Nintendo downsizes forecasts by 70% after weaker than expected 3DS sales

The 3DS is failing to perform as expected in territories outside of Japan, Nintendo has conceded.

The handheld’s struggles played a big part in Nintendo’s decision to downsize its profit forecasts by 70 per cent.

Net sales for the six months ending September were down 6.8 per cent at 200,994m. That follows a 40 per cent decline in the same period in 2011. An operating loss of 27,996m was reported, though that is an improvement on the 70,272m loss reported the year before.

5.06m 3DS consoles were sold in the period

Sales of DS titles Pokemon Black/White 2 hit an impressive 4.26m units – a third of all DS software sales – although sales of the DS hardware itself failed to reach a million units for the first time.

Wii hardware sales for the period reached 1.32m.

Lifetime 3DS hardware sales stand at 22m units. Wii sales are slowly creeping toward 100m unit milestone, currently standing at 97.2m.

Hopes now turn to the Wii U, which launches in key territories next month.