Tokyo (AFP)

Nintendo signed record results for its 2020/21 fiscal year ended March 31, driven by the global craze for video games in the midst of a pandemic, but the Japanese group does not expect to repeat the feat in 2021/22.

Marketed since 2017, its Switch console has been given a second lease of life since the onset of the coronavirus, with also ultra-popular games such as "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" or "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe".

Over the past year, the Kyoto firm (western Japan) recorded a net profit of 480.4 billion yen (3.7 billion euros), a jump of 85.7% over one year and a historic record for the company.

But for 2021/22, it forecasts an annual net profit of 340 billion yen (2.6 billion euros), a drop of 29.2% over one year.

In addition, Nintendo warned Thursday that its production "could be affected" by parts supply difficulties, against the backdrop of the global shortage of semiconductors.

The group has not said a word for the moment on a possible new version of the Switch which, according to some media, could be released at the end of this year, including improved graphics capabilities.

Nintendo launched the Switch Lite in the fall of 2019, a portable-only and cheaper model.

The Japanese giant is far from having exploited the full potential of mobile games for its timeless franchises (Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Pokémon ...), even if it has been expanding its offer in this area for a few years.

At the end of March, Nintendo also announced a new partnership with the American Niantic to launch an augmented reality mobile game from the second half of this year around the world of its creatures Pikmin, half animal and half plant.

Launched in 2016, Niantic's "Pokémon Go" mobile app has been a huge success.

An amusement park around the world of Mario also opened in March in Osaka (western Japan), a first experience of its kind for Nintendo, but whose short-term potential is hampered by the pandemic.

Last week, Sony, Nintendo's great rival and compatriot, also published record 2020/21 results, boosted by its video game division and its new PlayStation 5 console, released at the end of 2020.

© 2021 AFP