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Sales Data Switch hits 114.33 million shipped, updated software numbers

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JoshuaJSlone said:
Xenoblade 3, selling a little more than its predecessors. Switch Sports, selling way way less than its predecessors.
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Wii Sports was a pack in, launch title, AND flagship game that defined the Wii. There was never a chance of seeing a repeat of that performance.
 
It seems that the sales are vastly smaller than few previous years.
I think we can now safely say that Nintendo is indeed Doomed and that Switch was indeed a fad.
 
WestEgg said:
Wii Sports was a pack in, launch title, AND flagship game that defined the Wii. There was never a chance of seeing a repeat of that performance.
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Wii Sports Resort eventually became part of the pack-in, but probably shipped 20m on its own. Switch Sports seems to be doing ~half as well. Worse game, punished for it. Xenoblade isn't.
 
meatbag said:
Yep.


Oooor if the Switch continues til past 2024.


Splatoon 3 sold 2.9m in 3 weeks, which is more than what Splatoon 2 sold in 2 months (2.05m).

It's not that Splatoon 3 is doing poorly overseas. It's that Splatoon 3 is doing historical numbers in Japan.
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Thank you very much for replying to my question. I truly appreciate it and I hope to see Nintendo Switch finally surpass the PS4 and the GameBoy at the next financial results.
 
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JoshuaJSlone said:
Looking at how quickly OLED became the dominant hardware model and how much Original and Lite are down from their peaks, Drake'll need to be pretty supply constrained to not do the same thing.


Xenoblade 3, selling a little more than its predecessors. Switch Sports, selling way way less than its predecessors.
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That shouldn’t be shocking considering that the Lite was not a particularly popular model & Nintendo may be replacing red box Switches with OLED. We’ll have to see the supply situation at launch and a little bit after for the Drake. It could replace it faster or slower depending.
 
I’m confused about DLC being rolled into Pokémon S/Sh and BotW numbers. Are the DLC packs being counted as additional sales for the base game?
 
Heron said:
I thought it should double XC2 and XC:DE numbers without issue given install base
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XC2 had surprising legs (for a JRPG) for years if I'm not mistaken, receiving significant boosts for both the release of Torna and Pyra/Mythra in Smash. It overcame the install base it released to.

DE released to an install base that was half the size, yes, but it was already 60 million. Tie ratios tend to degrade above that point. Especially with how many JRPGs the system had by May 2020, I'm not sure how much Xenoblade 3's potential audience would've grown in the next 60 million hardware sales.

It'll be interesting to see where Xenoblade 3 stands after the next holiday period with the DLC out.
 
Happy for Kirby, XC3 and Splatoon 3!

Can't wait to see the sales of Pokémon, Bayo 3 and hopefully soon, a DK 3D.

I wonder if these Kirby 3D sales kinda motivates Nintendo into tackling the series. 3D platformers have grown exponentially on the Switch
 
Heron said:
Eh, my expectations for Switch Sports were low, but it's ended up not far where I expected.
  • Not Wii Sports branded so only technically a sequel
  • 18 years since that phenomenon
  • Not particularly well received
  • Saw no marketing for it at all
It was never going to recapture the magic of the original Wii Sports games, but it was always going to sell more than comparable Mario sports games. I thought 5 mil or so - it has beat that.

It's obvious that my expectations for XC3 were too high. I thought it should double XC2 and XC:DE numbers without issue given install base, marketing/social media anticipation and critical reception.
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Sometimes is not about doubling. It's about recognition and revenue. And how fast it gets there.

XC3 opened way higher than their predecessors. And also sold at a higher price than XC1. After a few months, XC1 was on clearance for $10 on a few retailers. XC3 will keep their prices and legs, thanks to wom and DLC.
 
Klax0nKlax0ff said:
I’m confused about DLC being rolled into Pokémon S/Sh and BotW numbers. Are the DLC packs being counted as additional sales for the base game?
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Pokémon had a physical DLC bundle SKU that wasn't included in Nintendo's sales figure prior to this quarter. They've now correctly added it, since that SKU contains the base game.

BotW didn't. The adjustment could be as simple as a rounding error, or maybe it had something similar (perhaps the digital DLC bundle SKU? But I don't think so).
 
karmitt said:
Splatoon 3 still isn’t as good as it deserves to be in the west.
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It’s still outpacing Splatoon 2 numbers in the west out of the gate…so there is still growth.

Mr Doggo said:
I feel like japan is way crazier about splatoon than the rest of the world, so splat 3 wont be doing something like reaching 20 million. It might just reach 2.
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It will absolutely sell better than Splatoon 2, which is over 13 million. It will be closer to 20 million than Splatoon 2.
 
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Timppis said:
It seems that the sales are vastly smaller than few previous years.
I think we can now safely say that Nintendo is indeed Doomed and that Switch was indeed a fad.
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But their software sales is increase & they still make an amazing $1.58 Billion USD net profit from April - September 2022
 
If anyone is thinking Xenoblade 3 doing 1.7m in 2 months is disappointing they should really look at how many JRPGs have sold quicker than that. It's a very short list, basically Fire Emblem(by ~200k units) and then FF/KH/DQ/Pokémon. Persona isn't directly comparable due to the staggered release between Japan and US/Europe but Tales sold slower, SMT sold slower, Ni No Kuni 2 sold slower, Monster Hunter Stories sold slower and those are probably the only other ones worth mentioning.

Most JRPGs aren't even doing 1.7m in their entire lifetime.
 
storres said:
Sometimes is not about doubling. It's about recognition and revenue. And how fast it gets there.

XC3 opened way higher than their predecessors. And also sold at a higher price than XC1. After a few months, XC1 was on clearance for $10 on a few retailers. XC3 will keep their prices and legs, thanks to wom and DLC.
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I’m personally expecting XC2 and XC3 to wind up with similar lifetime sales. I don’t think 3 will be able to maintain the same legs as 2, though they should hold better than XCDE. I think it’s too late in the Switch’s life, especially when it’s main DLC hits, which won’t be for another year, at which point either new hardware will be out or overall interest in the Switch will have fallen more. The DLC story also has an upward battle, Torna had the benefit of being recycled content cut from the main game, but there isn’t as obvious of a candidate for 3 to follow up on.
 
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It’s amazing to do those numbers without most of the best selling third party games.
 
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Remember when Kimishima expected the Switch to outsell the Wii and the entire internet laughed and went "keep dreaming, buddy"?
 
Love that Kirby number. I definitely want more 3D Kirby. With the holiday season approaching it seems like Switch will overtake both PS4 and Gameboy. Pretty crazy! I wish we knew Dread's updated sales, really curious if it broke 3m in it's first year.
 
TheSpaceBetween said:
Love that Kirby number. I definitely want more 3D Kirby. With the holiday season approaching it seems like Switch will overtake both PS4 and Gameboy. Pretty crazy! I wish we knew Dread's updated sales, really curious if it broke 3m in it's first year.
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I think if dread couldnt sell an additional 100k over the course of 9 months then jesusnfuciingchrist lmao
 
Kirby already being the best selling game in the series is super rewarding to see for its first 3D entry. Just another Nintendo series breakout entry on the Switch, wonder what that tally’s at now.

Xenoblade 3 sales are great, and it’ll end easily over 2 million, but it still deserves to sell so much more. Hopefully it ends up as the best selling game in the series. I won’t lie, if it doesn’t I’ll be slightly worried that the message they take from it would be to go heavy on the fan service again.
 
Heron said:
Considering
  • 10 times the install base XC2 had at its launch
  • After 5 years of positive online reaction to XC2
  • Smash's huge numbers providing constant advertising for the series
  • Critical acclaim for the game itself...
...that's disappointing for XC3 to me.

When you then see a fairly low-effort game like Switch Sports shitting out 6m sales without issue, it becomes more so.

Monolith are one of Nintendo's very top teams. It's clear an absolutely enormous amount of dev work went into XC3. So, if this is the best Xenoblade can do in the very best sales environment the series will ever see, then do you think about having them do something else? Opportunity cost is real. As much as I love the Xeno series, I'd certainly consider it if I was Nintendo.

Other thoughts:
Delighted that Arceus has sold so strongly. To do those numbers without ever having a holiday season to itself is truly insane.
Delighted Mario Strikers Battle League is a flop. You put Mario and football together - two universally beloved things - and you get only 2m from a 115m install base. Pathetic flop, and well deserved. Put some effort into your sports games, Nintendo.
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Changing the battle system to be more like FF7 remake would help a lot.
 
Luminoth9090 said:
Changing the battle system to be more like FF7 remake would help a lot.
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I suspect a dramatic change is coming to the battle system in the next game for sure.

Look, we simply don't know what Nintendo's expectations and benchmarks are for Xenoblade 3. It's clear they want to grow the franchise, but to what extent?

The production value has crept ever higher in these games. Dramatically so for this latest one. But there's only so far they can push it with the sales they get. And perhaps there's only so many sales they can get with their current combat system being the way it is. I dunno.
 
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Luminoth9090 said:
Changing the battle system to be more like FF7 remake would help a lot.
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I haven't played FF7R, but this would greatly disappoint me. I love how unique Xenoblade's battle system is.

I get why it doesn't have mass appeal, but... I dunno, I think a lot of people would be disappointed if they did something as drastic as that (though I realize there are also people who feel the battle systems are one of the few downsides to the games).

If they make an overhaul to the battle system to make it more appealing, I'm instead going to go further against the grain and say I'd be interested in an online multiplayer approach. A return to X or a similar style that's less character driven would be a great way to incorporate a free-flowing multiplayer party kind of thing. Of course, sacrificing a character-driven narrative when they're the best they've ever been at it isn't a great move either... but I wouldn't mind a break from that style for a game.
 
Heron said:
Guys, to everyone telling me that Xenoblade is niche... that's my point. If this is the best it can do in these circumstances, maybe it is niche.

And maybe you don't want such an outrageously talented team working on a niche product.
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I guess monolith soft should work on the next switch sport game if we need to put this talented team on a more popular franchise.
I would have suggested pokemon but game freak are already perfect for that franchise.

But seriously that's not how nintendo works, if they wanted to follow only the 10 million sellers they should have cutted pretty much everything that wasn't mario pokemon and animal crossing. On the same vein before botw we could have said that zelda was too niche for the biggest nintendo team and they should have worked on a more profitable series.
Why even try making a metroid game or a new yoshi or even kirby if they all sell less than mario?
Nintendo is pretty much the only producer of switch games that they can count on, that's why they will diversify their output by covering more and more genres; there's nothing wrong with xenoblade growth, is a prestige game that has a big loyal fanbase and it's an experience that's completely different from any other nintendo franchise, that's why they're happy to have monolith keep working on it.
Also asking to change the xenoblade battle system is bad and everyone should feel bad for asking.
 
The public's thirst for Pokemon is apparently unquenchable, but the real standout for me is Ring Fit Adventure, a game many scoffed at when it was revealed, on track to be the 8th highest selling game on Switch, passing even the likes of Splatoon 2, Let's Go, etc.

It's an incredible cinderella story, a new IP finding stratospheric success against all doubts and skepticism, and it reinforces there is still much value in blue ocean software. It really is nice to see such a fresh and unconventional little game fly so high. :)
 
Heron said:
Guys, to everyone telling me that Xenoblade is niche... that's my point. If this is the best it can do in these circumstances, maybe it is niche.

And maybe you don't want such an outrageously talented team working on a niche product.
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Trouble is, if this is the niche they're talented in, saying "Go do something more popular" could be a waste, too.
YoboD said:
Kirby already being the best selling game in the series is super rewarding to see for its first 3D entry. Just another Nintendo series breakout entry on the Switch, wonder what that tally’s at now.
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Might be easier to list which series have new Switch entries that aren't the top of the series. Like uhhh, Wii Sports.
 
If it wasn't released so late in the Switch's lifetime I think 10 million would be very possible for Kirby Forgotten Land, but I feel like if a successor is released in 1-2 years, it will limit its sales even if it's backwards compatible. Still obviously a big hit and the best selling Kirby game.
 
curl-6 said:
The public's thirst for Pokemon is apparently unquenchable, but the real standout for me is Ring Fit Adventure, a game many scoffed at when it was revealed, on track to be the 8th highest selling game on Switch, passing even the likes of Splatoon 2, Let's Go, etc.

It's an incredible cinderella story, a new IP finding stratospheric success against all doubts and skepticism, and it reinforces there is still much value in blue ocean software. It really is nice to see such a fresh and unconventional little game fly so high. :)
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Mekanos said:
If it wasn't released so late in the Switch's lifetime I think 10 million would be very possible for Kirby Forgotten Land, but I feel like if a successor is released in 1-2 years, it will limit its sales even if it's backwards compatible. Still obviously a big hit and the best selling Kirby game.
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I actually think it could reach the 10 mil mark. It's selling near the same level as luigi's mansion 3 and it still has to see their first holiday so I'm quite hopeful for it to reach 10 mil in a couple of years, especially since the next kirby will be a remake which will buy some time until the next big kirby game (hopefully 3d).
I really want to see this game reach 10mil, it deserves it so much.
 
Hot take; the fact that XB3 isn't selling multiple millions and that Nintendo is seemingly fine with that is a strength, not a weakness. I'm sure they would be ecstatic if a Xenoblade game sold 10 million but, unlike most publishers, they have realistic expectations for each of their titles. It's okay if Xenoblade and Fire Emblem only sell 3 or 4 million. It's okay if Bayonetta and Astral Chain sell less than 2 million. Or that Metroid Dread and most likely Prime 4 will sell less than 5 million. The variety in sales numbers is emblematic of a variety in the type of games they publish. They aren't system sellers, they're momentum keepers. Leave the system selling to Zelda, Mario (Kart), Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Smash.
 
AranPrime said:
Hot take; the fact that XB3 isn't selling multiple millions and that Nintendo is seemingly fine with that is a strength, not a weakness. I'm sure they would be ecstatic if a Xenoblade game sold 10 million but, unlike most publishers, they have realistic expectations for each of their titles. It's okay if Xenoblade and Fire Emblem only sell 3 or 4 million. It's okay if Bayonetta and Astral Chain sell less than 2 million. Or that Metroid Dread and most likely Prime 4 will sell less than 5 million. The variety in sales numbers is emblematic of a variety in the type of games they publish. They aren't system sellers, they're momentum keepers. Leave the system selling to Zelda, Mario (Kart), Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Smash.
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Now I just gotta hope they’re okay with making an ARMS 2, even if it only sells another 2 million while a new Mario Kart by the same team will sell over 30 million.
 
SirArthur said:
After the financials, I've seen and heard some "bad news" takes, I cannot imagine how threads were during the Wii U era.
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Well take what some people are doing with that but be even more insufferable. Add a massive helping of “Nitendoom” & calls for going 3rd party mix it all together for the WiiU era.
 
Mekanos said:
If it wasn't released so late in the Switch's lifetime I think 10 million would be very possible for Kirby Forgotten Land, but I feel like if a successor is released in 1-2 years, it will limit its sales even if it's backwards compatible. Still obviously a big hit and the best selling Kirby game.
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once it gets reprinted with the 60fps super switch patch it'll get a second wind (he said copingly)
 
Mr Doggo said:
i dont think nintendo is aiming for that, so it wont be okay.

Idk where did it come from that nintendo is satisfied with metroid selling low when they have made multiple attemps at it going wild.
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If it keeps breaking its own records (like Dread did) then I am sure Nintendo will be happy.
 
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AranPrime said:
Hot take
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Not even a hot take, honestly.

Nintendo has the right idea in attempting to appeal to multiple demographics. The 4 million people buying Xenoblade aren't necessarily part of the 8 million buying Splatoon 3. It's just smart to diversify risk instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. And if some of those other baskets turn out to have solid gold in them, neat!

Tentacle-tropes said:
calls for going 3rd party
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Oh man, that sure was Nintendo forum threads in the Wii U era. Every other day, someone saying Nintendo should go third party already.
 
curl-6 said:
The public's thirst for Pokemon is apparently unquenchable, but the real standout for me is Ring Fit Adventure, a game many scoffed at when it was revealed, on track to be the 8th highest selling game on Switch, passing even the likes of Splatoon 2, Let's Go, etc.

It's an incredible cinderella story, a new IP finding stratospheric success against all doubts and skepticism, and it reinforces there is still much value in blue ocean software. It really is nice to see such a fresh and unconventional little game fly so high. :)
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I think it was scoffed at due to those weirdos who presented it in the opening trailer :p

I'm sure they're lovely folks irl...
 
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AranPrime said:
Hot take; the fact that XB3 isn't selling multiple millions and that Nintendo is seemingly fine with that is a strength, not a weakness. I'm sure they would be ecstatic if a Xenoblade game sold 10 million but, unlike most publishers, they have realistic expectations for each of their titles. It's okay if Xenoblade and Fire Emblem only sell 3 or 4 million. It's okay if Bayonetta and Astral Chain sell less than 2 million. Or that Metroid Dread and most likely Prime 4 will sell less than 5 million. The variety in sales numbers is emblematic of a variety in the type of games they publish. They aren't system sellers, they're momentum keepers. Leave the system selling to Zelda, Mario (Kart), Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Smash.
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Yep. There’s strength in having a depth of series, and some genres and series have more natural caps or less broad appeal than others. And that’s fine. Nintendos software has been, on average, incredibly strong across its entire first party lineup this gen. Ring Fit was an amazing new IP but I don’t think Fire Emblem or Xenoblade is ever gonna be selling 15m copies despite established fanbases. The difference is that Ring Fit has a wider appeal to people who aren't usually invested in hit points and cartoon heroics, and might not be back for a sequel even if that sequel would likely still outsell FE/Xeno, but are a sign of expanding the audience and reach. But FE and Xenoblade have crunchy mechanics and stories that appeal to people who charge through a dozen or more games a year, and keeping those customers looking around on Switch for an rpg to play as soon as they’ve put the latest one down has a value all of its own too. Probably my favourite aspect of the software range on Switch is that it’s felt like there’s been a variety of first party games each year backed by a huge variety of stuff on the eshop.
 
SammyJ9 said:
BOTW about to break 30 mil (both versions combined) is ridiculous, and completely unthinkable a few years ago. Amazing.
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Especially knowing the fact that these number is on par with 3A sales number power house games like Skyrim, Witcher 3. Not to mention the pretty solid $60 price.
 
JoshuaJSlone said:
Wii Sports Resort eventually became part of the pack-in, but probably shipped 20m on its own. Switch Sports seems to be doing ~half as well. Worse game, punished for it. Xenoblade isn't.
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Switch Sports is doing great actually. For the same period of time Resort did 6.97 millions.
Sure SS did less (6.15) but Resort was during a different time, during the motion control craze and a follow-up to the most emblematic wii game.
Even if it doesn't reach Resort results it is a clear commercial success.
 
Nintendo Switch compared to some other Nintendo consoles

KLuoHpm.png


  • The start of the fiscal year changed from September to April so FY 5 for NES was just a seven month period. The NES shipped 0.34 million after FY10.
  • Nintendo Switch has shipped 6.68 million with two quarters remaining and is forecast to ship 19 million for FY6.
 
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meatbag said:
Oh man, that sure was Nintendo forum threads in the Wii U era. Every other day, someone saying Nintendo should go third party already.
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It really brought out something in people after the Wii. Like at times it felt like the player hater’s ball type of mean, petty, & trolling. So much trolling.
 
Kaka said:
Switch Sports is doing great actually. For the same period of time Resort did 6.97 millions.
Sure SS did less (6.15) but Resort was during a different time, during the motion control craze and a follow-up to the most emblematic wii game.
Even if it doesn't reach Resort results it is a clear commercial success.
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I think his point being that the comparison doesn't make much sense. I think it's a bit ironic @Heron used Switch Sports as a reason why Xenoblade 3 sales are disappointing really. Both of these games serve their purpose and are selling fine. Nintendo knows their portforlio and are constantly trying to satisfy different audiences. Switch Sports is trying to capture more of the casual audience they had back in the Wii days and Xenoblade is one of their key first party franchises to appeal to JRPG fans.
 
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Heron said:
Eh, my expectations for Switch Sports were low, but it's ended up not far where I expected.
  • Not Wii Sports branded so only technically a sequel
  • 18 years since that phenomenon
  • Not particularly well received
  • Saw no marketing for it at all
It was never going to recapture the magic of the original Wii Sports games, but it was always going to sell more than comparable Mario sports games. I thought 5 mil or so - it has beat that.

It's obvious that my expectations for XC3 were too high. I thought it should double XC2 and XC:DE numbers without issue given install base, marketing/social media anticipation and critical reception.
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Yeah, that's just not how sales projection forecasts work.

You primarily compare it to prior entries while examining budget and other means of spend.

X3 did in two months what x2 did in a year+ span of time.

Now it might not have the legs of X2, and the marketing of x3 was higher than x2 so that has to be weighed but just going off the numbers right now, it's a commercial success any way you look at it.

Would Nintendo love it if it surged through the market like Splatoon 3?

Hell yes, but that was never the expectation.
 
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