Nintendo raises Switch expectations to 25 million and over

Console manufacturer Nintendo could be looking to make annual sales of 25 to 30 million for its home and portable hybrid console, the Switch, according to a new report.

Having previously adjusted the Switch's first-year expectations from 10 to 14 million sales, Nintendo is thought to be looking at a worldwide tally of 25 million and beyond for a second year on the market.

Citing people with direct knowledge of Nintendo's production plans, the Wall Street Journal reports that a manufacturing target of 25 to 30 million Switch units is being distributed to business partners.

"It's a home system that you can take on the go, play anywhere with anyone, and that's resonating," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé said on a Nov 9 CNN Tech segment.

The release of high quality, player-pleasing games has also been instrumental in attracting fans to the system, Fils-Aimé continued.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, has been followed by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and now October release Super Mario Odyssey.

Yet, should Nintendo achieve a first-year total of 14 million sales and then 25 million the year after, its Switch would be outstripping even 2006's original Wii.

Now the third best-selling home console of all time, the Wii galloped to 34 million units after 24 months.

But as broad as its audience was, the Wii was a home console, with the handheld DS available separately.

The Switch, by contrast, succeeds not only the Wii U but also the portable 3DS, and perhaps this is where Nintendo's extra confidence lies.

Transferring key portable franchises such as Pokémon from the 3DS to the Switch is something that could drive further demand for the newer machine.

The Pokémon Company has already said that Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, releasing Nov 17 on 3DS, signify the end of an era.

And, as it happens, in a July 2017 financial briefing, Nintendo already told investors to expect a new Pokémon on Switch in "2018 or later". — AFP Relaxnews