For the first time in over eight years, Sony has overtaken Nintendo in terms of the amount of consoles sold worldwide.
According to reports published by the Japanese Nikkei business site, Nintendo sold 16.3 million consoles during the last financial year, however Sony shifted 18.7 million systems in the same period. The figures have been calculated based on the published figures by each company, with Nintendo’s figures being announced in readiness for their annual shareholders meeting.
The Sony PlayStation 4 is the single reason for the power shift, the console has outperformed the Nintendo Wii U in every department, specifically – demand.
The original Wii was the most popular console of its generation, with widespread family appeal that transcends the gaming fraternity, but in an ever-changing marketplace, it looks like Nintendo may have to go back to the drawing board as they attempt to drag back some market-share.
All three gaming superpowers intend to release new titles in advance of the most keenly attended Expo in the calendar. As the E3 Video Games Expo rolls into LA, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will unleash their plans to walk away with the headlines, and the glory.
Nintendo Problems
The loss to Sony in terms of units sold will come as another blow to Nintendo, who announced their intention to close their European warehouse and Headquarters in Germany, costing 130 jobs. As well as this, Nintendo announced net losses of £135 million for the last financial year in April, and with the concerns over the health of company President Satoru Iwata, the future is uncertain for the creators of Mario Bros.
A crumb of comfort for Nintendo will be the dominance they still enjoy in Japan. While worldwide sales may be tanking, Nintendo sell on average three times the amount of Wii U’s than PS4’s on a weekly basis. With some new titles such as Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros 4 receiving glowing reviews, there is every chance that sales could pick up, however Microsoft may also have a say.
The Xbox One is due for release on the 4th September in Japan, and despite worldwide sales of the console losing out to the PS4 by five to one, Microsoft will surely have something up their sleeve as the world’s media look on with expectant interest. For Nintendo and Microsoft, the E3 Expo isn’t exactly make-or-break, but in the short-term it could be defining….