Nintendo hikes profit forecast as Switch battles on

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Nintendo (7974.T) sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year, it said on Tuesday, a slight increase on the 6.68 million units it sold in the same period last year.

The Kyoto-based gaming firm maintained its full-year forecast for the console of 15 million units, which would be a 16.5% decline on a year earlier.

Nintendo has extended the lifecycle of its Switch console, now in its seventh year in the market, through a series of heavy-hitting games.

Critically acclaimed titles this year include "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom", which went on sale in May, and "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" which launched in October.

Nintendo's broad pop culture appeal has also been underscored by the success of a Super Mario Bros. movie.

This year has been a stand-out one for the release of new games across the industry, after the pandemic caused widespread disruption to development.

Nintendo's line-up for the critical year-end shopping season will likely also be bolstered by some new additions including "Super Mario RPG", which launches on Nov. 17.

Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by David Dolan

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