Nintendo's Q1 financial results were some of the most uneventful in recent memory; we're not expecting a President's Presentation or Q & A as they aren't the norm for the company's Q1 reports. What the financial results brought were losses and low sales, which weren't surprising in the slightest; anyone following Nintendo will have known that there were no big 'hits' between 1st April and 30th June, at least not on a global and mainstream scale. Also, as Nintendo made clear not long ago - prompting a slide in share value - it won't benefit in a big way financially from the success of Pokemon GO. The silver lining is that Nintendo's projections for profits were left untouched, as it evidently has faith in the Pokemon effect on 3DS with Sun and Moon, while launch NX sales in March along with smart device revenues from Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem should also contribute.
Aside from the telling statistic that the first quarter of the financial year had no million-sellers for the big N in software, one other set of numbers stood out as alarming. The amiibo range only shifted approximately 1.7 million figures and 1.3 million 'card-types' globally in those three months, with the company's report acknowledging this was "mainly due to a lack of new titles that are compatible with amiibo".
First of all, let's address how disappointing that figure of three million is in a broader context. The table below is from the Q3 report in the last financial year, covering up to 31st December 2015; it's particularly useful as it shows quarterly sales since the range started on the market.
The card range was also held up as a major success at that point, even if the numbers were dubiously inflated by counting each individual card despite them being sold in packs of three. The cards for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer were taken up most enthusiastically in Japan, however, with the figurines remaining the key product in Western territories.
In some respects, however, that Holiday period was a perfect storm for the range. The cards were relatively new, and there were multiple promising amiibo for different games, moving beyond the core Super Smash Bros. batch that had started it all. At the close of 2015 Nintendo highlighted "over 80 types" of amiibo being in stores supported by "over 25 compatible games" - lots of variety, plenty of games using them, and after troubles in the first 6-9 months on the market there were also improvements in stock supplies. They were easier to buy, more varied and more attractive than ever.
Q4 of the last year showed a slight dip from those aforementioned highs, but that would be expected for sales between January and March; overall momentum was still cited as high. Ultimately, in its year end results, Nintendo could highlight impressive growth for amiibo.
Of course, if amiibo sales hit a peak in Holiday 2015 thanks to major releases, diverse ranges and solid stock, Q1 of this year (1st April to 30th June) has been the opposite. Wii U and 3DS have had some enjoyable games in that window, but none that have taken off at retail nor put the amiibo range to its best use. We've seen amiibo in the likes of Star Fox Zero and Kirby: Planet Robobot, but not in a manner to blow the doors off. It's also worth noting that the recent new Splatoon figures won't have contributed to the Q1 results, either. Much like the game release slate, the amiibo part of Nintendo's business had a painfully quiet and largely uneventful first quarter.
The numbers are interesting though, and arguably prove a key point about the range and its merits. There is sometimes eager debate around whether amiibo are collectibles or video game accessories. Both is the correct answer, as it depends on each individual consumer, but these low Q1 numbers are a reminder that the 'collectible' part of the market is a limited part of the product's success story. Not everyone collects every amiibo to sit in their box forever - plenty, like this writer, have them sitting loose on a shelf to actually be used in games. They look nice out on display, but from personal experience I've bought roughly half of my collection because of neat tie-ins and features in games, and the other half because they look cool.
If amiibo is lacking one factor or the other - charm and collectability / video game compatibilty - then the range missed its potential. In the first 18 months or so of the range's existence its managed that balance well, up to the point its sales were boast-worthy up until the end of March 2016. These disappointing Q1 numbers aren't overly concerning, as such - April to June is a weak sales window anyway - but rather a reminder that amiibo can't coast along with minimal support.
Quite how amiibo evolves will be interesting, especially as we see whether Nintendo can take its early success and make it a long term part of its business. There are new figures on the way to accompany Mario Party Star Rush this year, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will also have its own figures; we can only assume that the NX will support amiibo, too. One area that is still slightly baffling is that there's no announcement, yet, of extensive amiibo for Pokemon Sun and Moon. If any product could shift tens of millions of amiibo cards - in particular - it's Pokemon. Maybe that's a surprise that's yet to be announced.
In any case Nintendo is like every other major corporation - it likes making juicy profits and expanding successful products. The amiibo range has been a big win for Nintendo in this generation, so it seems highly likely that it'll be a notable part of the company's future - for those of us outside the walls of Nintendo HQ in Kyoto, we can only assume that exciting plans are in place for the next 12 months and beyond.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 49
No surprise here; No games, No money.
Isn't this kind of obvious?
I think variety of amiibo is the problem, not game support. I'm trying to think what has been released in FYQ1 and all I'm coming up with is Animal Crossing cards and the Kirby line. They should've at least released Cloud, Bayonetta and Corrin either in Q1 or Q2 though it's seeming increasingly likely they're saving those to launch alongside a Smash 4 NX port.
What still baffles me was the lack of amiibo support for TMS. By all means, make no new amiibo but how about supporting the current Fire Emblem amiibo? Could have seen a sales increase there
(Just an example of how some games are missing out on amiibo support that shouldn't)
Should add the word "good" to the title before games, b/c all of those AC amiibo lining stores shelves actually got a game, only it wasn't a good game.
And the Kirby amiibo, well we already had 2 of those, or was it 3, no reason for the reskin. And reskinned Splatoon amiibo? Should have kept those in Japan.
OK, nobody has been wanting and waiting for an amiibo specific game more and longer than I have, Subspace Emissary 2 in particular, but the lack of games isn't the only problem.
Oh, and what @Grumblevolcano said, where are Cloud, Bayonetta and Corrin? Cloud will sell, so will Bayonetta as long as it's OK looking. And make Sephiroth just because, he'll sell too. Add him into something later, like the FF7 remaster on NX.
This does get back to my earliest amiibo concern though, Nintendo IP. But really, where are the 700 Pokemon? Or just all the starters on that 20th anniversary Pikachu shirt? And the lengendaries. I have a hunch Pokemon amiibo would sell in Japan. I'm still waiting on Pokepark 3 or a Pokemon amiibo Snap! The Wii U game pad should be a gyro controlled
camera.
@Grandpa_Pixel Funny how the original idea of amiibo working in mulitple games turned out, huh? Now it's become more of "for every game we deem a major release, we'll make a new line of amiibo and those will be the main/only ones supported".
every amiibo should have an effect in every single first and second party nintendo game. also, every amiibo should unlock a posable figure in art academy to draw, dammit.
They don't just need games, they need multi-game functionality... all the amiibo they've been releasing recently basically only have unique functionality in one game... in pretty much any other game they work with they just do something generic that you could use any amiibo for... and even they have a limit on how many amiibo you can use in a day, so you have no real need to have more amiibo than that.
Damned if you do ("Why should I need an amiibo to do that?!"), damned if you don't ("Why buying an amiibo if I can't use it on every Nintendo game I own?").
That's why I've only been collecting Smash amiibo, (and occasionally the Super Mario amiibo) because Smash Bros. 3DS and Wii U are the only games that really uses amiibo at its full potential and purpose.
I really don't care about the amiibo they have been releasing.
Altough I agree amiibo should be used for more than just colectability, I disagree with everyone (including Nintendo) about this. Slow sales of amiibo its because the number of launches of new amiibos has droped. Animal crossing amiibos were only bought by people who own the game. As for me I own almost every amiibo, before I used to buy a new one like every month, this year I bought the squid sisters and wolf link, so why should i buy more amiibos if there arent any new ones. So basically whats happening is the market spike has endend and it going towards maturity (stabilization)
Funny enough I was one of the few saying amiibos don't need a dedicated game. 2 years later and now I'm on the other side. I don't regret buying any of them but a skylander style game would be nice to have right about now.
Of course they're down. They're now more obtainable and the Smash series is over outside of three characters. It will go up by 7,000% once Waluigi releases, though.
I want to finish my Smash series collection (currently at 35/59), and Splatoon (3/8. I was going to buy the rest this month but my headphones broke) but I can't afford the things. £10.99 is honestly a little too expensive.
Mario Party Star Rush? Yeah it looks rushed alright! Looks like yet another substandard game, like most of Nintendo's games lately. Rushed to the market to pad out the poor selection and to peddle the sinking Amiibo line. It didn't work with Mario Party 10, which flopped, it didn't work with Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, which flopped even harder, and it won't work here.
When's Cloud going to be released?
@Grandpa_Pixel Roy is not supported in Fire Emblem Fates, as an example.
Amiibo card for HHD totally useless until a new update for ACNL it will completely useful. That shows how 2015 year was the worst year for Nintendo to release the game with Amiibo. I mean, what the heck ? Don't rely on Amiibo too much. Non gamer will not purchase any kind of pricey stuffs like that.
It also needs decent supply worldwide, I've been trying to find a Mega Man amiibo where I live for months.
For me now they are becoming more collecting items waiting for Bayonetta and the Zelda range too drop.
I don't see why they don't patch in amiibo support for older games that came out before amiibo. They're doing it with New Leaf. I'm sure if they slapped amiibo goodies on Super Mario 3D Land/World, Wind Waker HD, Kid Icarus Uprising, LM: Dark Moon, Nintendo Land, Tropical Freeze, and Bayonetta 2, they could entice more amiibo sales.
They flooded the marketplace after under stocking it to create demand; simple.
I collect (S4ash) amiibo but hardly use them.
Also: Animal Crossing ones, while cute, don't do it for me. There are far too many of them.
Why every transition for Nintendo must be turbulent? I can't remember if any generation change was smooth, but the 2 most recent were tragedies.
IIRC, the last amiibo I bought was either Ryu or the restock of The Villager.
I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Animal Crossing fan but I have zero desire to get any of the AC amiibo. Perhaps after the New Leaf update I'll have more reason to buy them.
At this point, the only amiibo I'm looking forward to is Cloud. That's still happening, right?
The fact we're currently in the quiet phase from the final year of the Wii U to the explosion of the NX launch with tons of new stuff for it does not help too much either. Maybe they are saving the last Smash Bros amiibo for an NX port of Smash 4, maybe the NX will bring a next gen of amiibo with better use, more data held and so on might launch with the NX, but for now we're mostly in filler territory till that NX release. Sure those new Mario amiibo will fill some xmas stockings over the holidays, but I doubt we'll see much more this year...
The problem is that they just keep pumping out more amiibo without giving them anything to do. It's a case of, "This new line does this one tiny thing. Right, now onto the next line."
I suspect amiibo are reaching saturation point within the core Nintendo fan base.
Outside of that group, there's little reason to ever buy one. Most smartphones have NFC, so hopefully they'll get some use as more Nintendo games come out on mobile. Could inject a bit of life into Miitomo if, for example, I could tap an amiibo on my phone to unlock extra clothes or items for placing round my house/room in-game
Pokemon Trading Card Game + Amiibo Cards = $$$$$$$$$$$
Adding some more functionality to already existing amiibo would be nice since it has been somewhat limited for the most part.
@Captain_Gonru Is it hot where you live, heat gets us all.
You need to stop worrying, thinking, concerning yourself with NX amiibo support, it will be there. We haven't heard about it yet b/c we haven't heard anything real about NX yet, and amiibo ain't worth the rumour.
Here, Level 5, one of Nintendo big 3rd parties that everybody seems to forget exists when they say Nintendo gets no 3rd party games, just announced a phone and 3DS game with its own line of NFC toys. It will probably have an NX version. That should be proof enough. Sorry no link I'm on my phone but it's on the first page.
So repeat after me, NX will have amibo support, somehow, some way. And winter is coming.
What SCamiibo need to do is die!
They provide nothing to gaming. They're just a lazy means of trying to squeeze more cash from customers. DLC by any other name would still smell like raw sewage.
Amiibo being compatible with more games would be great. Recent amiibo have cool functionality in one game, then little to nothing anywhere else.
Additionally, support is coming to Animal Crossing: New Leaf soon, along with new content. I'm surprised y'all haven't reported on this yet.
More game functionality with amiibo would be nice, but it would have to be more than a costume or bonus item to really impress me. The lack of game capability doesn't bother me much though, since I buy amiibo for the characters themselves.
@Captain_Gonru Come on, obviously NX has amiibo support. Otherwise Cloud, Bayonetta and Corrin would've already been released
@Daruncic They have... https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/07/autumn_animal_crossing_new_leaf_update_to_bring_amiibo_figure_and_card_support
I've got an idea. How about Nintendo going back into old Wii U/3DS titles and patch in support for amiibo like what they are doing for Animal Crossing but on a larger scale. I can't be the only one who finds it weird that this still hasn't been done for titles like Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Wind Waker HD and Nintendo Land (a game BEGGING to be populated by amiibo characters). Also, wear are the likes of Bayonetta and Cloud? Nintendo went oddly silent for the last wave of Smash amiibo.
I'm still waiting for an amiibo game a la Skylanders. I can't justify just having figurines for decoration - they really need to do something with them!
Give me Corrin dammit!
Oh, there's plenty of variety, but their in-game functions are almost non-existent.
My Skylanders get play time because I can play, level, customize and enjoy them as videogame characters and collectibles.
My amiibos sit pretty on my shelf because I forget/am not intrigued enough to use them for anything. The functionality is boring and limited.
I'm still waiting for my Skylanderesque amiibo game Nintendo. Just get it over with.
@Mahe Mario Party 10 didn't flop. It sold 1.81 million units.
We're just holding out for that Waluigi Amiibo, Nintendo.
@Grandpa_Pixel
"What still baffles me was the lack of amiibo support for TMS."
I giggled at this because I read TMS as Test Match Special which, thinking about it, I would undoubtedly buy amiibo for!
Pokémon GO, and other upcoming Nintendo smart devices games should support amiibo if the smartphone have NFC capability! That will definitely increases amiibo's appeal!
Well, this years amiibo have been very lackluster, especially the useless Animal Crossing ones that no one cares about.
But, when the hotly anticipated Daisy amiibo releases, all will be right again! Just hope they patch older games like Yoshi's Woolly World to include her.
I bought one amiibo last winter because it was on clearance for 1/3 of original price. I would use it, but what for? It's still in the box. Actually still in the bag with the receipt too. Maybe I can use it with Style Savvy or something. It's kind of just a statue with no use as it is now. I still do not understand why there was ever hype over these things. They are a total waste of money.
Or its just that people are fed up with those things! I surely hope so!
Animal Crossing Amiibo are dumb IMO. Every store is fully stocked because nobody buys them. That said, I am stoked about the new MP Amiibo and have new Rosalina, Daisy, Waluigi, Wario, and Boo on preorder from Best Buy.
@vicne94 It is one of the worst selling home console Mario Party games ever made. That's a flop.
But not the worst. It sold better than 6 and 7. Besides that, comparing it to the sales of previous titles doesn't have anything to do with profit. I find it hard to believe a Mario party that sold 1.81 million didn't profit. Just because it didn't do as well as other titles doesn't mean it flopped.
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