Nintendo sees smartphone games, new console pushing up FY profit

A woman walks past an advertisement board of Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii U game console at an electronics retail store in Tokyo, Japan, February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/Files

TOKYO/OSAKA: Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd said it expects operating profit to rise 36.9% in the year through March 2017, as the videogame maker plans to release more smartphone games as well as its next-generation game console. 

Nintendo estimates operating profit to grow to 45bil yen (RM1.58bil) from 32.9bil yen (RM1.15bil) a year prior, when earnings were roughly in line with a forecast announced in February.