Nintendo Posts Net Loss For First Quarter

Nintendo has reported another first quarter loss, with the 2012 period ending on June 30 culminating in a 17.2 billion yen loss. However, the situation is improving, including some help from the 3DS handheld.

Last year for the same period, Nintendo posted 25.5 billion yen in losses. Furthermore, while net sales were down over nine percent from 2011, this is significantly less of a gap than the one from 2010 to 2011, which saw net sales dip 50 percent from 2010 to 2011.

Despite Nintendo saying the 3DS handheld "only" sold 1.86 million units outside of Japan (where sales were "robust"), global sales for the handheld are up at a nice clip of 162 percent from the previous year's period. Software is also up 63 percent over the same time last year. Finally, the system is no longer being sold at a loss.

Nintendo estimates that it will sell 18.5 million units before April of next year. Currently it says it has sold 19 million 3DSs.