Latest news with #SerkanToto
Tokyo Weekender
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days
Nintendo announced on Wednesday that it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the launch of the console. The astonishing figure surpasses the first month's sales of the original Switch (2.7 million units) and Sony's PlayStation 5 (3.4 million units). The former went on to sell more than 152 million units, making it the third best-selling game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS. Switch 2 Sales Predicted To Exceed Company's Expectations Last month, Nintendo said that Switch 2 sales would reach 15 million during the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2026. Analysts, however, consider that to be a modest target set by the company. Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, believes it will sell over 20 million units in the first year. He told CNBC , 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months.' The coveted console, which is similar in design to its predecessor, though has a bigger screen and larger, redesigned controllers, was released in most regions on June 5. Around the world, excited gamers lined up outside electronic stores, waiting for the midnight opening. In Japan alone, around 2.2 million people applied for a lottery system to buy the console. Even before it went on sale, Nintendo reportedly started shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers. Mario Kart World Mario Kart World was also released on June 5 as the launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2. It has added an open world to the series, providing players with the opportunity to race across a giant connected map from one circuit to another. Other exciting titles include the 3D platforming action-adventure game, Donkey Kong Bananza , which will be released on July 17, and Kirby Air Riders, a new title from Super Smash Bros.' director Masahiro Sakurai, which will come out later this year. Related Posts Nintendo Announces the Successor to the Nintendo Switch Bricks and Buttons: The Lego Nintendo Game Boy How to Find Tokyo's Secret Nintendo Bar: 84 Hashi Cafe
NBC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- NBC News
U.S. online stores put ‘out of stock' signs as Nintendo Switch 2 sales hit record highs
Nintendo sold more than 3.5 million units of its flagship Switch 2 gaming system in the four days following its launch, with online stores of major U.S. retailers putting up 'out of stock' signs. The record-breaking start for the company's first new console in eight years, puts Nintendo on the path to realizing its aim of selling 15 million units of the Switch 2 console in the fiscal year ending March 2026. However, analysts continue to believe that those expectations are modest, and forecast the strong initial demand to sustain. 'The market expected a record from Nintendo, and as it turns out, Nintendo delivered,' Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC. 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months,' he added. Toto has maintains that the Switch 2 will sell over 20 million units in its first 12 months. David Gibson, senior research analyst at MST Financial told CNBC that he expects 20 million sales for the year ending March 2026. The Switch 2, which was released on June 5, has been met with much fanfare, with people lining up for hours ahead of midnight releases at Nintendo stores. 'Fans around the world are showing their enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2 as an upgraded way to play at home and on the go,' Nintendo of America President and Chief Operating Officer Doug Bowser said in a statement, adding the company was thankful for the response. Tokyo-listed shares of Nintendo, which have gained nearly 30% so far this year, were down 3.5% on Wednesday, LSEG data showed. The company has seen its shares rise nearly fivefold since the original Switch debuted in early March 2017. It remains to be seen if the Switch 2 can recapture the magic of its predecessor, which had set the bar with 15 million unit sales in its first year. It went on to sell more than 152 million units to become the second-highest selling Nintendo device ever, behind the Nintendo DS. The record initial sales of the Switch are in line with the strong demand analysts had predicted. However, the rush has put into question Nintendo's ability to meet demand. Retailers including Walmart, GameStop, Target and Best Buy were out of stock of the consoles, their online stores showed Wednesday. In April, Nintendo's Bowser told CNBC that the company had been working with 'retail partners to ensure there's ample supply for not only the launch weekend, but well beyond.' However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated the same month that 2.2 million people in Japan had entered the lottery to purchase the Switch 2 on launch day, exceeding expectations and what the company had initially planned to deliver to stores. Kantan Games' Toto said shortages in Japan were expected to persist, but would be less impactful elsewhere. 'Except for Japan where demand for Switch 2 is extraordinarily high, it looks like fans who really want the console and invest time in trying to secure one actually can get one,' he said. 'It might take a while, but as far as can be monitored, supply seems to be more robust than around the launch of the original Switch in 2017.' President Donald Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' on most countries around the world also present headwinds for the Switch 2. In April, the company announced that it would delay preorders of the Switch 2 in the U.S. while it considers the impact of tariffs. The Switch 2 retails for $449 in the U.S., which makes it Nintendo's priciest console to date. Nintendo's Bowser said in April the company was going to 'monitor where tariffs are going' before making any further decisions on price hikes. MST Financial's Gibson said that a resolution to Trump's tariffs and lower duty rates could see the Switch 2 prices drop in the U.S. The Switch 2 builds on the success of the original Switch, featuring a larger screen and improved performance. The system also introduces the new GameChat2 feature, which allows players to voice or video chat with friends online and share game screens.
Express Tribune
11-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Nintendo Switch 2 sales hit 3.5 million in 4 days as demand overwhelms U.S. and Japan retailers
Switch 2 comes equipped with 256 GB of internal storage—eight times the capacity of the original Switch—along with the ability to add more storage via microSD Express cards. PHOTO: YAHOO NEWS Nintendo has reported record-breaking early sales for its new Switch 2 console, with over 3.5 million units sold in just four days following its June 5 launch. The strong debut has led to stock shortages at major U.S. retailers including Walmart, GameStop, Target, and Best Buy, according to their online platforms. While Nintendo has set a sales goal of 15 million units by the end of its fiscal year in March 2026, some analysts believe this target underestimates ongoing demand. Serkan Toto, CEO of gaming consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC that all indicators pointed to high interest before launch, and he expects additional sales records to be broken in the coming months. David Gibson of MST Financial echoed this, projecting 20 million units sold within the first year. The Switch 2, Nintendo's first major hardware release in eight years, features several key upgrades over its predecessor, including a larger screen, improved processing power, and a new GameChat2 function that enables voice and video chat. It retails in the U.S. for $449, making it the company's most expensive console to date. Despite Nintendo's efforts to prepare sufficient inventory for launch, demand has outpaced supply—especially in Japan. Company President Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that more than 2.2 million people in Japan registered for a lottery to purchase the console on launch day. While shortages are more severe in Japan, Toto noted that global availability appears better managed compared to the 2017 launch of the original Switch. Further complicating supply and pricing are ongoing U.S. trade tariffs, which have already impacted Nintendo's preorder strategy. In April, the company delayed U.S. preorders while it assessed tariff impacts. Gibson suggested that resolving these issues could eventually lead to lower U.S. prices.
Dubai Eye
05-06-2025
- Business
- Dubai Eye
Gamers line up for Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day
Gaming fans queued up for the launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 on Thursday amid pent-up demand for the more powerful next-generation gaming device. "The level of demand seems to be sky-high," said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy. In the Ikebukuro shopping district of Tokyo, dozens of successful applicants to a sales lottery by electronics retailer Bic Camera lined up before the store opened to collect their devices. "I feel like I'm going to cry," Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, told Reuters. Ohi had missed out in other lotteries and had come from Saitama prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, to receive her Switch 2. Nintendo has sold 152 million Switch home-portable devices since launching in 2017. It became a games juggernaut with titles, including two The Legend of Zelda titles and COVID-19 pandemic breakout hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Switch 2 bears many similarities with its predecessor but offers a larger screen and improved graphics and debuts with titles including Mario Kart World. "The much larger audience of Switch users should translate to stronger adoption in the opening part of its lifecycle," said Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis. "Nintendo is better prepared this time around" to deal with the high demand, he said. The launch of the $499.99 Switch 2 is a test of Nintendo's supply chain management during US President Donald Trump's trade war. Nintendo last month forecast sales of 15 million Switch 2 units during the current financial year, as well as 4.5 million Switch units. President Shuntaro Furukawa said Nintendo will strengthen production capacity to respond to strong demand and focus on sales promotion in an effort to exceed the forecast. "Given it's a special occasion, I wanted to buy (the Switch 2) right away on its release date," said Shinichi Sekiguchi, a hotel receptionist in his thirties. Nintendo said it received 2.2 million applications for its Switch 2 sales lottery on its My Nintendo Store in Japan. Pre-orders at Target sold out in less than two hours. "You are looking at weeks or months until you can walk into a store and buy a Switch 2," said Toto of Kantan Games. Investor expectations for the new device are similarly lofty. Nintendo's shares, which closed down 2 per cent in Tokyo, have gained 28 per cent this year. Concerns include whether momentum for the Switch 2 will be sustained after hardcore gamers have upgraded. "The volume of first-party games on offer at launch isn't as strong as it could be, so some more casual users may wait and see how the games available build over the next one to two years before making the leap," said Ampere's Harding-Rolls. Ampere forecasts Switch 2 sales to exceed 100 million units in 2030. Mario Kart World has a US sticker price of $79.99, generating debate over the price of games. Nintendo is also attracting third-party titles to the system. "I've been around since the era of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and games from (that period) were expensive too so I think it's somewhat within the acceptable range," said Akitomo Takahashi, a salesman in his forties.
ARN News Center
05-06-2025
- Business
- ARN News Center
Gamers line up for Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day
Gaming fans queued up for the launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 on Thursday amid pent-up demand for the more powerful next-generation gaming device. "The level of demand seems to be sky-high," said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy. In the Ikebukuro shopping district of Tokyo, dozens of successful applicants to a sales lottery by electronics retailer Bic Camera lined up before the store opened to collect their devices. "I feel like I'm going to cry," Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, told Reuters. Ohi had missed out in other lotteries and had come from Saitama prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, to receive her Switch 2. Nintendo has sold 152 million Switch home-portable devices since launching in 2017. It became a games juggernaut with titles, including two The Legend of Zelda titles and COVID-19 pandemic breakout hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Switch 2 bears many similarities with its predecessor but offers a larger screen and improved graphics and debuts with titles including Mario Kart World. "The much larger audience of Switch users should translate to stronger adoption in the opening part of its lifecycle," said Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis. "Nintendo is better prepared this time around" to deal with the high demand, he said. The launch of the $499.99 Switch 2 is a test of Nintendo's supply chain management during US President Donald Trump's trade war. Nintendo last month forecast sales of 15 million Switch 2 units during the current financial year, as well as 4.5 million Switch units. President Shuntaro Furukawa said Nintendo will strengthen production capacity to respond to strong demand and focus on sales promotion in an effort to exceed the forecast. "Given it's a special occasion, I wanted to buy (the Switch 2) right away on its release date," said Shinichi Sekiguchi, a hotel receptionist in his thirties. Nintendo said it received 2.2 million applications for its Switch 2 sales lottery on its My Nintendo Store in Japan. Pre-orders at Target sold out in less than two hours. "You are looking at weeks or months until you can walk into a store and buy a Switch 2," said Toto of Kantan Games. Investor expectations for the new device are similarly lofty. Nintendo's shares, which closed down 2 per cent in Tokyo, have gained 28 per cent this year. Concerns include whether momentum for the Switch 2 will be sustained after hardcore gamers have upgraded. "The volume of first-party games on offer at launch isn't as strong as it could be, so some more casual users may wait and see how the games available build over the next one to two years before making the leap," said Ampere's Harding-Rolls. Ampere forecasts Switch 2 sales to exceed 100 million units in 2030. Mario Kart World has a US sticker price of $79.99, generating debate over the price of games. Nintendo is also attracting third-party titles to the system. "I've been around since the era of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and games from (that period) were expensive too so I think it's somewhat within the acceptable range," said Akitomo Takahashi, a salesman in his forties.
