Despite this, results are still better than predictions, thanks to strong 3DS sales

Things aren’t looking well for the veteran games industry publisher; Nintendo has released its full year financial report for the period ending March 31, 2012. Recording a ¥43 billion (£328.7m/$531.1m) net loss despite ¥647 (£4.925bn/$7.976bn) billion in sales, this makes sales down 36.2 percent from the year prior.

Over the course of the last year, 13.53 million 3DS unit were sold worldwide, with over 5 million units in Japan. However, a weaker-than-expected Christmas holiday for software sales meant that there was little to no time for recovery from the poor performance that had marked the first months of the 3DS’s lifespan. 36 million units of 3DS software were sold worldwide, with unspecified third party titles being identified as strong sellers alongside perennial favorites such as Mario Kart and Mario Land. As for the Nintendo Wii, 9.84 million hardware and 102.37 software units were sold worldwide, despite being in the last leg of the system’s life.

Regardless of the disappointing sales figures that represent the first full-year loss in the company’s track record, Nintendo was confident that the next year will show a return to profit. Part of the resurgence should stem from improvements in the efficiency of 3DS production, with the developer predicting that it should be able to sell each unit at profit within the span of six months.

In the software department, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is expected to be a top performer, along with Animal Crossing 3D and a new Brain Age title. The next results will also include the first three months or so of Wii U software sales, which Nintendo says will be released in the US, EU, and Japan by the end of this calendar year.