Summary The original Wii consoles were a runaway success.
TOKYO: Japanese electronics giant Nintendo on Wednesday said it returned to profit in the nine months to December, and lifted its fiscal year earnings forecast.
The firm swung to a net profit of 14.54 billion yen ($160 million), from a net loss of 48.35 billion a year earlier, and upped its profit target for the year to March to 14.00 billion yen, from a previous target of 6.0 billion yen.
However, the Kyoto-based firm slashed its sales and operating profit expectations for the fiscal year to March, and cut its forecast in the period for its much-hyped Wii U games console to 4.0 million from a previous estimate of 5.5 million.
The original Wii consoles, launched in 2006, were a runaway success as they lured legions of "casual gamers" into the video game world with the introduction of motion-sensing controls.
Nintendo was shooting for a similar reception with the new console as it competes with Sony and Microsoft, makers of the PlayStation and Xbox, and the free online games sector that is offering up a stiff challenge to the industry giants.
