The following comes from Nintendo executives regarding Pokémon GO‘s significant impact on Pokémon Sun and Moon sales:
Shinya Takahashi (Director, Managing Executive Officer at Nintendo): We were sure that Pokémon GO would have some impact, but its extreme popularity and the incredible impact it actually had on the sales of Pokémon software for dedicated video game systems surpassed many peopleʼs expectations. It is possible to provide applications that feel related to the dedicated video game systems even if they do not have any direct connections. I believe that smart devices, particularly bigger ones like tablets, are easy for smaller children to use which makes it easier for them to experience Nintendoʼs IP (intellectual property), so we have been planning to create synergy between smart devices and our dedicated video game systems.
Shigeru Miyamoto (Director, Creative Fellow at Nintendo): I attended two events regarding Pokémon GO, once when it was announced in September two years ago, and again during the announcement at E3 last year. However, it did not generate much buzz so I was just as surprised as everyone else by the reaction immediately following its release. I think that Pokémon GO ultimately had a huge impact on the sales for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, but Mr. Kimishima himself stated before that, though we could estimate the sales of the Pokémon GO Plus accessory (manufactured and distributed by Nintendo) before its release, we could not predict the extent of any other impact. We are aware that we should make use of the smart-device medium, which has spread further than dedicated video game systems, to appeal to younger generations in particular. We are continuing to work to maximize the impact of the connection with smart devices while actively spreading Nintendoʼs IP further, and (after experiencing the impact of Pokémon GO,) I am starting to see reactions that affirm this was not a mistake.
Pokémon is a game that is loved by people in a wide range of age groups, including those who played the original games when they were young, but this time we were able to grab the attention of many adults who had never played a Pokémon game before, even if they already knew about it. The degree to which it spread far exceeded our expectations. Also with Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition that Nintendo released last year, we are realizing anew how important it is for Nintendo to catch the attention of both new consumers and consumers who stopped playing video games, and provide ways to overcome generational gaps so parents and children can play together (Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition is sold in Europe and Australia as Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System).
We will continue to make use of smart devices in order to increase the amount of people who experience Nintendoʼs IP, and, though the Nintendo 3DS and, soon, Nintendo Switch will remain our most important business, we will continue to expand the smart-device business since it has gradually begun to contribute to Nintendoʼs business as a whole.
Pokémon Blog 