Sony's PSN is making more money than all of Nintendo
Really.
Sony's PlayStation Network made more money than all of Nintendo during the last financial year.
The difference was pointed out this morning by Twitter user ZhugeEX:
During the financial year ending 31st March 2016, Sony's PlayStation Network generated 529.1bn yen in sales.
During the same financial year, the whole of Nintendo pulled in 504.4bn yen in sales.
In terms of operating income, or profit, PlayStation made 88.7bn yen (£538m). Nintendo made 32.8bn yen (£207m).
Sony's PlayStation Network revenue is fuelled by the gargantuan install base of the PlayStation 4, now up to a whopping 40m. Sony gets a cut every time you buy something from PSN. And, of course, it gets all that juicy PlayStation Plus money. That's around £40 a year per subscriber.
Nintendo's Wii U has sold a paltry 12.8m, and there's no online subscription fee to swell its coffers, either. Yesterday, Nintendo announced its next console, codenamed NX, will launch in March 2017.
How about Microsoft? Well, it doesn't report Xbox One sales, but they're pegged at around 20m, so PS4 has so far outsold its competitor 2:1. Microsoft does, however, talk about Xbox Live revenue, which grew 22 per cent during its last financial quarter.
The PS4 has an astronomical year. Sales increased 11.8 per cent year on year, amounting to an eye-watering $785m, or £537m, of profit. Sony boss Kaz Hirai will be delighted!