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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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A fire broke out at Sairinji temple in Saga city on the morning of August 18, engulfing the building in flames and prompting the dispatch of 10 fire engines and two ambulances, with no injuries reported so far.

Severe disruption continued across Chiba Prefecture after the holiday period, with rail closures forcing some commuters into three-hour journeys while more than 2,700 vehicles remained immobilized by flooding caused by last week's torrential rain.

Train stations, airports and expressways were crowded on August 16 as travelers returned from vacations and hometown visits on the final day of the Obon holiday.

A 12-year-old British girl who disappeared while visiting Japan with her family was found safe in Yokohama on Saturday night, about 59 hours after leaving their private lodging in Tokyo, with police saying there was no indication that she had been involved in a crime.

More than 1,200 vehicles are believed to have been left stranded on roads across Chiba Prefecture after torrential rain caused widespread flooding, with authorities confirming eight deaths and investigating a drainage pump failure at an underpass where a man died.

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Japan's benchmark long-term interest rate briefly rose to 2.945% as government bonds were sold on August 18, reaching a fresh high not seen in about 30 years as uncertainty in the Middle East pushed up crude oil futures and fueled expectations that inflation could accelerate.

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