August was a good month for Nintendo as it saw its sales for handheld consoles blossom in the US. Nintendo believes there are several factors which have contributed to the successful rise.
The Nintendo 3DS sales increased by 83% in comparison to the same month of the previous calendar year. This figure is yet to include sales for the new uniquely designed 3DS XL as its sales began after the end of the reporting period.
The Nintendo 2DS saw sales skyrocket with a staggering 500% increase in comparison with August 2015. Nintendo believes this is because of the price reduction which was implemented in May which brought down prices from $100 to jut $80.
Another factor which Nintendo cited is the hype surrounding the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon Go was a massive success while the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon has also left fans excited. The new Pokemon games are compatible with the 2DS.This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise.
In the software department the company reported a 57% increase in August for the sales of 3DS first-party games. Notable titles include Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. Both games finished 9th and 11th respectively on the chart for overall sales last month despite being released in 2014. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to workout that the same people who contributed to the 2DS sales will also have probably bought these games to go with it.
Although the Wii U saw software sales increase by 30 percent, Nintendo are reluctant to reveal the hardware sales of the console.
There is speculation that Nintendo is set to unveil the Wii U’s successor, the Nintendo NX, by the start of October. This will add to the excitement for Nintendo’s hardware. The console functions both as a handheld gaming device and as a tabletop platform, with detachable controllers that support motion control.
The Nintendo NX is rumored to hit the market by March 2017.
