There’s no doubt that the Nintendo Switch has proven to be hugely popular since it launched in March 2017. So far Nintendo have got a lot more right than they have wrong which is more than can be said for the launch of the Wii U.
Despite strong sales performances and a list of third-party games making their way onto the Switch, Nintendo are well aware of how much work there still is to do to ensure the longevity of the Nintendo Switch. According to Nintendo’s President Tatsumi Kimishima, this second year for the Switch will be “crucial” if the success of the Switch is to live up to expectations.
Speaking to Japanese site Mainichi, (via Nintendo Everything), Kimishima stated that Nintendo are in it for the long run and see the Switch as having a ‘long lifespan’. To ensure that, he explained that the second year is crucial especially as Nintendo want to attract users to the Switch ‘who barely touch games consoles.’
“In order to be playable in the long term, the second year is crucial. Our task is to add more users, including people who barely touch game consoles.”
The Switch still has a long way to go of course if it is surpass the success of the Nintendo Wii. However Kimishima is hopeful that the Switch can replicate the success of the Wii, adding that momentum for the Switch is currently rivalling that of the Wii.
So far the Switch has managed to sell over 10 million units worldwide since March 2017. That’s more than the entire lifetime sales of the Wii U in Japan but only 1/10 of the worldwide sales of the Wii which sit at 100 million units.
