Animal Crossing, Pokémon, Switch Games, Arms Update, Lego Sets

Booming Switch sales have brought Nintendo some remarkable new financial figures. Big launches for games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Pokémon Sword and Shield have played a crucial role. However, there’s a cautious outlook for the second half of the year as remote working might affect game development schedules. Nintendo told investors that without a new Pokémon or Animal Crossing this Christmas, the year-on-year comparisons will be tougher due to a weaker software release slate. The company has sold an additional 21 million Switch consoles worldwide, increasing year-on-year by 24 percent, and the lifetime hardware sales total now stands at 55.77 million. In terms of software, 169 million Switch games were sold in the past year, up 42 percent. Pokémon Sword and Shield sold a combined 17.37 million copies, one of the best sales totals for Pokémon launches. Animal Crossing: New Horizons also had a stratospheric launch, becoming the fastest-selling Switch game to date, having sold 11.77 million copies in just 12 days until the end of March. Across the board, Nintendo software sold well, with many games exceeding one million sales in the past 12 months. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate continued to grow their sales. Nintendo hasn’t announced any software for Switch beyond this summer, but plans to release a slate of Mario games to celebrate Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary leaked online last month. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, development schedules might be affected by the difference in working environments. The company warns that the effects could be more difficult to predict for overseas subsidiaries and other affiliated companies involved in development. This could lead to delays in product releases and services, and it may not be possible to provide game content on Nintendo platforms as planned. Additionally, lockdown has impacted consumer spending, with people unable to reach retail stores and potentially reluctant to spend as much due to the global recession. There’s a cautious atmosphere surrounding Nintendo’s future as it deals with these various challenges.