Nintendo Q3 Earnings: Switch on pace to outsell N64 but what’s next for 2019?

We now have the Nintendo Q3 earnings and things are looking up for Switch. While the Big N has shifted its sales target for the current financial year, its latest hybrid console’s lifetime sales are on track to beat out N64. Its major software offerings last year have left the company in even better financial shape year over year, but it might be a rough 2019 if it doesn’t continue its successful game release schedule this year. All the details are down below.

Last week, we got word from NDP regarding overall gaming and console sales numbers. Nintendo, as you might have expected, left both PS4 and Xbox One in the dust. Its popular first-party titles propelled Switch to the top spot in overall US console sales at 8.7 million as of December 31st, 2018. According to reports, its annual unit and dollar figures are now the best we have seen since the PS4 in 2015. And the Nintendo Q3 earnings are giving us even more perspective on the situation.

Nintendo Q3 Earnings

In the three months ahead of the new year, Nintendo pushed 9.41 million consoles, leaving its lifetime sales at around 32.27 million units. That’s about 660,000 short of Nintendo 64 and drastically more than it managed with the GameCube and Wii U. Compared to 2017’s 7.23 million, holiday 2018 was certainly notable for Nintendo.

While all of this sounds great for the hybrid console, it still won’t allow Nintendo to hit its sales goals. It was projecting 20 million units over the current financial year, but that has now been adjusted. At 14.48 million across the first three quarters, Nintendo has now knocked its sales target down to 17 million.

Big Time Software Sales

Even still, having sold more than 10 million copies of both Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Pokemon: Let’s Go, its overall revenue numbers have grown quite significantly. You can also add another 5.3 million units for Super Mario Party which was released on October 5th of last year. According to the Nintendo Q3 earnings, the company reported 608 billion yen (approx. $5.6 billion) in revenue over the holiday quarter which is up drastically from the 483 billion yen (approx. $4.4 billion) the year prior. During the same period, its operating profit grew from roughly $1.1 billion in 2017 to $1.5 billion in 2018.

But What’s Next for 2019?

Now, it’s easy to suggest that its major releases, like the aforementioned Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, were largely responsible for moving all those consoles. And while that is likely true to some degree, we can’t help but wonder what is going to do that in 2019. The rumored Pokemon RPG could certainly help, but that’s only if it doesn’t get delayed to 2020 and we know that Metroid Prime 4 is a long ways out to say the least. Having said all that, it’s still early in the year here and the Kyoto-based company could easily come out of the woodwork with a major announcement as we approach summer.

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