Another financial quarter has come to a close, and video game and console developer Nintendo has reported positive results. The company recently published its Nine Months' Earnings Release, which covers the period beginning in April 2020 and concluding in December 2020.
Both hardware and software performed well during these nine months. In particular, island life simulatorAnimal Crossing: New Horizons,which released for the Nintendo Switch in March, experienced a high sales volume. Since its release, the game has shipped 31.18 million units. This officially makesAnimal Crossing:New Horizonsone of the fastest-selling Nintendo titles of all time, nearly surpassing the originalSuper Mario Bros.title.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons’success has been attributed to the game releasing at the perfect time, at the very beginning of the quarantine and lockdown period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The game, which combines relaxing gameplay with a bright tropical aesthetic, appealed to many stressed-out gamers who found themselves needing peace and quiet. In addition,Animal Crossing:New Horizons’online multiplayer features allow players tovisit a friend’s islandin order to meet up with friends in-game who they may currently be unable to visit in person.Animal Crossing: New Horizonsalso regularly releases new free content in the form of seasonal events celebrating everything from Wedding Season to the recently announced Festivale.
Other games which performed well includeMario Kart 8 Deluxe,which sold 8.6 million units,Super Mario 3D All-Starswith 8.32 million,Super Mario Partywith 3.72 million,Paper Mario: The Origami Kingwith 3.05 million, andMario Kart Live: Home Circuitwith 1.08 million. As 2020 marked the35th anniversary of theSuper Mario Bros.franchise, Nintendo was heavily focused on releasing newMariotitles and promoting existing games featuring the plumber siblings.
Due in part to delays caused by COVID-19, Nintendo plans to continue the celebration in 2021 with moreMario-themed games, events and tie-ins. The re-release ofSuper Mario 3D Worldfor the Nintendo Switch, which also includes the brand-newBowser’s Furyadd-on, is debuting in February and is currently projected to sell well.
Several other Nintendo titles achieved high sales during the nine months covered by the latest financial report. These includedThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand its prequelHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Pokemon Sword & Shield,andRing Fit Adventure.
Ring Fit Adventure’ssuccess in particular was also attributed to COVID-19, as the “fitness RPG” allows gamers to work out at home while gyms around the world remain closed. These updated totals makeRing Fit Adventurethe third best-selling Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) on the Nintendo Switch, afterPokemon Sword & ShieldandPokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee!Positive reviews ofRing Fit Adventurehave praised the title’s use of RPG mechanics to create an expansive story mode which succeeds in making exercise fun.
As the pandemic continues and people around the world remain at home, video game and consoles are projected to continue experiencing high sales. In particular, theNintendo Switch outsold the Nintendo 3DS in lifetime salesin late 2020, when it officially surpassed 80 million units shipped.
Nintendo concluded its report with an updated projection for the fiscal year which will end on July 03, 2025. The company now predicts that its full-year revenue will reach 1.6 trillion yen (15.3 billion USD) and that it will ship approximately 205 million games in total.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsand all other titles mentioned in this article are currently available for the Nintendo Switch.
