Nintendo Switch Shortage Issues Should Be Over Soon | Game Rant
While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to the closing of schools, businesses, and public gathering spaces, it has also had an impact on production lines around the world — including for the Nintendo Switch gaming console. Shortages as a result of responses to the virus have led to price spikes from resellers and issues with scalping, but it seems as though the drought of Switch consoles may be coming to an end as soon as this summer.
When Nintendo released its 2020 fiscal year financial results on May 7, 2020, the company also hosted an earnings call that began with a discussion on "Risks Related to COVID-19" according to the Explanatory Material posted to Nintendo of Japan's website. When discussing the impact on parts procurement, production, and shipments, it was said that impacts seen in April may be over by the summer according to live tweet translations by David Gibson, co-founder of the investment advisory firm Astris Advisory Japan.
While this is undoubtedly good news for those who have struggled to get their hands on one of Nintendo's consoles during the pandemic, the news was not all good. In the same statement Nintendo apparently said that its planned title release schedule may be impacted as employees work from home, which has already been seen with Switch-exclusive games like Ninjala.
Despite the shortages which ended off Nintendo's fiscal year, the company still had a rather impressive showing according to the rest of its report. Nintendo made over 360 billion yen in net profits, which translates to nearly $3.4 billion. That's partially thanks to games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which became the fastest-selling Switch title in just 11 days.
Clearly the company is also expecting continual success as it moves into fiscal year 2021. Another section of the report indicates that Nintendo expects to sell 19 million more Switch units over the next year, showing no expectation that the Switch will start to wind down in preparation for a new, unannounced follow-up console of any kind.
However, in order to reach that point Nintendo will have to make sure its backlog of consoles remain stocked. In-part due to shortages, over 1,000 people in South Korea lined up for a lottery to try and win one of 45 Nintendo Switch consoles. Luckily, if its year-end report is anything to go off of, Nintendo should be ready to meet those high expectations sometime within the next few months.
Sources: Twitter, Nintendo Fiscal Year Financial Report, Astris Advisory Japan
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