Nintendo is Making Money Again

This time last year, the Big N wasn't doing so hot. While the Switch was public knowledge back then and there was a respectable amount of hype for the new console, their main horse in the console race was still the 3DS and, of course, the Wii U. And while the 3DS was able to hold its own in today's smartphone dominated mobile marketplace, the Wii U simply wasn't in any shape to compete. They were losing money: not enough to worry anyone, as Nintendo is sitting on a horde of cash that would make any dragon green with envy, but for a business, well, profit is kind of the only reason they exist, so, it has been a big deal.

But this year? It is good to be Nintendo. While we're not even close to the astronomic success that the Wii saw, the Nintendo Switch is proving to be a popular system for casual and hardcore fans alike, shipping1.97 million Switch consoles in three months, meaning they've sold a grand total of 4.7 million so far. On top of that, Nintendo has a small but reliable stable of popular games for the console (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2), and even more great titles on the way (we're looking at you, Super Mario Odyssey and Metroid Prime 4), there's no reason to suppose their success is going to start waning. The 3DS got a huge boost with the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon, and the recent release of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia was most certainly a boom. All that on top of DLC, Amiibo purchases, their new smartphone apps, and the chronically under-supplied NES Classic console... Nintendo is having a very, very good year.

And the finances reflect that.

According to Reuters, for the first three months of the financial year through June, Nintendo has earned a net profit of 16.21 billion yen, or over 144 million dollars. Compare that to last year, where they were operating on a net loss of 5.13 billion yen, or well over 45 million dollars... it's a stark improvement. And, as I said, it's showing no signs of slowing down now, especially now that Splatoon 2 has been released and the lines for a Nintendo Switch in Japan were so massive they were taking up whole blocks.

So don't go saying Nintendo's dead, sirs and ma'ams. Far from it!

The Big N is back, baby.