Nintendo Plans To Ship 2 Million Switch Units In March
By Jasmine Henry 25 October 2016
During a financial briefing, Nintendo reveals that it expects to ship 2 million Nintendo Switch units by March 2017, though analysts express concern about the figure.
Following the announcement of Nintendo’s new console, the Nintendo Switch, there has been plenty of debate about whether the device can be a success. Does the Switch’s selling point – the ability to play triple-A games on a portable console – have what it takes to compete against smartphones and standalone tablets? Will the allure of powerful, portable gaming be able to steer gamers away from the PS4 and Xbox One? And just how many units of the Switch will Nintendo be able to move?
While the first of those two questions is still up for debate, Nintendo does have an estimate for the latter. In the company’s latest financial briefing, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed an estimate of 2 million Nintendo Switch units being shipped (meaning they’ll be in the hands of retailers, not gamers) by the end of March, 2017.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal‘s Takashi Mochizuki, an analyst noted that this number is “meaningless” if the Switch launches early in March, 2 million is “not enough” but if it launches later in the month, “it’s great.” Nintendo stocks already dropped following the Switch reveal and this continued uncertainty and concern about the Switch’s launch plans, combined with today’s news that Wii U and amiibo sales are declining too, will not help things financially.
There is good news for Nintendo’s accountants, though, as Kimishima also stated that the company will not make a loss by selling the console. The company president said that Nintendo is “listening to what consumers expect from us when setting a price.” The cost of the console won’t actually be announced this year, but with the Nintendo Switch’s price and battery life set to be huge factors in whether people buy it or not, Kimishima’s words are still positive to hear.
Other highlights from the briefing include the suggestion that hands-on Nintendo Switch demos will be available prior to launch. It’s unclear how this would work, but hopefully if demos are run by retailers, gamers won’t have to pay to take part. Moreover, Kimishima reiterated the fact that the Nintendo Switch is not a replacement to the Nintendo 3DS and that the company will continue to make games for the handheld. The 3DS continues to sell well, thanks to Pokemon GO, but just how long Nintendo will continue to support the console is unclear at this point.
Source: Takashi Mochizuki
