Japan weeklies, Iwata: 'Not optimistic'

Usual suspects end up in Top 5. As franchise titles bullet through, analysts go back and forth as to Nintendo's future.

For April 27 through May 3:

Software

• Persona - PSP - 79,192
• Dragon Ball Z: Story Saiyajin Raishuu - DS - 74,263
• WarioWare Myself - DS - 56,174
• Powerful Pro Baseball 2009 - PS2 - 42,957
• Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankentai - DS - 42,950

• PSP - 49,557
• DSi - 49,133
• PS3 - 23,588

Nintendo Co. forecast earnings missed analysts' estimates as demand for its Wii console slows and sales of the DS head for their first year drop, reports Bloomberg news.

With a lukewarm increase in operating profit, the slowdown in system sales and a soul-grapping strong yen, an all-time high of 8 percent in net profit could mean very little, reports Globe and Mail news.

"I can't imagine Nintendo will beat its earnings targets this year," said Naoki Fujiwara, who helps oversee $6 billion as chief fund manager at Tokyo-based Shinkin Asset Management Co. "As most of the sure-sell titles have already been released, I can't see any possible hit game that can turn the situation around."

Nintendo slipped 0.1 percent at last close reversing a gain of 5 percent before the earnings announcement.

"We're not optimistic" about the Wii's overseas sales this year, Iwata told reporters in Osaka.

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