that made her a country music fan: Dolly Parton's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" "Her songs always speak to me because they always have deep messages, and they usually tell a story of what I go through," Anene told AFP. She hopes to travel to Texas or Nashville one day. Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images Known as the "dancing cowboy," Sheriff Knight also captivated the crowd and created an exuberant atmosphere at the Ngong Race Course and Golf Park, the venue for the event. For visitors, however, it wasn't just about the party. "In this world full of confusion, full of drama, country music is the only thing that makes sense to me. It has made me find peace," said Anene. Image: Fredrik Lerneryd/AFP/Getty Images 08/02/2025 August 2, 2025
