Nintendo profits up nearly 50 per cent

Nintendo has raised its DS shipment forecast to 20 million units after net profits rose by more than 48 per cent during the first half of the financial year.

Profits for the six month period ending September 30 stood at YEN 54.35 billion (EUR 361 million) - up from YEN 36.6 billion (EUR 243 million) a year previously.

Revenues were up by almost 70 per cent to reach YEN 298.8 billion (EUR 1.98 billion, while operating profit more than tripled to YEN 67.11 billion (EUR 446 million).

Nintendo attributed the rise to increase global sales of the DS handheld; 10.9 million units were sold during first half of the year, up from 3.57 million units during the same period a year ago.

As a result, Nintendo has upped its forecast and now predicts sales of 20 million units, rather than 17 million, by the end of the financial year. The company also expects to sell more DS games, raising its projection from 7.5 million to 8.2 million units. The forecast for Wii sales remains at 6 million consoles and 17 million games by the end of the financial year.

Nintendo also earned foreign exchange gains worth YEN 24.1 billion (EUR 160 million), due to a weak yen.

There was no change to the company's end of year forecast, which predicts net profits of YEN 100 billion (EUR 665 million) and revenues of YEN 740 billion (EUR 4.9 billion).