Nintendo today reported a disappointing quarter, thanks to weak sales of its Nintendo 3DS handheld and Wii gaming console.
With a $460 million loss, Nintendo posted its first-ever operating loss, according to Reuters. In announcing preliminary results back in January, Nintendo reported a loss of about $627.9 million for the nine-month period that ended in December. By comparison, Nintendo earned a profit of about $638.83 million in the same time frame in 2010.
Nintendo sold 13.53 million Nintendo 3DS units during the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 5 million of which were sold in Japan. Back in December, Nintendo said 3DS sales were at 11.43 million. Not helping matters, Nintendo last year dropped the price of the handheld gaming system from $249.99 to $169.99 in the U.S. amidst weak sales.
On the software front, Nintendo said sales were "slower in comparison to the last few years, [so] recovery from the sales slump in the fiscal year was not fully achieved," the company said. The release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, however, resulted in "strong sales," Nintendo said, especially in the U.S.
Nintendo also sold 9.84 million Wii hardware units. The company is currently prepping its next-gen gaming console, the Wii U, but it will not be released until the "end of this calendar year," Nintendo said today. For more, see PCMag's Hands On With the Nintendo Wii U.
Also see PCMag's full review of the Nintendo 3DS and the slideshow below. And check out PlayStation Vita vs. Nintendo 3DS: Which Gaming Handheld Reigns Supreme?