Nintendo 3DS sales jump as Pokemon Go craze enters its second week

FivePokmon games were in the UK Top 50 All-Formats charts this week.

Quoting GfK data, retailers have told MCV that Nintendo was the No.2 UK games publisher last week (in terms of software value) – almost entirely driven by sales ofPokmon titles. GfK predicts Nintendo, 3DS and thePokmon series will enjoy a ‘remarkable’ spike in sales by the end of August.

Sales of Nintendo handheld hardware – so 3DS, New 3DS and 2DS – rose 18 per cent (by value) in the UK, a three-fold increase from beforePokmon Go launched. In units, sales are up 27.5 per cent.

The success highlights why Nintendo’s share price has risen so sharply on the back ofPokmon Go, despite the fact the company is not a direct beneficiary of the game’s phenomenal success. Nintendo does not wholly own thePokmon IP – although it does hold a 33 per cent share in ThePokmon Company. The platform holder also has a stake in developer Niantic, Creatures Inc (which also has a share in The Pokemon Company) and holds the trademarks to the name ‘Pokmon’ and the game’s characters.

It also proves out the firm’s theory that the success of Nintendo IP in the mobile space will have a positive impact on its traditional console business, and not a negative one. Nintendo is working with mobile giant DeNA to create a network that will connect its mobile titles with its console games (Pokmon Go does not use this network).

The highest charting retail Pokmon game this week was Pokmon Omega Ruby at No.17.

MCV revealed last week that sales of Pokmon clothes and trading cards had also jumped up. Pre-orders for Pokmon Sun and Moon has also increased ‘exponentially’.