News On Japan

Nintendo: The Apple Of The Gaming Industry?

TOKYO - Nintendo (OTCPK:NTDOF) stock has come a good 30% down from its all-time high of $16 in 2021, the year the Switch made record sales.

The release of the Switch in 2017 kicked off a four-year growth spurt for Nintendo that had traded at just $6 a share.

At current levels, it may be a good time to start accumulating shares before a new console is released in 2024 (a credible conjecture), in anticipation of a new revenue platform being built by Nintendo.

Naturally, there is a risk of failure with every major launch. To determine the chances of Nintendo delivering, this article looks at its past record of servicing product platforms and its ability to generate shareholder value from them.

Since Nintendo makes both hardware and software, it enjoys certain competitive efficiencies. It starts with effective console sales. Consoles are priced using a razor-and-blade model, either at breakeven or even a loss, with the idea being that subsequent sales of games and subscription services will more than compensate.

Between 2017 and 2022, console sales were topped by Nintendo by a large margin for four out of six years. In fact, Nintendo has dominated for much longer, with the Switch being the most sold console over the past ten years (although newer releases by rivals would invariably steal the limelight and reduce the turnover). ...continue reading

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Strong Typhoon No. 18 was gradually moving away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands on August 26 after disrupting flights and bringing violent winds, rough seas and heavy rain, although Okinawa's main island and Amami Oshima remained at risk of sudden downpours, powerful gusts and waves exceeding 6 meters through around midday. As of 4 a.m. on August 26, the typhoon was located about 80 kilometers west-northwest of Okinoerabu Island and was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour.

A series of mysterious illegal dumping incidents involving about 39 kilograms of sliced bread has been reported around Mount Daisen and other parts of Tottori Prefecture in August, with officials investigating whether the food may have been deliberately placed to attract wild animals.

An 85-year-old couple have donated a combined 400 million yen to Osaka City with a request that the money be used to create a giant Myaku-Myaku statue about 20 meters tall at the former site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, envisioning a landmark that could become a lasting symbol of the event and of renewed prosperity for Kansai and Japan.

Lawson plans to cut prices on its main line of onigiri rice balls by 10 yen from September 29 as falling rice prices begin to feed through to retail costs.

Police have established a temporary police post in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of the September 1 opening of the annual drive hunt for whales and dolphins.

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