Nintendo's Greatest Hits and Misses

Nintendo's Greatest Hits and Misses

Nintendo’s latest video game console, the Nintendo Switch, had a great start. Since its global release on March 3, Nintendo sold more almost 15 million units of the hybrid console.

With the critically acclaimed Super Mario Odyssey and several of Nintendo’s beloved characters slated to make their Switch debut in 2018, Nintendo is likely to carry its positive momentum into the new year. If the company manages to limit supply constraints, the Switch could well have passed its unpopular predecessor, the Wii U, in terms of unit sales by its first birthday in March. The company expects that by then they will ship 16,7 million units.

As the chart illustrates, Nintendo’s history is one of hits and misses. While its first two video game consoles for the living room were blockbuster successes at the time, the Nintendo 64 and GameCube didn’t sell as well. The Wii, released in 2006, turned out to be a surprise hit only for its successor, the 2012 Wii U, to flop miserably.