Nintendo Amiibo figures doing well with 5.7 million sold since late November 2014 launch

Nintendo have revealed strong early sales of their Amiibo range of figures.

During their 28 January earnings report (via Bloomberg) the Japanese gaming giant's president Satoru Iwata revealed that 5.7 million of the figurines had been sold worldwide since they were launched in late November 2014.

The early indication is that the toys have been a big success for the company – which will be further supported by the release of new figures and new ways to utilise them in Nintendo's top games.

Implementation in Super Smash Bros on Wii U and 3DS has been the driving force behind Amiibo's launch. Players are able to utilise near field communication (NFC) technology to put iconic characters like Mario, Link and Donkey Kong into various games, and in the case of Smash Bros, build up their Amiibo's skills as a fighter.

This is done through the Wii U's Gamepad and a separate peripheral available for 3DS. Nintendo's New 3DS model set for release next month will come with a built in NFC sensor.

Roughly 40 Amiibo figures are currently available or in the pipeline, each costing around £10 typically. However you'll be hard-pressed to find some of the rarer Amiibos at that price, many of which have been scarcely available since launch.

The next wave of Amiibos include Smash Bros characters Sonic the Hedgehog and Megaman, and will be released in February. A Classic Collection range starring Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad and Yoshi follows in March. These Amiibos are being lined up for use in upcoming Wii U title Mario Party 10.

Yesterday Nintendo announced a return to profitability in the financial year so far, but said it is unlikely to meet its operating profit target come March.