It seems that even Mario couldn’t leap over the tanker that was blocking the Suez Canal, as Nintendo report that the accident was responsible for shortage of its Switch in Europe.
In a recent financial results conference call, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa was asked “why is the software sales plan for this fiscal year lower than actual sales for last fiscal year despite the strong demand for software?”
In short, COVID and the Suez accident.
“COVID-19 has caused declines and delays in freight traffic in markets outside of Japan, and retailers in some regions are experiencing temporary shortages,” explains Furukawa. “In particular, the accident that blocked the Suez Canal caused delays in the transportation of products bound for Europe, and retail inventories are tight in some countries.”
Furukawa also revealed that sales in China during the recent Lunar New Year holiday season surpassed sales of the same period of the previous year, with Mario Tennis Aces, Ring Fit Adventure, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe being the big selling in that region, adding “we will continue to work persistently to expand sales.”
