As expected, Nintendo recorded an annual decline in profits in its last fiscal year (ending March 31), depositing a paltry ¥230 billion (about $2.45 billion) into its bank account. This is the company's first year-over-year profit lapse in six years, and Nintendo expects further decline in the current fiscal year, forecasting a measly ¥200 billion ($2.13 billion) in profits over the next four quarters. If only Nintendo could summon consumers to drive another year in profits like the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, when the company made ¥279.1 billion ($2.95 billion). It's all so tragic.
To combat making only slightly less obscene amounts of money this fiscal year (April 2010 - March 2011), Nintendo will release its 3DS handheld, PokémonBlack and White, Metroid: Other M and Super Mario Galaxy 2. The company's new strategy: "to achieve the ultimate worldwide objective of 'must-have for everyone' rather than 'must-have for every family.'" Conveniently, this strategy suggests that the Wii Vitality Sensor, which is also scheduled for release in the coming months, need only be supported by a single, heartfelt purchase to be successful. (Oh, who are we kidding -- how many unis has Wii Fit sold?)
Summing up Nintendo's fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, the DS sold 27.1 million units, bringing its global sales total to 128.9 million units. (The company has high hopes for continued sales of DS models, including the 3DS, as it forecasts general platform sales of around 30 million units this fiscal year.) Additionally, the Wii moved 20.53 million units, bringing its lifetime sales total to 70.93 million units through the last fiscal year. (Nintendo expects to sell around 18 million Wii units this fiscal year.) Finally, software sales were highlighted by New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which sold 14.7 million units worldwide last fiscal year, following its launch in November.
Source [PDF] -- Earnings Release: Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2010 [Nintendo]
Nintendo has recognized how big this App Store thing has become, and, as such, has decided to just play nice and offer its games to iPad users starting June 15. PlaySwitch broke the news earlier today and, as you can see above, the games barely skip a beat in the graphics department from Wii to iPad -- DS games will also be made available.
What? Oh, it's April Fools, so you think this is all a joke? Look, we understand your skepticism, but guys, this can't be a lie. It's too good to not be true, right? RIGHT?!
#clips
At least dad here doesn't look like a doofus flailing the Wiimote. He's still got the swervy hands and overbite that indicate the the guy was told to look like he's playing a video game, not actually play one. More »
"For James Burt, it's game over." Faced with paying a $1.5 million ($1.3 million USD) fine to Nintendo -- along with additional court costs -- the 24-year-old Australian man who illegally uploaded New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the internet now has to endure the trite (see: "game over" line) and unsympathetic reporting of a local TV show called "A Current Affair." Here's question one: "You do admit that what you did was quite stupid?" BAM.
Nintendo Australia's Rose Lappin claims the pirated plumber code was downloaded approximately 50,000 times after Burt bought a copy from a retailer that failed to adhere to the street date. "It's no different to stealing anything else," she concluded, reflecting Nintendo's unflinching legal stance in the matter.
As for Burt's considerable debt, he said, "It's something I'm going to have to work through for the rest of my life." It's a clear example and a harsh punishment -- especially when so many pirates escape without repercussion -- that Burt has warned his fellow gamers against. Seriously, guys, do not duplicate that disc.
Finally, Nintendo has been able to make a little money from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a sequel to one of its old franchises, released this November. Nintendo of Australia announced that as the result of a federal court settlement, one Australian will be required to pay $1.5 million ($1.3 million USD) to Nintendo for loss of revenue due. This person was allegedly the first to upload New Super Mario Bros. Wii to the internet, doing so on November 6, one week before the game was released (an act that facilitated creative works in addition to piracy).
Not only is this bad news for this one guy, it should also serve as a warning to other would-be pirates. "Upon the game being uploaded to the Internet, Nintendo was able to employ the use of sophisticated technological forensics to identify the individual responsible for illegally copying the file and making it available for further distribution," Nintendo said in a press release. "On 23 November, 2009, Nintendo obtained a Federal Court search order in respect of the individual's residential premises. This led to the seizure of property from those premises in order to gain further evidence against the individual."
If you upload Nintendo games, the company will come to your house and take your stuff. Chilling.
We usually don't buy into Nintendo Week's particular brand of family-friendly hype generation -- after all, this is a Nintendo-funded program and we'll be damned if we're going to let The Man tell us what we're going to like. But this week's update on the Nintendo Channel is pretty amusing, especially if you enjoy fake mustaches, fourth wall destruction and tips on playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Or, you know, ripping the lids off various things.
We usually write off Nintendo Week as nothing more than the usual PR flim-flam, but this week's episode on the Nintendo Channel is one to watch. The segments on Muscle March, Super Mario RPG and Little King's Story are nice, but there's an important lesson to be learned here: New Super Mario Bros. Wii ruins friendships. If you plan on partaking in Mario and Co.'s latest outing on the Wii, make sure those bonds are krazy glue strong; otherwise, you'll do something cliched ... like divide the room in half with tape.
Head past the break for this week's Nintendo Channel content and be sure to check out the new Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth demo!
Today's most confusing headline is brought to you by the Google translation of a Nikkei Net report that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has topped ten million (not one-thousand million) units sold worldwide since its release in mid-November (and early December in Japan). Frankly, we're downright shocked that this kind of game -- with such a unsavory cast of characters -- could sell like gangbusters. C'mon, all they ever do is kill each other!
The figure Nintendo is not sharing is the number of relationships that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has destroyed. Three and counting for me -- making it at least 30 million worldwide! Let's just say, Mom and Dad and a certain someone who is dead to me aren't allowed to visit again until they learn proper Propeller Suit etiquette.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii maintained its launch momentum in Japan, going on to become a phenomenal hit and selling over 3 million copies in seven weeks. Famitsu reports that Mario's latest adventure is the third Wii title to sell over three million units. Ironically, the club of top-selling Wii games has Mario's tubby physique in the company of Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Mario isn't doing badly in other regions, either, with NSMBW recently surpassing 2.5 million units in Europe and 4 million in the States. Mario knows how to make coin.
[Via Andriasang]
01 / 01. [NFC] Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - / 6.810.000
02 / 02. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - 899.518 / ~5.600.000
03 / 03. [NGB] Super Mario Land (Nintendo) - / 4.190.000
04 / 04. [NFC] Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo) - / 3.840.000
05 / 05. [SFC] Super Mario World (Nintendo) - / 3.550.000
06 / [...]