Sales of amiibo lift Nintendo's first-quarter earnings

Nintendo posted a profit during the first quarter off strong sales for its line of amiibo figures and the launch of Wii U action title Splatoon.

The video game publisher reported revenue of $730 million, up 20% from the same three-month period last year. Profit surged to 56 cents a share to $67 million, compared to a loss of 68 cents a share a year ago.

Nintendo cites "favorable sales" of amiibo, collectible figurines featuring characters including Mario and Luigi that players can bring to life in a video game. The company also says sales of the action game Splatoon, which sold 1.62 million, has "contributed to vitalizing" the Wii U. To date, sales of the Wii U topped 10 million.

This was the first quarterly call since the death of Satoru Iwata on July 11 of a bile duct growth. He was 55. Iwata was credited for leading Nintendo through one of its most successful periods, which featured the launch of Nintendo's most popular home console -- the Wii -- and the DS handheld.

Nintendo did not provide details on a potential successor. The company's representative directors -- Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto -- have been reported as potential candidates for president.

Contributing: Associated Press

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