United News of Bangladesh

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo's first-quarter profit rose 53.5% as strong demand for its Switch 2 console and the success of its latest Super Mario movie helped lift earnings. Nintendo Co., based in Kyoto, reported a profit of 147.4 billion yen ($933 million) for April-June, up from 96 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. However, quarterly sales fell 9.5% to 517.8 billion yen ($3.3 billion). Nintendo, like many Japanese companies, is also facing pressure from US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, along with higher prices for memory chips and other components. For the fiscal year ending March 2027, Nintendo expects profit to reach 310 billion yen ($2 billion), down nearly 27% from the previous year. Annual sales are forecast to fall 11% to 2.05 trillion yen ($13 billion). The company said it sold 3.82 million Switch 2 consoles worldwide during the quarter. Sales of the original Switch console and its games also remained strong despite the launch of the newer system. Switch 2 software sales totaled 9.46 million units during the quarter. Games such as "Yoshi and the Mysterious Book" and "Pokemon Pokopia" were among the popular titles, Nintendo said. Nintendo is looking to maintain the momentum by expanding its game lineup. "Splatoon Raiders" was released last month, while new titles including "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" are in development. The company expects to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles during the current fiscal year, nearly 17% lower than the previous year. Console sales typically decline after a strong launch year. At the same time, Nintendo expects game software sales to rise 23% to 60 million units during the fiscal year. Nintendo's shares rose 2.9% in Tokyo trading following the earnings announcement.