Nintendo smashes Switch sales forecast as Animal Crossing sales top 13 million

Nintendo sold 21 million Switch units in the year ended March, smashing its forecast of 19.5 million units

TOKYO: Japan’s Nintendo said on Thursday it sold 21 million Switch units in the year ended March, smashing its forecast of 19.5 million units, with hit title Animal Crossing: New Horizons shifting 13.4 million units in its first six weeks.

Digital video game spending hits record high under virus lockdown

The Kyoto-based gaming company posted a 200% jump in operating profit in the January-March quarter to 89.4 billion yen according to Reuters’ calculations, well above analyst estimates.

Nintendo has defied skepticism over its ability to draw in consumers beyond a hardcore base in the Switch’s fourth year with the runaway success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which went on sale on March 20.

Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba, JD offer bookings for Covid-19 tests

The appeal of the title among consumers looking for escapism in coronavirus-hit economies around the world underscores Nintendo’s games-maker credentials at a time when investors have been frustrated by the company’s conservative management, which includes what many regard as a half-baked foray into mobile gaming.

Nintendo said it expects to sell 19 million Switch console units in the current financial year.