It has been three months since Nintendo released its hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch, and a report claims that the company plans to ramp up production to satisfy an expected demand for the holidays. The company allegedly aims to produce around 18 million units, which could stock up supplies until March 2018.
On its first month of release, over 2.74 million units of Nintendo Switch were sold worldwide and it surpassed Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima's estimates. The company declared their new game device as the fastest-selling console compared to previous releases such as the Wii, Wii U and the GameCube.
Anticipating more interest from the public, an insider told Financial Times that the company would like to avoid "customer tantrums" during the Christmas rush, hence the need to boost production. When pressed for a comment, the news outlet said Nintendo denied the 18 million target. Instead, its target is to ship 10 million units for the hardware for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as Kimishima originally announced to investors.
Meanwhile, Nintendo's exclusive "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" remains the top-selling game for the Nintendo Switch but the console will also have favorites like "ARMS," "Splatoon 2," "Super Mario Odyssey," "Xenoblade 2" and a still-untitled "Pokemon" game in its line-up between June 2017 and until next year's fourth quarter.
During a Q & A with the company president, Kimishima said that as its game selections increase, then more consumers would likely take interest in the Nintendo Switch. "Our current production model takes that into account," he said in addressing concerns if there will be enough suppliers for the device in the market.
As a hybrid, the Nintendo Switch allows players to enjoy the game on a unit connected to the TV. However, it can also be removed from its dock and used as a handheld portable playing device; it's a feature that's not available on competing consoles like the PlayStation or the Xbox or even Nintendo's other hardware.
