Episode 97: Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems

More money, more problems, more solutions. In this episode of the Random Nintendo Podcast, we analyze all the news out of Nintendo’s annual financial report, breaking down what went well for the company, what went wrong, and what’s next. From slowing 3DS sales and continuing Amiibo woes to a new theme park deal with Universal Studios and updated details on Nintendo’s smartphone plans with DeNA, there’s certainly a lot to cover. We also weigh in on the recent Splatoon Direct, giving our takes on Nintendo’s unusual rollout strategy for the game’s many modes and hands-on impressions of last weekend’s Splatoon Global Testfire. Plus, we share impressions of the one-of-a-kind Affordable Space Adventures for Wii U. We want to hear what you think, too! Leave a comment below with your thoughts on any of the news discussed or even the show itself. If you liked what you heard, consider leaving a review (and subscribing!) on iTunes. You’ll also want to follow us on Twitter @RandomNintendo as we just might be hosting a giveaway for all our followers in the coming weeks. As always, we’ve included links below for more information on all the news and games discussed in this episode. Each link also lists a time stamp to easily locate the segments that most interest you. Enjoy! News [0:02] Splatoon Direct – 5.07.15 (Nintendo.com) [0:34] Splatoon Global Testfire (Nintendo.co.jp) [0:45] Splatoon Lighting Up Amazon Sales Charts Around The World (GoNintendo) [0:49 – 1:56] Nintendo Records First Annual Profit in Years, Narrowly Misses Wii U Sales Target (IGN) [0:57 – 1:56] Nintendo Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2015 + Q&A (Nintendo Investor Relations) [1:05] April 2015 NPD: Xbox One outsells PS4; Mortal Kombat X tops software chart (VentureBeat) [1:22] Nintendo Admits They Screwed Up Amiibo, Promises To Do Better (Kotaku) [1:26] Nintendo talks restocks of Marth, Ike, and Meta Knight amiibo, but again, it’s ‘limited’ (Destructoid) [1:35] Nintendo characters, games coming to Universal parks (USA Today) [1:48] Nintendo will release five smartphone games by 2017 (The Verge) [1:50] Mario Kart producer in charge of Nintendo’s mobile game development (Nintendo Everything) [1:53] Iwata: NX is not a replacement for Wii U or 3DS (MCV) [1:57] Nintendo World Championships headline Nintendo’s expanded lineup at E3 2015 (Nintendo.com) [2:02] Random Nintendo Mailbag – Send us your questions! Games [0:02] Splatoon (Official Site) [1:20] Amiibo (Official Site) [2:07] Affordable Space Adventures (Official Site)