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1.3 million Switch shipped worldwide since the console launched.

Nov. 8, 2018 by Kenneth Newton

1.3 million Switch shipped worldwide since the console launched.

2.1 million Wii U shipments worldwide since the console's March 2017 launch.

(Lifetime sales rate is calculated based upon the latest monthly sales trends for all systems.)

3 million Wii U shipments worldwide since the console's March 2017 launch.

(Lifetime sales rate is based upon the latest monthly sales trends for all systems.)

3.8 million Switch shipped worldwide since the console's March 2017 launch.

(Lifetime sales rate is based upon the latest monthly sales trends for all systems.)

In other words, it's very difficult to predict exactly how much money Nintendo will make from the new Switch in 2018 and beyond. It's also very difficult to predict the exact number of consoles sold by the Switch after the first of the following year, and how much Nintendo will spend on marketing the system as "The Nintendo Switch".

But, as we all know, Nintendo's marketing push for the Switch has already hit a rough patch this holiday season, and the company is now pushing back on its public statements about whether or not it will spend any of its money on sales and product launches, as opposed to continuing its focus on gaming.

This is what many observers have known for a long time now: Nintendo will spend money on marketing the Switch, not on how to make the console profitable. However, with Nintendo having to fight to get people buying more Switch consoles at retail, and even before that, the Switch is clearly at a critical point in its business, and is likely to see a significant drop in public sales.

This may not sound like so much of an issue, considering that we are seeing strong sales growth in the US, but the Switch is arguably still suffering at the hands of the big three players. This is not a problem to solve and it will only affect Nintendo's business in 2018 (and beyond) at least for the time being.

The Switch is going to cost a heck of a lot more than it is worth. So, the question is: How does Nintendo actually sell the Switch to make money?