Thunderful continues distribution of Nintendo merchandise

2024 has been a mixture of good and dangerous information for Thunderful Group, with the excellent news first: Bergsala, part of the group, might be Nintendo’s distributor for the Baltic area for an additional 2 years. The arraignment between the 2 goes again to 1981, and with this newest extension, nothing has modified between the 2 firms.

Thunderful Group depends on the earnings from distributing Nintendo merchandise, which is, sadly, the place the dangerous information is available in. With declining Nintendo Swap gross sales and a softening of the market, Thunderful Group posted a lack of $59.2 million for 2023. That is in stark distinction to the $11.8 million reported for the prior 12 months.

The sudden downturn resulted within the announcement that 20% of Thunderful’s staff can be laid off. Regardless of the discount in earnings, CEO Martin Walfsiz acknowledged that they’re “wanting ahead to the launch of Nintendo’s new console.”

As well as, Walfsiz praised the energy of the partnership between the 2 firms, “Thunderful’s distinctive relationship with Nintendo stretches again to the early Nineteen Eighties when our subsidiary Bergsala began distributing Nintendo’s improbable merchandise to shoppers throughout the Nordics and the Baltics. We’re exceedingly happy with this long-lasting partnership and stay up for a few years of continued shut collaboration with Nintendo.”

Thunderful Group at the least ended 2023 on a excessive observe, with the video games division posting report numbers in Q3 2023 on the again of Steamworld Construct, the most recent within the long-running Steamworld franchise. Whereas successful, gross sales failed to satisfy the corporate’s expectations, with Walfsiz laying blame on the toes of the developer, The Station, for, once more, swapping genres and probably alienating earlier followers.

By reducing prices heading into 2024 and sustaining the Nintendo distribution deal by way of the launch of the subsequent Swap console, Thunderful Group has set itself up for achievement.