Nintendo Annual Report 2013 paints a full picture of the company’s finances
Nintendo’s latest fiscal report is not all that hot. But the general annual report does a much better job of putting a positive spin on the company’s present and future.
The first dozen or so pages of the report are incredible collages and promotional pieces that would work quite well as computer wallpaper. It’s almost as though Nintendo realized that fans and media outlets would be among the most eager to read the report and decided to give them a little something extra. I especially love the page with all the logos for every single piece of hardware Nintendo released over the past three decades.
The two most notable pages reveal the total combined hardware and software sales across almost every Nintendo console and handheld as of March 31, 2013. From the Famicom (NES) to the Wii U, 268.97 million units of hardware and 2195.09 million units of software were sold. From the Game Boy to the 3DS, 385.15 million units of hardware and 1907.25 million units of software were sold. These totals include all SKUs as well as bundled and digital software.
What can we draw from this data? Despite handheld hardware selling much better, consoles are much better software drivers. It is interesting to note that a certain failed virtual reality machine was left out of these considerations, though I wonder if Nintendo factored in hardware attachments like the Famicom Disk System and the 64DD, both which had exclusive software.
The page after those two is a Nintendo history timeline that chronicles the journey from card company in 1889 to where it stands today. It’s a fascinating read if you are unfamiliar with some of Nintendo’s more obscure successes like the Laser Clay Shooting System, which was somewhat of a predecessor to Duck Hunt.
The second half of the report breaks down the company finances in excruciating detail. Even if you can’t make heads or tails of it all, there is still some data of interest. For instance, Nintendo had about $5,093,206,000 cash and deposits on hand at the end of March. That is the infamous “war chest” that people like to bring up when discussing Nintendo’s financial security. With such a wide safety net, on top of other investments, Nintendo is in no danger of going anywhere anytime soon — I can’t believe we still have to ward off doom-mongering, but there you go.
There’s plenty more to glean from the file, but I’ll leave it to you guys to check out on your own.
Nintendo Annual Report 2013 [Nintendo via Polygon]
Published: Aug 7, 2013 05:00 pm