Nintendo’s quarterly profit slips 36 percent on lower sales

Nintendo has reported a drop in profits, after relatively weak sales of games for its Wii U console. There continue to be rumors of the game getting a dual launch on Wii U and NX, with some anxious it might not even come out this year.

While other arms of the business such as Amiibo and, of course, the new mobile gaming wing should provide vital revenue streams, Nintendo has other positives to look forward to in 2016.

The company’s latest financials show that net sales have dipped by 3.9 percent, falling from 442.9 billion yen ($3.67 billion) to 425.6 billion yen ($3.53 billion).

For the nine months from April through December, Nintendo said global sales of the Wii U reached 3.06 million units.

That’s according to games industry analyst Serkan Toto, who reported that the prospect of virtual reality was noted during Nintendo’s recent investor briefing, with the platform holder simply acknowledging that it was “looking” at the sector.

The Kyoto-based company has teamed with DeNA Co., operator of the Mobage network, to create games and operate new membership services that that may eventually – though not immediately – include applications based on Nintendo’s character lineup of plumbers, gorillas and princesses. Super Mario Maker has sold 3.34 million units since its release last September. Details about the console, which Nintendo refers to as a “dedicated games platform”, are still shrouded in mystery but Kimishima did say in December that the console “is something unique and different”.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is the biggest new 3DS title, selling 2.93 million units. The stock has gained 2.5 percent this year with the earnings released after the close of trade on Tuesday.

That said, while Wii U fans are not many, they are loyal.

In fact, up to the end of 2015, Nintendo had shifted more than 79 million Wii U games – more than six games per owner on average. Though we still expect a full reveal this year.