Japanese game maker Nintendo’s profits hurt by chips crunch

Console sales are often driven by hit games, although the devices tend to sell better early on and then slowly decline in popularity

Nintendo’s profit for the nine months through December slipped 2.5% (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Nintendo’s profit for the nine months through December slipped 2.5%, as shortages of computer chips hurt production, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario and Pokemon franchises said on Thursday.

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co recorded a 367 billion yen (€2.8bn) profit for the period, down from 377 billion yen the previous year. Its sales in the same period fell 6% to 1.3 trillion yen (€10.bn).