POKEMON GO FAILS TO PROP UP NINTENDO PROFITS

15million people signed up to Pokemon Go in the first week after its release

Players use a mobile phone app to find and catch as many Pokemon creatures (left) as possible

Players have ended up in a number of odd places including graveyards and police stations looking for Pokemon Shayla Wiggins, a 19-year-old from Wyoming, stumbled across a dead body while trying to catch a Pokemon

The game generated a record £163m in sales in its first month – seven times more than gaming favourite Candy Crush

THE popularity of Pokémon Go failed to stop gaming company Nintendo from issuing a profit warning after dismal demand affected its sales.

The video game maker said the strong Japanese yen and poor demand for its Wii U forced it to slash targets.

Profits are expected to be a third lower than expected at £235m, compared with previous predictions of £353m.

Sales fell 33pc to £1.1m in the six months to the end of September.

It had been hoped that Pokémon Go, which was launched in July, would trigger further growth across the company. However the game, which involves players using the video screen on their mobile phone to spot and capture Pokémon cartoon creatures on the street, has had a limited impact on its income.

Nintendo only owns a 13pc stake in Pokémon Go while US firm Niantic operates as the main distributor.

The company has struggled to keep pace with the popularity of Sony and Microsoft and their PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles respectively.

Nintendo has not released a major gaming system since the Wii U in 2012. It said last week its next device would be a handheld that doubles as a home console.