The New Nintendo 3DS had the intended effect of spiking Nintendo's hardware sales upward in Japan; the console looks like it might well do the same for the West in 2015.
Today, Nintendo posted President Satoru Iwata's latest shareholder presentation, which takes in the end of calendar 2014 and also includes some data about the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS, which hit Europe and the U.S. last week.
Its financial results, which arrived in January, also showed that Nintendo was struggling to sell 3DS units during 2014 -- but the company has now called out more data that shows things may not be quite so bad as all that in 2015.
Of note, the New Nintendo 3DS had the intended effect of spiking hardware sales back up to acceptable levels in Japan. As you can see from the top chart below, it's the only territory that approached flat sales year-on-year. (The New 3DS hit Japan in October.)
Moreover, initial results from Western launches are promising (see the second chart), and Iwata says that avid players waited for the new model to be released before making purchases of hardware (to the effect of depressing 2014 sales while lifting up 2015 sales, if this success is sustained.)
Also, notably, the company didn't slide too far on software sales year-over-year, as you can also see from the first chart. As expected, hits like Pokemon, Super Smash Bros., and in Japan, Monster Hunter 4 and Yo-Kai Watch 2, have contributed greatly to the platform.
Iwata also noted that, in Europe, the Nintendo 2DS is finally pulling its weight: Nearly half the 3DS units sold in Europe at the end of 2014 were 2DSes, backed by a special Tomodachi Life edition. That game has been a steady seller for the company, Iwata noted.
Sales of the Nintendo 3DS have crossed 50 million globally, now resting at 50.41 million units, Nintendo says.
For more from Nintendo's latest financials, check out our earlier report on sales of its Amiibo figurines.
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