Earlier this year, Nintendo was under growing pressure. It had been eight long years since the release of the original Switch, and its profit was tumbling more than 40%. When the Switch 2 finally arrived in June, some critics initially panned it as little more than a modest upgrade to its predecessor and questioned whether the Japanese game maker still had its magic touch.

Yet the new console smashed records for opening weekend sales, selling out at retailers around the world and sending the company’s shares to a lifetime high. Three months later, it’s still flying off shelves and looks set to dominate Christmas.

It was the latest example of Nintendo’s weird genius — a masterclass in staying ahead by ignoring market expectations and concentrating on a seemingly simple mission: creating fun games.

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Get Game On with Jason Schreier, a weekly deep dive inside the video game business. 

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