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Deleted member 2793

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Price is not the determining factor here. Japanese players don't prefer handhelds because they sell at a cheaper price, they prefer them because they fit their lifestyle better. Switch fits the Japanese lifestyle much like Vita or 3DS did, thus it performs better. Also games are routinely more expensive in Japan than the US on average, I wouldn't call Japanese console players a very price conscious audience tbh.
But it's worth saying that it's a sequel to a game only available in a stationary system and that it already was close to this number even in a dead console like the Wii U. Dismissing Splatoon numbers as "only sold this well because it's portable" isn't right, the franchise is huge there.
 

Xbro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,105
Splatoon 2 is also a portable game running on a hardware that is portable. But if people want to think of it as a home console game who am I to stop ya.

But as said before there is no way MHW will get anywhere near 2 million in Japan.
It's quite possible that it could get close to 2 million. Even if it doesn't sell 1.5 million in it's first week, a game doesn't stop selling after that point. Especially considering this is pretty much the last big PS4 game for japan before KH3(If that even comes out). If the game shows good word of mouth it can leg it to 2 million.
 

Cyberninja776

Member
Oct 28, 2017
542
DQ and Monster Hunter are pretty close in sales, though yes DQ is a bigger franchise there (basically synonymous with gaming in Japan). But DQ was also on 3DS. Yes, adhoc multiplayer was a big part of MH success, but online gaming can be popular in Japan too (Splatoon is evidence of that) and MH has needed a shakeup for a while. I think MHW will easily break 1 million in Japan, but I don't think it will surpass DQ sales on PS4. Capcom are hoping for western sales with this title.

Fair point, I honestly forget all the time that Splatoon is basically an online only game for most people who play it ( I haven't touched the single player for either game myself.) I never doubted MHW breaking a million and taking the 2nd or 3rd best selling PS4 game spot but I really don't think it will beat DQ XI unless the 3DS split sales harder than I thought. I figured most of the sales were some fans getting both.
 

Imran

Member
Oct 24, 2017
6,542
Honestly I don't think MHW will move as many units, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't DQ the biggest franchise in Japan and it didn't crack 2 million on PS4. Granted it had a 3DS version as well. But in the case of MH wasn't the reason it caught on because of ADHOC Multiplayer?
You're probably not wrong, but you're too easily dismissing that Square-Enix gave people who don't want to play DQXI on PSX an out, which likely split the sales a bit. There is no other option other than the older and less interesting MHXX.

That said, two million is a pipe dream unless that game catches on in ways no one expects.
 

Deleted member 11413

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But it's worth saying that it's a sequel to a game only available in a stationary system and that it already was close to this number even in a dead console like the Wii U. Dismissing Splatoon numbers as "only sold this well because it's portable" isn't right, the franchise is huge there.
Yeah that's not what I'm doing, Splatoon is a huge success in Japan, biggest console market IP success since Monster Hunter. But the reason Splatoon 1 capped out at 1.7 milliom, whereas Splatoon 2 has a good chance of hitting 3 million+, is that Splatoon 2 released on a handheld.
 

sinonobu

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Oct 25, 2017
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User Warned: Driveby posts like this don't contribute to the thread and can end up derailing it
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The_Real_Console_Game
 

Alrus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
859
Belgium
Yeah that's not what I'm doing, Splatoon is a huge success in Japan, biggest console market IP success since Monster Hunter. But the reason Splatoon 1 capped out at 1.7 milliom, whereas Splatoon 2 has a good chance of hitting 3 million+, is that Splatoon 2 released on a handheld.

I mean the real reason Splatoon 2 will sell 3m+ is because it's released on a successful platform. I don't think the handheld factor is that big in this case.
 

Deleted member 11413

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Fair point, I honestly forget all the time that Splatoon is basically an online only game for most people who play it ( I haven't touched the single player for either game myself.) I never doubted MHW breaking a million and taking the 2nd or 3rd best selling PS4 game spot but I really don't think it will beat DQ XI unless the 3DS split sales harder than I thought. I figured most of the sales were some fans getting both.
Yeah I don't think it will either. It'll sell 1 million at least though, and probably hit 1.5 million eventually. Maybe it will hit 2 million after some discounts over time, it's definitely possible. I mean DQ XI did over 3 million if you combined 3DS and PS4, and I don't think it's safe to assume most people double dipped.
 

Deleted member 11413

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I mean the real reason Splatoon 2 will sell 3m+ is because it's released on a successful platform. I don't think the handheld factor is that big in this case.

The real reason is that Switch isn't dead.
Right, and why isn't Switch dead in Japan? Because it's a handheld. That's why it's so successful, it's the successor to the 3DS which sold over 20 million units in Japan alone. If it wasn't a hybrid it wouldn't be doing as well as it is in Japan.
 

DaBoss

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13
It's like people forget the main way to play the game is through online multiplayer and most people do that at home. Yes it has local multiplayer, but you can only do private battles and Salmon Run. You can't even level/rank up in local multiplayer.

So it really doesn't matter if the Switch has portable capabilities or not, this series is meant to be experienced through online multiplayer, which again, most players would do so in the comfort of their own home.
 
Oct 25, 2017
15,171
Right, and why isn't Switch dead in Japan? Because it's a handheld. That's why it's so successful, it's the successor to the 3DS which sold over 20 million units in Japan alone. If it wasn't a hybrid it wouldn't be doing as well as it is in Japan.
What if all the Japanese wanted was a console that was "handheld-esque".

That said though, much of the Japanese marketing for the Switch is still steep in home console/hybrid philosphy, so it's clearly not being marketed solely as a handheld.
 

TI92

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Oct 25, 2017
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Never doubt the power of best girl Marina.

Even though I think Japan favors Pearl more.

Oh yeah and the gameplay is fun too I guess.
Marina is awesome, Japan has some very cute girl designs with darker skin tones like Yuko in Persona but I'm not sure if they are popular. Wonder what the reason in
 

Alrus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
859
Belgium
The guy I quoted said that the game was priced as a console game, I simply said it wasn't. How much a game drops in value is irrelevant to its lauch price.
Xenoblade 2 is priced as a console game, Splatoon 2 was not

It is, pricing s way more variable in Japan. Splatoon 2 is priced the same as Splatoon 1, was that not a console game either?
 

foxuzamaki

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
21,545
Right, and why isn't Switch dead in Japan? Because it's a handheld. That's why it's so successful, it's the successor to the 3DS which sold over 20 million units in Japan alone. If it wasn't a hybrid it wouldn't be doing as well as it is in Japan.
Honestly, the WiiU was ahead of the PS4 for a good 2 years or so with splatoon 1 nearly reaching 2 million and probably would have if the switch and splatoon 2 didnt exist.
Hell the only reason the WiiU isnt at a much larger number in japan is the japanese market place ignoring the thing and that mostly has to do with the western market being the deciding factor.
 

sinonobu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,027
The guy I quoted said that the game was priced as a console game, I simply said it wasn't. How much a game drops in value is irrelevant to its lauch price.
Xenoblade 2 is priced as a console game, Splatoon 2 was not
Like many pointed out there's no set price for 'console game' in Japan. And even if there is one, Splatoon 2's retail price was 6500 yen, which is bit too expensive for handheld titles.
That's the portable version, so not really a fair comparison. FFXV: Pocket Change Edition.
Sorry my Kanji skills are not that good.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,556
湘南
Strongest Nintendo IP in Japan sells 2 million on an extremely popular device. Shocking

I think people that have never been to/lived in Japan are overselling the whole "it's portable" thing. It's a good console made by Nintendo and Splatoon is their strongest IP next to Mario and Pokemon in Japan.

I've literally seen two Switches being played in the wild here lol. Don't try to make it seem like every other person is playing it on the train, park, bar, or cafe lol. Like many people have said, the key selling point is the appeal of the diverse functionality rather than actually using it on the go.
 

Deleted member 11413

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It's like people forget the main way to play the game is through online multiplayer and most people do that at home. Yes it has local multiplayer, but you can only do private battles and Salmon Run. You can't even level/rank up in local multiplayer.

So it really doesn't matter if the Switch has portable capabilities or not, this series is meant to be experienced through online multiplayer, which again, most players would do so in the comfort of their own home.
You are missing the point. Yes, most people play Splatoon at home online. But more people are interested in the Switch in general because it is a hybrid. The more people interested in Switch, the more people you can sell Splatoon 2 to. If Splatoon 1 wasn't on Wii U it would've sold more in Japan. Switch is more attractive than Wii U because the hybrid nature is more attractive to the Japanese market.
What if all the Japanese wanted was a console that was "handheld-esque".

That said though, much of the Japanese marketing for the Switch is still steep in home console/hybrid philosphy, so it's clearly not being marketed solely as a handheld.
Yeah, I'm not saying it's solely a handheld. But the fact that it can be used as a handheld is why it's popular in Japan.
 

Vena

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,379
Best part is that it will probably sell 3 million

...right?

The game is not going to stop selling. Its selling on brand popularity, local play, and so on. In many ways, it is what MH decided to stop being in Japan (aside from a brand) and Splatoon is happily eating up that audience because the overlap is going to be high for both in the age groups and also in how the game can be consumed.
 

Killingmoon

Member
Oct 28, 2017
262
The guy I quoted said that the game was priced as a console game, I simply said it wasn't. How much a game drops in value is irrelevant to its lauch price.
Xenoblade 2 is priced as a console game, Splatoon 2 was not

Splatoon 2's retail price, not discounted, is 6458 yen. You saying that's not a console game price?
 

Davey Cakes

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,680
Massachusetts
I've always been surprised, yet pleased about the explosion of Splatoon in Japan.

As someone who enjoyed the original on Wii U bit really got into the sequel on Switch, I hope the series has a life ahead of it in all regions.

Nintendo could benefit from developing more original properties on this same level. I think ARMS was a good attempt but not quite there. Splatoon was a nice shakeup of the TPS genre. ARMS was more an evolution of the Punch-Out formula. I'm thinking Nintendo needs to reinvigorate some other genre. Perhaps they should do something new in the puzzle domain, or the point-and-click domain, or the top-down adventure domain (other than Zelda).
 
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Deleted member 2793

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Oct 25, 2017
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The game is not going to stop selling. Its selling on brand popularity, local play, and so on. In many ways, it is what MH decided to stop being in Japan (aside from a brand) and Splatoon is happily eating up that audience because the overlap is going to be high for both in the age groups and also in how the game can be consumed.
I don't think it's getting the adhoc players MonHun left as Splatoon is mostly a home game.
 

KtSlime

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,910
Tokyo
Strongest Nintendo IP in Japan sells 2 million on an extremely popular device. Shocking

I think people that have never been to/lived in Japan are overselling the whole "it's portable" thing. It's a good console made by Nintendo and Splatoon is their strongest IP next to Mario and Pokemon in Japan.

I've literally seen two Switches being played in the wild here lol. Don't try to make it seem like every other person is playing it on the train, park, bar, or cafe lol. Like many people have said, the key selling point is the appeal of the diverse functionality rather than actually using it on the go.

It's not even their strongest IP. Pokemon and Animal Crossing are stronger.

Edit: I should read more carefully.