With discussion still focusing on whether the firm's latest handheld has any long term prospects, the release of Nintendo's half-year financial report for 2011 makes particularly grim reading.

Results for the six months ending in September reveal Nintendo made a ¥70 billion ($923 million) loss.

That compares unfavourably to the ¥2 billion ($26 million) posted during the same period in 2010.

Ninty numbers

Net sales hit a total of ¥216 billion ($ 2.8 billion) - a 40 percent decrease from the ¥363 billion ($4.7 billion the firm registered six months ending September 2010.

In terms of total assets, Nintendo now holds ¥1.4 billion ($18 million), down from ¥1.6 billion ($21 million) in the previous year.

In terms of hardware shipments, a total of 9 million units – across DS, 3DS and Wii – were shipped in the half year.

As a result, predictions for full year DS global shipments have been revised down 9 million to 6 million units, while Nintendo believes 3DS will hold strong at 16 million units for FY2011.

[source: Nintendo (PDF)]