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Superdata: Nintendo Switch has sold 1.5m worldwide tracked
- Thread starter DaSorcerer7
- Start date
It's good for the Switch to outperform the Wii U but I don't think that the numbers so far are a surprise to any observer. Nintendo has a very engaged locked in audience, so new consoles always do well out the gate. The question has always been how well the Switch will reach beyond this initial rush and I don't think anyone can be very confident about what the answer will be.
I'm mostly curious as to what kind of audiences will be drawn to the Switch, especially since it looks like it will miss out on just about all the big name AAA games. Are general gaming audiences going to pick one up just for Nintendo games? How much will the handheld audience shrink by? Are casual gamers going to pick up a $300 glorified handheld? Is the paid online going to be a big boon for Nintendo, or will it be a big turn off? Is the Switch going to sell enough in terms of software to replace both the 3DS and the Wii U? Nintendo is certainly going to be in for some interesting times.
I'm mostly curious as to what kind of audiences will be drawn to the Switch, especially since it looks like it will miss out on just about all the big name AAA games. Are general gaming audiences going to pick one up just for Nintendo games? How much will the handheld audience shrink by? Are casual gamers going to pick up a $300 glorified handheld? Is the paid online going to be a big boon for Nintendo, or will it be a big turn off? Is the Switch going to sell enough in terms of software to replace both the 3DS and the Wii U? Nintendo is certainly going to be in for some interesting times.
Yep. That probably comes from a combination of Nintendo being reliant on a Japanese fanbase that's famously adverse to digital games, and them cultivating a older nostalgic audience that has a strong preference for physical games.
Key differences between the two games is that GTAV was badly hampered by the technical capabilities of the PS360 and it released when everyone was already anticipating new consoles. There was a lot of demand for PS4/Xbone/PC versions of GTAV even before it released, so it's unsurprising that those versions sold well when they came out. I don't expect the same demand holds for Mario Kart, but it should still do very well because Mario Kart historically has a very high attach rate.
The more insane thing is new super mario bros wii selling 25m+ copies holy shit lol.
This is the strangest Bomberman related post I've ever seen. Bomberman hasn't changed for decades. What exactly sucked about it?
Both Mario Kart and Splatoon are proven system sellers during the Wii U era. To be able to convince people to pick up such a highly dislike console speaks well for their ability to sell a highly liked console.
bananafactory
Banned
Good start, curious to see how they maintain this momentum now that the hardcore have theirs and Zelda hype has played it's part.
Splat2n should do great for it in Japan but I don't see anything that appeals to NA gamers until Mario in holiday
Splat2n should do great for it in Japan but I don't see anything that appeals to NA gamers until Mario in holiday
Broken Hope
Member
People need to stop using Wii game sales as a basis of comparison to anything Nintendo is currently doing. The console was sold to a very different audience, an audience that is no longer buying consoles.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
Why is that? World's most popular videogame character in a throwback game in the style of the games that were released when he was on top of the world released on the world's second-best selling ever console at the height of its own popularity.
I'm surprised it didn't sell even more.
They got criticism, but lets be real here, people here are completely ignoring Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as if it isn't part of one of Nintendo's highest-selling franchises. I have yet to see a good argument for such a viewpoint, for why a series that has consistently proven to be a system seller will, for some reason, stop being so because it's largely the same game as one from a flop console.
GTAV still managed to sell incredibly, incredibly well with both versions despite those issues. The PS3/X360 versions are also standing at 97 on Metacritic and the game as a whole the de-facto "GOTY" winner for 2013. Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U lacks portability, has a terrible battle mode, runs at 720p and removed characters people loved from previous installments; are those not similar in terms of issues?
also introduced local multiplayer into the series, didn't it?
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
Yep.
PSFan
Member
Third best selling. It finished below the PS1. If you throw in handhelds, it's fifth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles
SinCityAssassin
Member
Current form plays particularly bad, despite the fun I have. Hopefully the patches Konami promised soon will fix those issues.
You realize bundles aren't the same thing, right
No, not at all. GTAV is the second most popular console game of all time, and that's counting Wii Sports as number one. The sheer level of demand it represents is not going to compare to anything else, not even Mario Kart.
The games included with bundles (especially ones with special art such as those) are generally done so because the company believes them to be system sellers, or at the very least enough of an incentive to entice a purchase from someone who otherwise wouldn't have. What other reason would they put a game in a bundle such as that?
pretty done
Member
I'm just saying they should have made more. Capitalize on the hype and tax return season, which both go hand and hand with impulse buys.
I think that Nintendo was caught in the double trap of having supply issues and being deathly afraid of overproduction. The latter bit them in the butt with the Wii U and it's going to hamper their thinking until they're sure that the Switch is a runaway success.
Nintendo isn't the first company to underestimate initial demand. Sony did the same thing with the PS4, and they had to resort to air shipments in late 2013.
This is a great start, let's hope Nintendo can keep the momentum with a steady flow of releases.
I don't see ARMS giving the Switch any legs... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I don't see ARMS giving the Switch any legs... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
This is a huge oversimplification of what is entailed with manufacturing and shipping globally.
All in all Nintendo will be fine if they sell through all of the initial 2 million plus. They have already recently spoke about upping orders and shipments at the latest shareholder meeting.
Those kinds of things take ~ 8-12 weeks to get to market. Which is why you hear stories of another shipment/steady shipments coming in April.
The key now is to not worry about capitalizing on some special moment and concentrate on filling the channel with enough supply & software. Lots of software.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
So maybe 500k over 3 territories?
franklyshankly
Member
I think it's partially an effect of so many people skipping wii u. At a basic level, if it couldn't sell Wii Us, why will the same game sell switches? PS4 remasters were remasters of games from an 80 million install base console, Switch remasters are remasters of games from a 13 million install base console.
I will freely admit I basically don't even consider MK anymore, it barely even enters my mind. I bought the Wii game, but with the Wii U situation and skipping an entire gen of Nintendo games without it bothering me, I don't really feel a huge desire for one now, particularly one I didn't care about enough to buy a Wii U for. And I say this as a guy who grew up on NES and SNES, and owned every Nintendo console and most handhelds up to the Wii and 3DS.
Skittzo0413
Member
The very simple answer is that by the time it came out for Wii U the console was already cemented as a failure and a dead console with no future.
By the time it comes out on the Switch it will be a console that just launched. Those things matter immensely for mainstream success.
franklyshankly
Member
Was the Wii U really a guaranteed failure only 18 months after launch? I remember it being bad but... not that bad.
Yes. It was dead and buried by the time the PS4 was announced in February 2013. There were people in denial for a long time afterwards, but even Nintendo threw in the towel when they revised their estimated sales in FY 2013 from an absurd 9 million to around 3 million.
It fizzled out after 2 months on the market. Not even a mainline pokemon game would have gotten people interested in the Wii U.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Uh, yes. The Wii U was essentially deemed a failure by GDC 2013 (in March). It was a failure without question by the end of that same year. Consumers had written the system off within months of its release.
the Wii U's fate was pretty much set in stone as early as January of 2013
ElephantShell
Banned
Seems like in most places they sold almost all of what they shipped so I'm sure Nintendo is happy right now. Gotta keep thit games rolling out to keep pushing units though.
franklyshankly
Member
But it still got an entire generation of first party Nintendo games for years after. So I am curious why those couldn't sell it, there seems to be a disconnect somewhere. So many "system seller" titles over the years and they couldn't sell the system. It seems an odd assertion to make from either side. If the difference is third party support, Switch could end up the same way.
System seller does not mean that it has some magical capabilities to transform a complete failure of a system, that had lost just about all mindshare outside the core gamer circle due to its abysmal marketing, messaging, name and long post-launch drought, into a successful system. As good as the games may be, the system needs to have some life in it in order for system sellers to be effective. The Wii U did not have that life in it ver early on in its lifetime, but the Switch does seem to have that at the moment, and that's why those system sellers do have the chance to sell systems for the Switch where they didn't (to any significant capacity) for the Wii U.
AcademicSaucer
Member
New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold 11 million copies on 3DS, 3D Land also sold over 11 million copies, Mario sells.
"Software makes the Hardware" could also work in reverse, as the Wii U was never an attractive console in the first place. It was weak, bulky, expensive compared to its predecessor , and almost always forced you to use the gamepad for many games.
I think that the lesson is that Nintendo games by themselves can only build up an audience of a certain size. In order to reach a larger audience, you're going to have to offer something more. Couple that with how unattractive the Wii U was, and it should have been obvious that it was going to be a big bust. And yes, the Switch might well end up the same way. Its saving grace is that it consolidates all Nintendo software on one device and it also acts as a portable, but that might not be enough to replace both of Nintendo's platforms.
system sellers mean nothing if the system itself is as unattractive to the market as the Wii U was
franklyshankly
Member
It's certainly guaranteed the Switch will at least do better than the Wii U now, which is good. Hopefully they can keep cranking out titles to make for a library that keeps selling.
I remember thinking MK8 would be the last WiiU game I'd buy lol.
As for the "MK8 is just a remaster and nobody is gonna buy a Switch for Mario Kart" argument... Who the hell owns a Nintendo platform and doesn't own a Mario Kart game? The game is coming out hot after a relatively hypey console release. I've never met an actual living human in real life that owned MK8 (or a WiiU). Are we really thinking people are going to look at the definitive edition of this sick ads game, with its approx 50 characters and tracks + all the new battle modes and think "ehhhhh, been there, done that"? Is this more of that "Nintendo fans are delusional to think Nintendo games are anything special rhetoric"? Mario Kart is a staple and Nintendo have done well to make sure it releases shortly after launch/Zelda.
Also, Splatoon is incredible and it will also benefit by not having to pull a dead console out of its grave. If we thought the WiiU was "dead" when MK8 came out, it had already ascended to another realm in the spirit world by the time Splatoon came out TWO years later.
I'm really hoping they release some $300 bundle deals with Splatoon, MK8 and custom joycon this holiday season. Maybe another bundle with a Pro controller instead of a game in case some prioritize that (it feels mandatory to me).
OrbitalBeard
Member
When a product loses momentum early and earns a negative reputation, it can be extremely difficult to kickstart it again, even with great software. It can certainly happen, but it's tough. It kind of happened in Japan with Splatoon in 2015.
As long as Nintendo can continue to publish good software while people are still actively engaged in the system, it should do fine. If we see a three or four month drought after Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it's going to be rough.
This has been the question asked by reasonable people, yes. A large contingent of GAF has believed for a long time that Switch will be hard pressed to top Wii U's sales.
There's only so much you can ramp up production by in short notice, and Nintendo will still have to fight against shipping constraints. With standard shipping, it takes about a month from the time a console leaves the factory in China and when it arrives at a retailer for sale. Sony bypassed it somewhat with air shipments of the PS4, but I don't think that Nintendo is willing to go to the same measures for the Switch.
The question has always been whether it could make up for the 3DS as well.
Howard Ballou
Member
Weren't Kart and New Bros. pack in titles during Wii's heyday? Or do these numbers not count that?
darkstar0155
Member
I would think a MK8 bundle is very likely, maybe system, MK8, and a second joycon set or a pro controller for $350. I just don't think you will see a $300 bundle in its first holiday season unless sales completely tank leading up to the holidays. MK8 is a evergreen title that will sell to almost everyone that pics up the system (or until MK9 is announced). I don't think they will give away that revenue source until MK8 stops selling.
Glass Shark
Banned
I hope they can produce A LOT more of these by the time Mario Kart comes out. I'll be really worried about the future of the system if they can't get them in people's hands in six weeks.
Jaguar Victory
Member
Scalpers?
That'd be approximately 10.5 million units by year end.
I think thats a little high, but honestly another 7 million plus worldwide is probably not too out of line. Especially if they go all in for holidays and phase 3ds out totally by the fall and only have switch and maybe a 2ds package.
Again, none of this matters without that july through christmas software momentum. Mario will carry the holiday and will probably be a November release. So they need to have roughly one more tent pole post E3/Early fall and a couple more smaller games. They deliver on that 2018 will look great for them.
Those orders are already on the water if they were smart. It would theoretically line up with their end of fiscal year comments. But I am not sure they placed that yet. Wish we had more people on the ground at the mfg if nothing than to know when the mfg runs happened.
dragonyeuw
Member
Pretty sure bundled games count towards those numbers. I believe Wii Sports has over 80 million sales.
Japan is more than 20% of sales, while it had an attach rate for Zelda of under 60%. So, 40% of 20% = 8% of missing 11% originates from Japan. You could argue that Japan has a massive amount of scalpers, but I would rather think we have genuine owners who don't buy Zelda.
Or is "scalpers" some kind of meme I am not aware of?
darkstar0155
Member
If MK8, Splatoon2, Xeno2, and Skyrim all do launch before the holidays that should be good, especially when you add on the huge amounts of indie games, im sure a surprise E3 game reveal like a Captain Toad to release in the fall.
I also wont be surprised if a COD is being made for the Switch atm, or is going to be started soon for fall now that the sales are shown as being good enough to justify it.
kraspkibble
Permabanned.
damn. not bad.
i still can't get hold of one. earliest it looks to be is the end of this month. i need to try pick one up quick because with mario kart 8 coming out next month the demand will stay strong. nintendo are smart to spread out their games. next will be splatoon then mario again with skyrim round about it.
i still can't get hold of one. earliest it looks to be is the end of this month. i need to try pick one up quick because with mario kart 8 coming out next month the demand will stay strong. nintendo are smart to spread out their games. next will be splatoon then mario again with skyrim round about it.
Pancakes R Us
Member
Market for a pure Nintendo home console has been shrinking. Wii did great because it was so fresh, new and appealed to a new audience. Also hit at the right time. I don't think Nintendo's keen on another home console, which is why we got this hybrid. Another home console, unless it is Wii-like revolutionary, would probably do worse than Wii U.
Also the fact that Wii U never attracted people itself, many were like 'i want to play X game but not buying Wii U'. In contrary many people want a Switch and of they arent buying one soon they only wait for the right games. Its shortminded to attribute a console success only to software.