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Previously we looked at the 100th placed studio Monster Games, responsible for developing Pilotwings Resort, which singe-handedly made the US outfit £2m in UK retail revenue.
Over the coming weeks Develop will be publishing extracts and highlight data from the book, which uses GfK Chart-Track research on retail sales to formulate a ranking based on UK revenues.
Today we take a look at how Nintendo’s revenues have dipped significantly from the highs of £200m in the 2010 Develop 100, to £68.07m in UK retail revenue during 2011.
History: Originally formed in 1889, Nintendo eventually went on to become a leading household name in the console market.
Success in 2011: Nintendo released Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS last November, garnering £9.56m in UK retail sales, whilst Zelda: Skyward Sword struggled to gain real traction, earning £5.99m in the run-up to Christmas.
Analysis: A fallow year for Nintendo puts it at No.3. That’s not to be sniffed at, but is a long way from the heady highs of A No.1 place in 2010 off the back of £200m revenues.
This is Nintendo during a transition year. Output is low as its developers work on new formats, and those new platforms don’t have huge installed bases yet. Its bestselling game is for 3DS, the lauded Super Mario 3D Land.
All its other big titles are for Wii, the best-sellers previously described by Nintendo bosses as ‘evergreen’. But these games are hitting their limit and on the cusp of market saturation.
Take Wii Sports Resort, which made £29.6m in revenue during 2010, but only mustered £5m in 2011. Again, not to be looked at with a disproving eye. Other studios would kill for a Wii Sports Resort, let alone dream of a 3D Land.
Want to know more? Nintendo’s entry includes a wealth of extra information – and there are dedicated profiles for each of the studios in the top 100. Get the Develop 100 now.
