May 16, 2020 - Technology

Nintendo proves to be a recession-proof company

Axios

Animal Crossings — Screenshot from "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," via Nintendo

The Japan-based video game giant Nintendo — founded in 1889 as a playing-card company, and responsible for household names like Mario, Donkey Kong and Pokémon — announced a profit jump amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The state of play: In March, Nintendo "not only sold more units of their Switch console than during its launch in 2017, but sold the most consoles in a month for any platform in a decade," the Washington Post's Jon Irwin writes.

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is "the latest in a series of games that compel the player to plant flowers, catch bugs in nets and exist in a town inhabited by charming (and sometimes cranky) animal neighbors."

"The desire to escape and the need to be indoors combined perfectly; a marketing A.I. couldn’t devise a product better suited to" social distancing.
"In 11 days, 'New Horizons' sold over 11 million copies worldwide."

Add Axios on Google

Nintendo proves to be a recession-proof company

What to read next