Nintendo boosted by console launches

Games giant Nintendo today forecast a sharp rise in profits for this year, fuelled by the success of its DS console and the recent launch of the Wii.

The Japanese firm upped its forecast net profit by 20 billion yen (€129m) to 120 billion yen (€774m) for the year to March 31, against a 98 billion yen (€632m) net income last year.

Nintendo said the expected rise in profits was “led by worldwide robust trends” in sales of the Nintendo DS, or “dual screen” console, and raised its sales outlook for the DS by three million units to 23 million.

The company sold more than five million DS consoles, which open like a book, in Japan alone within 13 months of its launch.

The more recent Wii console, which Nintendo introduced as its response to Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, has also been a success with gamers.

Nintendo left its sales forecast for Wii consoles at six million, but increased its estimated sales for Wii games from 17 to 21 million by the end of March.

Such confidence comes despite Nintendo last month recalling 3.2 million straps for Wii controllers, to address the problem of the device flying out of the hands of overzealous players. Players hold the remote to mimic the motions of a tennis racket, golf club or sword, depending on the game.

Also today, the Japanese publishing company Enterbrain. Said that Japan’s gaming market last year grew 38% to a record 625.8 billion yen (€4bn), according to a Japanese news agency.