Nintendo Q1 profit dives 60.6 pc as Wii loses lustre

TOKYO: Nintendo Co. said on Thursday its net profit plunged 60.6 percent in the quarter to June from a year earlier to 42.32 billion yen (445 million dollars) as sales of its Wii console dropped sharply.

The company sold 2.23 million Wii video game machines worldwide in the fiscal first quarter, down from 5.17 million a year earlier.

Nintendo has enjoyed huge success with its consoles, including the Wii, which aims to appeal to people buying a video-game machine for the first time.

But the group expects its first drop in operating profit in four years, underlining the challenge it faces in maintaining its recent rapid growth.