If you launch a new console with a massively successful game like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s not that hard to sell your console. This is exactly what is happening with the Nintendo Switch as Nintendo is ramping up production for the next 12 months.
Nintendo already said that the company was planning to sell 2 million consoles for the month of March. According to SuperData, the company has already sold 1.5 million units with a couple of weeks to spare. It looks like Nintendo will easily beat its launch target.
In fact, it has become quite hard to buy a Switch. Many stores are waiting for the next batch as they already sold everything. You can still buy it in France on Amazon, but it seems like an exception.
According to the WSJ, Nintendo is going to produce 16 million units over the next 12 months. The company previously expected to produce 8 million Switches.
It doesn’t mean that Nintendo is going to sell them all, but it’s a positive sign. The company only sold 13.56 million Wii U units in more than four years.
The Switch has a bright future, and it shows that having a successful launch is key when it comes to putting a new console on the market. If you manage to sell a good amount of consoles in the first few months, then third-party developers invest in the platform and release new games.
It then becomes a virtuous circle, attracting more buyers. Nintendo shares are currently up 4 percent compared to yesterday’s closing price.
As Nintendo chose to launch the Switch in March, the company should have ironed out everything that is slowing down production for the holiday season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Switch ends up being one of the most popular gifts for the end of 2017.
