TOKYO: Japanese videogame giant Nintendo said Wednesday its April-December net profit soared six-fold to $504 million as a sharply weaker yen boosted its bottom line and helped offset slowing sales.
For the fiscal year to March 31, the Kyoto-based company also raised its annual net profit forecast to 30 billion yen ($254 million), from an earlier 20 billion yen estimate, but the Super Mario creator trimmed sales and operating profit forecasts.
Between April and December, Nintendo posted a 59.5 billion yen ($504 million) net profit with operating income swinging to 31.6 billion yen -- reversing a year-earlier loss. Sales came in at 442.9 billion, down 11.3 percent from the previous year.
The relatively upbeat results come as Nintendo, which makes the Wii U console and 3DS gaming system, looks to move past three straight years of operating losses, underscoring the challenges faced by the one-time industry titan.
Last year, company president Satoru Iwata said he would slash his salary in half for five months to atone for the downturn.
The maker of the Super Mario and Pokemon franchises has struggled as rivals Sony and Microsoft outpaced it in console sales.
All three companies are also fighting off a trend toward cheap -- or sometimes free -- downloadable games for smartphones and other mobile devices.
Nintendo has been criticised for its longstanding refusal to license some of its iconic brands for use on mobile applications.
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