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NPD March 2020: Animal Crossing #1, MLB #3, RE3 #4, Doom #6; Switch #1 HW and had the best March ever, better than launch

Lelouch0612

Lelouch0612

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

March 2020 tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards totaled $1.6 billion, gaining 35 percent when compared to a year ago. This is the highest reported spend for a March month since the $1.8 billion achieved in March 2008.

Year-to-date 2020 tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards totaled $3.0 billion, declining 4 percent when compared to a year ago.

Software

Dollar sales of tracked Video Game Software grew 34% in March compared to a YA, to $739m. March tracked software spending reached its highest total for a March month since 2011 ($787m). Total first quarter tracked software spending fell 8 percent, to $1.4B.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the best-selling game of March 2020, despite the lack of digital tracking for Nintendo published software. Animal Crossing: New Horizons instantly becomes the 2nd best-selling game of 2020.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons achieved the 3rd highest launch month physical dollar and unit sales of any Nintendo published game in tracked history. Only Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Dec 2018) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Mar 2008) sold more in the launch month.

Launch month dollar sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have exceeded the lifetime sales of all other Animal Crossing franchise games, making Animal Crossing: New Horizons the best-selling game in franchise history.

MLB The Show 20 was the 3rd best-selling game of March 2020, and instantly becomes the 5th best-selling game of 2020. MLB The Show 20 is the fastest selling game in MLB The Show franchise history, with launch month sales exceeding those of MLB The Show 19.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the #2 best-selling game of March 2020 and is now the best-selling game of 2020 year-to-date. March sales of Call of Duty franchise titles reached a new all-time high for a March month, exceeding the previous peak set in March 2010.

Hardware

Hardware spending in March 2020 grew 63% when compared to a year ago, to $461m. Nintendo Switch hardware sales more than doubled when compared to a year ago, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One each grew by more than 25 percent.

Nintendo Switch set a new all-time record for hardware unit sales in a March month, besting the previous high set by Nintendo Switch in its March 2017 launch month.

Nintendo Switch generated the highest first quarter unit sales for any hardware platform since the Nintendo DS in the first quarter of 2010.

Accessories

March Accessories spending reached a record high for a March month. The previous high was set in March 2008.

Gamepad spending reached a new all-time high for a March month. The Nintendo Swtich Pro Controller was the best-selling individual Gamepad of March, while PlayStation 4 generated an all-time single platform high in Gamepad spending in a March month.

Headset/Headphone spending also achieved a new record high for a March month. The Xbox One Ear Force Stealth 600 Wireless Headset from Turtle Beach was the best-selling Headset/Headphone in both the month and the first quarter.

Software charts

March 2020 top 20 :

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The 10 best-selling games of 2020


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Thanks to Mat Piscatella for the break down !
 
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cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,400
Switch last strong March before its about to fade away - bummer.

But honestly - massive result for Switch and AC.
despite the lack of digital tracking for Nintendo published software. Animal Crossing: New Horizons instantly becomes the 2nd best-selling game of 2020.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Damn, yet we are gonna still have "Gaming" Podcasts refer to it as a small niche game a couple of months from now lol.

making Animal Crossing: New Horizons the best-selling game in franchise history.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
lol

P5 Royal did also quite well - glad to see.
 
Sandfox

Sandfox

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,743
Nintendo Switch set a new all-time record for hardware unit sales in a March month, besting the previous high set by Nintendo Switch in its March 2017 launch month.

Nintendo Switch generated the highest first quarter unit sales for any hardware platform since the Nintendo DS in the first quarter of 2010.

That's insane.
 
Gay Bowser

Gay Bowser

Member
Oct 30, 2017
17,704
AC and Switch HW performance is obviously the big story, but both Nintendo and Sony each had two new first-party games in the top 20. That's pretty cool.
 
N.47H.4N

N.47H.4N

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,096
Switch and Animal Crossing killing,but no word about the performance of the other releases? RE3 debut at #3 is nice.
 
Y2Kev

Y2Kev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,861
Persona bigger than RE3 seems surprising.

edit: oops just ps4 chart
 
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Hybrid Rainbow

Hybrid Rainbow

Banned
Jun 23, 2019
6,446
Wouldn't April be the first NPD to truly show the Switch shortage? Not understanding people making jokes. It's going to appear sooner than later.
 
CerealKi11a

CerealKi11a

Chicken Chaser
Member
May 3, 2018
1,958
Tom Nook in Smash when?

EDIT: Also, I'd be curious to see how purchasing trends have changed due to COVID-19. Digital sales have to be way up and Animal Crossing has to be one of the biggest benefactors.
 
Rouk'

Rouk'

Member
Jan 10, 2018
8,146
This is only the second time that Breath of the Wild is out of the monthly top 20 (first time was November 2018)
 
Raijinto

Raijinto

self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
10,091
Animal Crossing's success is well deserved. Game's a gem. Nintendo have been unmatched for quality and successful games over the first 3 years of a system's lifespan IMO.
 
Tbone5189

Tbone5189

Succ-essor
Member
Mar 25, 2020
4,919
Maybe over 1mil?! Oh lord. Things are about to get interesting especially when Nintendo announces the super Mario line up for the rest of the year
 
Rowsdower

Rowsdower

Prophet of Truth - The Wise Ones
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
16,568
Canada
Grats for Switch. I know a lot of people who grabbed one before stock died; perfect system for being stuck at home. Plus Animal Crossing is amazing.

Persona 5 Royal over Doom and RE3 in the PS4 chart. What happened to Doom?
 
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Zarckoh

Zarckoh

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,084
Mexico
No Granblue Fantasy Versus even on the top 20. Xseed publishing and treatment didn't help.

March for Switch is also bigger than launch just like in Japan.
 
NotLiquid

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,762
Animal Crossing was the last major Nintendo IP that wasn't yet on the Switch and this beast mode of a performance truly shows how they saved the best for last

Insanity
 
lucionm

lucionm

Member
Jan 10, 2018
182
I understand that NPD is a private service,
but at least they could disclose the exact number when a product sets a new record for the month.
 
Blade24070

Blade24070

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,000
P5R outselling RE3 on PS4. It had a few more days but still, the franchise is officially mainstream popular now (Persona 5 already broke through to mainstream but Royal still selling so well solidified it).
 

EDebs1916

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
483
Wow at Doom. It got outsold by Persona on PS4? I'd never have guessed but it is difficult to find MP matches on off times, which is never a good sign. It'd probably be the second game I ever get a platinum trophy if they didn't have the insane multiplayer trophies.
 
Kouriozan

Kouriozan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,100
Animal Crossing is a monster, it was already a good seller but this release take it to new horizons.
 
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