Thanks! Switch has also a very strong Q4 this year. Perhaps the strongest in terms of software release, given Animal Crossing. Of course Smash was a big seller last year in Q4 and Q1 but this year's Pokémon should help.
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Media Create Sales: Week 42, 2019 (Oct 14 - Oct 20)
- Thread starter Chris1964
- Start date
Thanks! Switch has also a very strong Q4 this year. Perhaps the strongest in terms of software release, given Animal Crossing. Of course Smash was a big seller last year in Q4 and Q1 but this year's Pokémon should help.
Taiko 3DS was at 514.484 units sold at the same time from launch (they launched the same week of the year, so comparison is easy), so that's still quite a bit ahead. Switch version needs significant legs still to catch up.
Theory: People in Japan are hoping for a GOTY edition of Taiko Switch since it has an insulting amount of paid DLC. I wouldn't be shocked if it costs more for all the DLC than the base game, maybe even double for all I know. I hate this practise. :/
True but we must take into account eShop sales. Also, 3DS got a release the year later. If Switch doesn't get a new entry next year there might be more legs.
This trend is accelerated by the western appeal of the Switch which greatly outperforms the 3DS in these markets and by the shrinking japanese market. Let's Go is proof of this.
Dengeki:
Ring Fit Adventure: 67k, 70% sell-through
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town: 63k, 55% sell-through. SoS games usually sell 35-40% of LTD sales during first week, so expecting game to keep selling for a while.
Previous FY: no million-seller during 1st half, but several big games during second one
This FY: the same, but like last year, they expect only a few games to sell really well, leading to the sales gap worsening even more.
It's already quite dire this FY: 392 of the games from the Top 500 (so about 80%) didn't even sell 10k. Yes, 10k, not 100k.
Ring Fit Adventure: 67k, 70% sell-through
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town: 63k, 55% sell-through. SoS games usually sell 35-40% of LTD sales during first week, so expecting game to keep selling for a while.
Previous FY: no million-seller during 1st half, but several big games during second one
This FY: the same, but like last year, they expect only a few games to sell really well, leading to the sales gap worsening even more.
It's already quite dire this FY: 392 of the games from the Top 500 (so about 80%) didn't even sell 10k. Yes, 10k, not 100k.
It doesn't though (yet at least).
Software shipments after 9 quarters:
Switch: 210 million units shipped
Wii: 353 million units shipped
Wii was software monster in its early years.
Holy hell Travis Strikes Again on PS4 CRATERED at only 956 sold. O_o How did the Switch original sell at retail FW, do we know?
If I'm not mistaken, it wasn't tracked because it was Nintendo Store exclusive. And it was just a download code anyways.
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Given retail price and DLC that might definitely one of the most successful entries ever.
Fit Boxing almost at 50k while Fortnite crossed 50k a couple of weeks ago!
It was, you're right:
Still, I'm sure it would've done eons better on Switch retail had it gotten a retail release proper. I wonder what caused PS4 owners to completely avoid the game like that. Huh. Wonder how it'll do in the west. Actually I don't think it has a retail release on PS4 in the west right? Nintendo distributed the western Switch retail release IIRC. They likely have that as a permanent exclusive.
Still wonder why the port was even a thing. Suda was always vocal about the IP being Nintendo-exclusive. He even had little to no involvement with the PS360 port of the original game that was by feelplus+ IIRC. I'm guessing Marvelous made him port TSA since they fully published it worldwide (with XSEED as the NA publisher).
To be honest, I have never understood the idea of Travis Strikes Again to begin with. The IP has been dormant for years and never been very successful. It was a cult classic but not to the extent that fans buy the game only because of its main protagonist.
In my opinion, a collection of the first two games + No More Heroes 3 shortly after could have been more sound as a business choice.
It doesn't tho at least not always, Fire Emblem is down from its 3DS counterparts, top down Zelda as well, and a bunch of other games both third party and ifrst party sold less on Switch, Pokémon already was on a downwards trend so it's a prime candidate to do also do worse on Switch.
Top-down Zelda... I'd wait.
Holidays + digital will definitely push Link's Awakening above A Link Between Worlds.
It's not a surprise that PS4 owners didn't buy it. They announced Switch exclusive NMH3 before it even released on ps4. Why would anyone buy the prequal to a game they went me able to play.
It really makes me wonder how P5S will sell on switch when it's the same scenario.
Wii had way more retail games on the market in its early years though. also, that switch software number doesn't include sales for digital-only games (indies, stuff like naruto trilogy and so on).
Yeah. This is true. Wii had good software sales.
With the rise of digital software the comparison isn't as clean though. Lots of digital only software has performed well on Switch.
Worldwide this isnt true. And Zelda and Fire Emblem need to have shipment data released before you state they performed worse even in Japan. Link Between Worlds was like 400k wasnt it? Nothing says Link's Awakening wont cross this.
I thought it was talking about Japan, but anyway ALBW was 470k and i mean the difference in those titles with the 3DS games is pretty big before factoring in digital, but yeah you're right we'll see how they actually performed next week.
Shipment data will be pretty necessary to judge these games especially Fire Emblem. But like Chris said, everyone acts like the 3DS was weak everyone. It was bad in the West but it was extremely strong in Japan.
Link's Awakening and ALBW is not a 1:1 comparison. One is a 1:1 remake while the other is a new game.
Probably, but that's likely due to it being on a console that's actually popular outside of Japan.
I am sure it is but we were talking Japan only. Plus, from what I am seeing, remakes are doing relatively better in the West than in Japan.
I was thinking more about the core Nintendo titles like Smash, Mario, Zelda specifically
There are other differences that shouldn't be ignored when looking at the contexts behind A Link Between Worlds and Link's Awakening
1) Release dates: the former was released in Week 52, 2013 (one of the biggest weeks of the year for software), while the latter was released in Week 38, 2019, far from Holidays. To be fair, LA was released alongside the Switch Lite, which means the difference isn't as big as it would usually be, but IMHO it still shouldn't be underestimated the effect of releasing a game right when general spending is at its height / close to its height.
2) Digital sales: Link's Awakening is a voucher title, which means its retail sales will be affected - maybe not as strongly as Three Houses or Astral Chain, but a 30% digital split for its first two weeks wouldn't be surprising at all. Digital sales on 3DS weren't that strong, minus a few selected cases (Animal Crossing: New Leaf, MHX).
3) (potentially) Long-term sales potential: due to its release right during the Holidays, A Link Between World's legs weren't that great for a Nintendo title (slightly less than 50% first week / LTD ratio); meanwhile, Link's Awakening has yet to experience the Holidays boost.
It's a fine game, but doesn't really feel like it has the charm of emotional weight of Link's Awakening. It's very much a conventional Zelda story with an unconventional setup (item rental and nonlinear progress), while Link's Awakening is an unconventional Zelda story with a conventional setup.
Remakes (or remasters) on 3ds were bigger than ALBW, though.
Those were remakes of 3D Zeldas, they still sold significantly less than the originals.
Sounds like PS4 is headed for a steep decline compared to last year's record, then. Here's COD's performance throughout the generation, sorted by launch sales (and by LTD sales as well, incidentally. Numbers by Gamedatalibrary):
BLOPS4 was a crazy performance for the franchise. Will be interesting to see if MW can beat WWII and BLOPSIII on PS4 (BLOPSIII had a PS3 sku as well). That would put it at 170k+ (if WWII is beaten) or 150k+ (if BLOPSIII is beaten), which is not too bad, although at 150k it would rank among some of more unimpressive performances for COD in the last two gens in Japan.
Code:
PS4 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 233.762 666.816 SIE 12/10/2018
PS4 Call of Duty: WWII 170.996 459.523 SIE 03/11/2017
PS4 Call of Duty: Black Ops III 147.204 412.822 SCE 06/11/2015
PS4 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare 100.877 215.818 SIE 04/11/2016
PS4 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Subtitled Edition 68.261 98.564 Square Enix 13/11/2014BLOPS4 was a crazy performance for the franchise. Will be interesting to see if MW can beat WWII and BLOPSIII on PS4 (BLOPSIII had a PS3 sku as well). That would put it at 170k+ (if WWII is beaten) or 150k+ (if BLOPSIII is beaten), which is not too bad, although at 150k it would rank among some of more unimpressive performances for COD in the last two gens in Japan.
So that would mean in Japan ~90k at retail + ~60k digitally and ~10k in Asia (retail+digital).
3DS is a TOP 3 console in term of success in Japan, people tend to forget that.
Link's Awakening might well be sell on par with Majora's Mask 3D.
Ocarina of Time 3D is untouchable but that is understandable: it's one of the most beloved entries in the franchise and also one of the best-selling ones in Japan. It launched early on 3DS lifecycle meaning that it was able to sell for a long time.
COD being number 1 but with huge drops whereas Ring Fit will probably be flat or have a single digit drop is my prediction.
Is it really accurate to call 3DS "bad in the West"? I was under the impression that it just sold extremely well in Japan, but that it still did decent/pretty good everywhere else.
I feel its overlooked and should be pointed out that the lower Japanese sales and higher worldwide sales post- Gen 5 is likely because X/Y was the first game in the series to launch simultaneously WW. Instead of waiting 9 months to over a year for a western release. Same with three houses on Switch being the first WW simultaneous release.
3DS underperformed compared to other Nintendo handhelds, expecially in America, but in a normal contest it did alright.
Meh, for Pokémon it could be true, for FE that's probabily not the case, Fire Emblem tend to sell way better in America since Awakening , which was the game who totally relaunched the series (Awakening sold 1 million in America)
Decent is accurate. Not bad, but decent, which is also disappointing.
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3DS had a long life length since Pokemon gave a boost at its final years but despite that total sales were very disappointing if you remove Japan from equation. That Switch beats it so easy at hardware and software confirms that.
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Unlike Q1 there will be updates of Japanese shipments for a big number of titles at Wednesday.
Super Mario Maker 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Maybe some of these too
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Party
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Astral Chain
There could also be mention of Ring Fit sales.
Super Mario Maker 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Maybe some of these too
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Party
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Astral Chain
There could also be mention of Ring Fit sales.