I'd point out that excuses like the one for this year (one time R&D cost!) are very common for companies experiencing persistent downturns.
If you play the "oh if it weren't for this one thing" game, you can probably excuse a lot of unprofitable years for a lot of unsuccessful companies. Here's what a successful company is like: they experience a few unexpected, one time bumps in the road, and still manage to turn a profit. Nintendo has certainly fit that model in the past.
Or, put differently: a company that's really doing well plans for things to go bumpy, and don't need absolutely everything to go just right in order to make a profit. That's a fool's plan, because it's very rare for any company to have absolutely everything go just right. This isn't to say that Nintendo can't turn it around, mind you.
A well written post.
I would like to add however that it seems that Nintendo is only
now actively pursuing a turnaround plan. The past few fiscal years, Nintendo put their heads in the sand, acted blindly advising their shareholders and themselves, to a certain degree, that everything would be fine and by their next fiscal year, they would be profitable.
Nintendo is no longer singing the same tune:
- Costs-cutting measures implemented (Nintendo Europe layoffs, Closing of Nintendo Phuten, E3 initiative)
- Increase IP Licensing opportunities (Pokemon Google, Mario Kart 8 GLA Mercedes-Benz, Mario Golf Callaway, several promotional tie-ins with McDonalds and so forth)
- Diversification of revenue streams such as Amiibo and QOL.
- Creation of Business Development Department
Nintendo is dead-focused on achieving their set targets for the fiscal year - they are
waking up and making changes in order to thrive in the marketplace and judging by their actions above and their line-up, they have a solid chance on succeeding on that front.
I'm not hopeful that Nintendo will achieve an Operating Income of 400 million, I'm personally expecting 300 million, but it's going to be a nice change in the landscape comparatively to the countless losses these past few years were.