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NPD April 2021: MLB The Show #1, New Pokémon Snap #3, Nier #5, Returnal #8, It Takes 2 up at #9, ; Switch #1 HW in both units and revenue

Lelouch0612

Lelouch0612

Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,200
State of the market

April 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories totaled $4.6 billion, a decline of 2% when compared to a year ago. Year-to-date consumer spending reached $19.6 billion, 21% higher than the first four months of 2020.

Monthly sales are now comparable to year ago periods that were impacted by pandemic-driven consumer spending increases. April 2021 content sales boosted by mobile, subscription and post-launch content spending (DLC/MTX) on Console & PC.

Hardware

April video game hardware dollar sales fell 30% when compared to April 2020, to $296 million. April 2021 hardware dollar sales were 84% higher than the total achieved in April 2019 ($160 million). Year-to-date hardware dollar sales gained 42% when compared to the similar period in 2020, at $1.7 billion.

Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars during the month of April, as well as 2021 year to date.


Content

MLB The Show 21 debuted as both the best-selling game of April 2021 as well as the 3rd best-selling game of 2021 year to date. Launch month dollar sales of MLB The Show 21 set a new franchise high.

MLB The Show 21 was the best-selling game of the month on PlayStation platforms, and ranked 2nd on Xbox (note that digital sales on Xbox platforms are not included in the rankings).

New Pokémon Snap was the 3rd best-selling game of April 2021 and was the month's best-selling game on Nintendo platforms. Launch month physical sales of New Pokémon Snap more than doubled those of Pokémon Snap, which debuted in the July 1999 tracking month.

Mortal Kombat 11 placed among the top 10 best-sellers of the month for the first time since ranking 9th in July 2020. Mortal Kombat 11 is currently the 13th best-selling game of 2021 year to date.

It Takes Two climbed to 9th on the April 2021 best-sellers chart after placing 22nd in its March debut month. It Takes Two was the 3rd best-selling game of April on Xbox platforms while ranking 8th on PlayStation.

Software charts

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Accessories

April 2021 spending on video game accessories declined 23% versus a year ago, to $168 million. Year-to-date accessory sales reached $885 million, an increase of 22% when compared to the same period in 2020.

The PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller White was the leading accessory in dollar sales for both the month of April as well as 2021 year to date. Sony's PULSE 3D Wireless headset ranked 2nd.


Thanks to Mat Piscatella for the break down !
 
ILikeFeet

ILikeFeet

DF Deet Master
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
61,987
Nintendo still slaying even with no digital. hell, I'd be scared to see what they do with digital
 
kimbo99

kimbo99

Member
Feb 21, 2021
4,799
Happy for Returnal to be honest. Played it once, and it made me want to get a PS5 and not wait until it's readily available.
 
cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,400
Pokemon Snap in the Top 3 without digital and only a couple of Days...this is nuts.

Edit:
NieR and Returnal did quite well too...nice to see.

Edit2:
BotW nearly missed the Top 20 - what are you guys doing ? lol
 
Papercuts

Papercuts

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,022
Nice to see It Takes Two jump up a lot, really hope that game did well for them.
 
metal

metal

Banned
Nov 26, 2020
1,251
The numbers for animal crossing must be insane.

How is the new Pokemon Snap btw? I remember loving the original but I was also a kid.
 
Daebo

Daebo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,276
Cincinnati
That's crazy MLB the Show is 2nd on xbox this month despite being on gamepass. Kind of goes to show, some old talking points about how gamepass is actually making games money.
 
Zedark

Zedark

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,719
The Netherlands
Seems like MH Rise had a good hold, deserved. Selling more than MK8D is a good rule of thumb for a strong monthly performance I'd say. By the by, even though Rise does have digital included whereas MK8D doesn't.

Snap performance seems pretty good, Returnal seems fine as well. Nier did really well, too!
 
CloseTalker

CloseTalker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,603
I'll be honest, I expected Pokemon Snap to take number one. But being the sole game to not include digital numbers might be the reason for that
 
TheGhost

TheGhost

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
28,137
Long Island
Not everyone uses Gamepass but they want to play with their friends so if they see their friends playing the game via Gamepass prompts a better chance to go out and buy it to play it with them.

great job to Sony on the game.

Returnal out of the top 10 next month probably though.
 
Jade1962

Jade1962

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,259
Daebo said:
That's crazy MLB the Show is 2nd on xbox this month despite being on gamepass. Kind of goes to show, some old talking points about how gamepass is actually making games money.
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We don't have any actual sales numbers to draw any conclusions. Only thing we can say is that the "disaster" for Sony of having it on Gamepass but not on PSNow was the usual console war sky is falling rhetoric that had no barring in the real world.
 
Benzychenz

Benzychenz

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 1, 2017
15,389
Australia
metal said:
The numbers for animal crossing must be insane.

How is the new Pokemon Snap btw? I remember loving the original but I was also a kid.
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Phenomenal. Takes the original game and just makes it better. More maps, more Pokémon, more secrets. Has boss stages, multiple photos per Pokémon, stages you can 'level up', optional requests for specific photos, tons of interactions.
I played it for 50 hours or so and hadn't seen everything, when the original could be played through in a day.
 
cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,400
Zedark said:
I don't think Snap had any hope at all of beating MLB the Show, with or without digital. That's a huge franchise in the US.
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More importantly it had like 10 more day of sales.
Returnal and Snap did amazing considering how little of the tracking time was factored in.

But yeah MLB multi on every non Nintendo system was always gonna be difficult to beat.
 
Juryvicious

Juryvicious

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,838
Excellent news for The Show 21.

tapedeck said:
Hopefully that narrative dies very soon.
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Agreed. I've purchased 5 games, 3 of them with an additional discount due to being a Game Pass customer, in-spite of these same 5 games being on Game Pass.

It's like renting, or play/try before you buy for a very low monthly fee. 100% worth it.
 
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