The Pikachu character poses at a Pokémon stand during Brand Licensing Europe at Excel on October 4, 2023 in London, England.
John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images
nintendo Japanese stocks closed 7% higher on Friday after it was revealed that sales of “Pokémon Pokopia” on the main game console “Switch 2” exceeded 5 million units.
Nintendo announced Thursday that it reached this milestone just over four months after its March 5 launch. This would make it the second best-selling game on the Switch 2, surpassing Donkey Kong Bananza and behind Mario Kart World.
First announced last September, the game wasn’t considered a blockbuster since it’s a spin-off from the main Pokémon series. Its gameplay includes elements of Animal Crossing, one of the most popular games on Nintendo’s original Switch.
Investors are closely monitoring game sales updates as hit titles often boost shipments of Nintendo’s consoles, which are facing headwinds.
Rising memory prices have forced the company to raise the price of the Switch 2, which was released about a year ago.
In the June quarter, Nintendo sold 3.82 million Switch 2 consoles, down 34.4% year-on-year. The company expects to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, which will also be down from the same period last year.
Nintendo also announced expansion packs and updates for “Pokémon Pokopia” on Thursday, aiming to bring new gamers to the title and maintain the interest of current players.
Nintendo’s stock price has fallen more than 16% this year. But the stock has risen more than 26% in the last month as investors bet on an improving outlook and hope that upcoming blockbuster games will spur console sales.
Nintendo is planning to release “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” on Switch 2, a remake of the masterpiece that was first released on the Nintendo 64 in the 1990s.
Two new Pokemon games are also planned for next year. Pokemon and Zelda are one of Nintendo’s two most popular franchises.
