Nintendo’s most recent earnings forecast is another dismal one for the company. Despite launching a brand new console alongside strong Nintendo 3DS sales, the Wii U managed to drag the company into the red. Nintendo had an operating loss of 5.8 billion Yen, which they attribute, at least in part, to a weak launch of the Wii U.
Since launch, Nintendo has sold just over 3 million Wii U consoles across all territories, while software sales tallied 11.69 million. The company’s sales forecasts of the Wii U for the remainder of the fiscal year (ends in March) have been revised downward from 5.5 million to 4 million consoles.
It’s not just the Wii U projections that are heading down either. Nintendo has also revised its full-year financial outlook by over 17%, and it doesn’t look like the Nintendo 3DS is going to save them, despite the handheld having a strong 2012.
The Wii U got off to a great start late last year, but since then, a lack of software and perceived horsepower in the console have left many on the fence when deciding whether they want to pony up for this next-gen system, or wait out Microsoft and Sony. Though recently, a Nintendo Direct presentation pointed to a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to new software. We’ll have to wait and see if these killer apps that Nintendo announced will sway more consumers into purchasing or not.
