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Sales Data Updated sales numbers for Switch titles: Fire Emblem Engage (1.61M), Kirby's RtDL DX (1.46M), Metroid Prime Remastered (1.09M), and more

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Johna X said:
TTYD being first after movie is a good point, though I assume the 2d platformer would be dated by then anyway

It'd be funny though, similar to how SPM sold crazy relative to its series because of being the first mario platformer on the Wii, though they also seemed aware of that so I can already see a timeline where it sells like 4 mil, people go "haha we're back" then the next game is Paper Mario:Shredder Weather anyway

To be honest considering it still only sells a fraction of Mario Kart (admittedly idk how MK does in Japan and I know Splatoon is huge there) I'm a little confused why they didn't just have a 20 dollar pass that adds a bunch of new stuff to 2, Splatoon feels like an iterative series on a similar level to MK and Smash I kept saying during the reveal "this obviously isn't a third game" and then it was, like I at least expected a spinoff first
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There's zero chance a TTYD remaster does anything like that, it's not going to get anywhere close to origami king.

Just look at Metroid prime remaster for how a remaster of a cult classic GameCube game will actually perform.

And they don't need a new mario title to benefit from the movie, they're plenty happy to point at the huge number of Mario titles on switch for anyone who saw the movie and wants a mario fix. TTYD isn't going to benefit from it much at all, being the most niche kind of mario spin off.
 
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Bosintang said:
I didn't realize, but Splatoon 3 is not even sure to pass Splatoon 2 when it's all said and done given that sales seem to slow to a crawl while Splat 2 had crazy good legs. I don't recall, did the DLC increase the sales of the base game in Splatoon 2?

Splat3 was good because the core concept is excellent, but as a sequel 5 years in the making, such safe and incremental game was a disappointment and it felt as such even before release. If Splat4 is more of the same, the squids are going to start to smell (they already kinda do). I wish they made a spin-off instead.
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Uh...this kind of ignores how Splatoon 2 at this point in time wasn't even at the 10 million mark. I don't know 100% sure if Splatoon 3 will outsell Splatoon 2 but isn't us making any declarative statement kind of jumping the gun at this point? And yeah, going by your other points, I've put a lot more hours into Splatoon 3 than Splatoon 2 where I mainly stayed for the Splatfest and the DLC.

And yeesh, "Squids starting to smell", I wonder why Splatoon needs to prove itself more than any other Nintendo title.
 
ika said:
That’d be a less sad interpretation for the numbers so I’ll take that ;p I hope Future Redeemed reviews and word of mouth will boost the sales somehow and next Q numbers to be a bit better. It deserves to reach 2M at the very least.
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It’ll probably cross the 2m threshold but I’m doubtful that it will have the insanely long legs of XC2. Overall XC3 increased the baseline & quicker turnaround for reaching almost 2mil compared to 2.
Thunder84 said:
I'm curious to see if Nintendo tries to adjust their marketing at all to account for the relatively poor legs all of their recent software has seemingly had. Seeing so many games completely drop off after launch has to be of at least some concern to them. It isn't hurting the overall sales figures that much, but you have to imagine that they feel fairly disappointed with how many sales are potentially being left on the table.

Wouldn't be surprised if we see marketing campaigns continue for longer periods of time in the future.
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I’m not really sure how adjusting their marketing will affect long term legs on a title. A long sales tail needs some luck & some intangibles that marketing can’t really account for.
 
Linkstrikesback said:
There's zero chance a TTYD remaster does anything like that, it's not going to get anywhere close to origami king.

Just look at Metroid prime remaster for how a remaster of a cult classic GameCube game will actually perform.

And they don't need a new mario title to benefit from the movie, they're plenty happy to point at the huge number of Mario titles on switch for anyone who saw the movie and wants a mario fix. TTYD isn't going to benefit from it much at all, being the most niche kind of mario spin off.
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TTYD HD will outsell TOK imoro (in my objectively right opinion)

Prime 1 HD had bad marketing, has gotten re-released multiple times (MPT on Wii, Wii U VC), and recent Metroid games have been good. TTYD HD has a lot more going for it conversely. Never been re-released in 20 years, fills a hole in Nintendo's lineup since new games have been divisive and different, etc.
 
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most of the games with so called "Bad legs" were niche to begin with. I thik some people are being premature here
 
AngryAlchemist said:
Ok, come on. You spend like 50% of the game shooting things and engaging in combat. I get your point, it's not the core of what makes Metroid so exciting, but it's honestly ridiculous to say it's on the same level as Portal, a game which for all intents and purposes is just a puzzle game with the technicality of shooting mechanisms. Prime might not be a shooter if we're assigning singular genres, I wouldn't call it one, but shooting and combat are very core to its design. It's not as not a shooter as Portal.
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You are right, my previous post was too much hyperbolic. Metroid Prime is closer to a traditional shooter than Portal, where you don't even shoot at enemies. However, I think the point behind the hyperbole still stands -- you can't sell Portal to the average FPS player on the basis that "it's in first person and you technically shoot", you can't sell them Metroid Prime either.

Metroid Prime does have mechanics borrowed from the traditional FPS genre, but the game design, the level design, and the gameplay loop are profoundly different. So arguing that Metroid Prime has an inherently-high sales potential thanks to its proximity to its FPS genre misunderstood either what the FPS audience is looking for, or what Metroid Prime is.

MisterSpo said:
They've gone on the record about that principle in the past.
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Do you have a source? It's a very Nintendo-like statement, but I don't remember ever reading it from Nintendo executives.
 
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MrBones said:
TTYD HD will outsell TOK imoro (in my objectively right opinion)

Prime 1 HD had bad marketing, has gotten re-released multiple times (MPT on Wii, Wii U VC), and recent Metroid games have been good. TTYD HD has a lot more going for it conversely. Never been re-released in 20 years, fills a hole in Nintendo's lineup since new games have been divisive and different, etc.
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I mean, who's to say Metroid Prime's marketing was bad? They shipped a limited quanity of physical copies two weeks after shadow dropping the digital release. They were clearly operating with the assumption that a remaster of a twenty year old game that even in its day was relatively niche would not set the sales charts on fire.
 
MrBones said:
TTYD HD will outsell TOK imoro (in my objectively right opinion)

Prime 1 HD had bad marketing, has gotten re-released multiple times (MPT on Wii, Wii U VC), and recent Metroid games have been good. TTYD HD has a lot more going for it conversely. Never been re-released in 20 years, fills a hole in Nintendo's lineup since new games have been divisive and different, etc.
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I hope you're right, half cause I want classic PM to have a chance again and half cause your stubbornness about this is funny

I say 2.5 mil best case tho
 
Hailinel said:
I mean, who's to say Metroid Prime's marketing was bad?
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If anything, Metroid Prime was probably shadowdropped because Nintendo never counted on it being a big seller anyway. The lower price point also supports this line of thinking.
 
Hailinel said:
I mean, who's to say Metroid Prime's marketing was bad? They shipped a limited quanity of physical copies two weeks after shadow dropping the digital release. They were clearly operating with the assumption that a remaster of a twenty year old game that even in its day was relatively niche would not set the sales charts on fire.
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Yeah and that was a bad assumption. Remakes/re-releases have a pretty proven track record of selling well generally speaking, especially of prestige titles and especially this past generation.

Maybe they thought a shadowdrop would generate more buzz than a traditional marketing effort? I don't know their rationale, but this approach definitely kneecapped sales a bit.
 
MrBones said:
Yeah and that was a bad assumption. Remakes/re-releases have a pretty proven track record of selling well generally speaking, especially of prestige titles and especially this past generation.

Maybe they thought a shadowdrop would generate more buzz than a traditional marketing effort? I don't know their rationale, but this approach definitely kneecapped sales a bit.
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remakes also have a proven record of selling less than their predecessors. with Metroid Prime's ceiling not being very high, 1M is a respectable number that might have been NIntendo's expectation
 
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Hailinel said:
Citation Needed.
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Just in the past few years: RE2R, RE3R, RE4R, Demon's Souls, FF7R, Nier Replicant, Mass Effect Legacy Collection, Pokemon BDSP, etc. etc.

I know Prime 1 HD is closer to a straight remaster than a totally new reimagining, so it's sales potential is inherently limited compared to some of those. But remakes/remasters have undoubtedly been pretty successful lately. And Prime 1 undoubtedly had bad marketing when it's decided to just shadowdrop on the eShop suddenly, announcing it in a sizzle reel of Direct headlines. They at least should have announced at the TGAs or the September Direct prior to let discussion and anticipation around it build.

I don't think 1m sales is a bad number, Nintendo is probably very happy with it. But considering the Switch Sales Boost(tm) and Dread's success, it would've been more successful if they opted for a traditional marketing effort.
 
Resident Evil 4 has an insane reputation

As does FF7R, probably even moreso

Mainline Pokemon could be titled garbage version and toilet version and sell 10 mil

Others I cannot really comment on
 
Johna X said:
Resident Evil 4 has an insane reputation

As does FF7R, probably even moreso

Mainline Pokemon could be titled garbage version and toilet version and sell 10 mil

Others I cannot really comment on
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So does Prime 1, it was critically acclaimed prestige title. It just sold comparatively worse to the other 6th gen GOTY contenders since it was a GameCube exclusive.
 
MrBones said:
Just in the past few years: RE2R, RE3R, RE4R, Demon's Souls, FF7R, Nier Replicant, Mass Effect Legacy Collection, Pokemon BDSP, etc. etc.
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Most of those are ground up remakes, and OG Final Fantasy VII has a level of cultural impact and sales that no Metroid game has ever come close to touching.
 
MrBones said:
it would've been more successful if they opted for a traditional marketing effort
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The question is really how much more successful? It's quite possible that Nintendo didn't think the additional marketing budget would have turned them a significantly higher profit. In other words, it's possible that Nintendo didn't fail marketing MP; rather, Nintendo gave it exactly the right amount of marketing it needed.

MrBones said:
RE2R, RE3R, RE4R, Demon's Souls, FF7R, Nier Replicant, Mass Effect Legacy Collection, Pokemon BDSP
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Come on, you must know these are terrible comparisons. They're much more substantial remakes of much more successful franchises. (I guess Nier isn't that far off, I'm not sure).
 
meatbag said:
(I guess Nier isn't that far off, I'm not sure)
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Nier Automata passed 7.5m units earlier this year, which is about double of where many would estimate Dread to be by now; definitely a lot closer to Metroid than the others though. Seems to be more of an extreme outlier for now though given the Replicant "version up" itself was around 1.5m when Automata was at 7m, but Automata certainly was a huge breakout hit for the series.
 
Hailinel said:
Most of those are ground up remakes, and OG Final Fantasy VII has a level of cultural impact and sales that no Metroid game has ever come close to touching.
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I mean if we're being technical, Super Metroid and SOTN have shaped the entire landscape of indie/AA games. Despite lower sales numbers it's been a pretty impactful franchise.
Yamanoi said:
If Metroid Prime had prestige, it would've been $70.
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If Prime HD was closer to a ground-up reimagining vs a remaster it would have been full-priced undoubtedly.

Feels like the argument is being missed: Remakes of prestige games have been pretty successful, especially recently. So shadowdropping a prestige remake, like Prime 1 HD, hurt sales versus a traditional marketing effort (e.g. revealing at a prior event a few months before).

Prime 1 HD isn't a ground-up big budget remake like the ones mentioned before, it's closer to a straight remaster. So yeah it wasn't going to do insane sales numbers like RE2R. Marketing wise it doesn't justify a red carpet treatment obviously. But if Nintendo had given it just slightly more importance and unveiled it at, say, the TGAs or September Direct as a big reveal, we'd probably be looking at 2-3m versus 1m.
 
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I can maybe concede RE4? It def feels beloved but I also am aware it got rereleased like 500 times

But nah we are not comparing Prime to Final Fantasy 7. Reminder Sony used a remake of it as a tech demo and got major fan backlash/hopes up, its genuinely in another league entirely, generation defining
 
Johna X said:
I can maybe concede RE4? It def feels beloved but I also am aware it got rereleased like 500 times

But nah we are not comparing Prime to Final Fantasy 7. Reminder Sony used a remake of it as a tech demo and got major fan backlash/hopes up, its genuinely in another league entirely, generation defining
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Resident evil 4 basically defined a bunch of conventions for the modern third person action game, not unlike mario 64. Defining a bunch of indie games is great, but that doesn't mean much in the greater scheme of things, else Metroid and earthbound would be huge... And they just aren't.
 
Xenoblade 3's numbers are better than I expected. It looks like it will reach 2m copies before the end of the switch lifecycle.

FE Engage may fall short of Three Houses, but it's not a bad number nonetheless.
 
I think people are missing the fact that XC3 still launched a good deal higher than XC2, which is still growth even if legs don't pan out
 
Mario Games on Switch

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 53.79m
Super Mario Odyssey: 25.76m
Super Mario Party: 19.14m
New Super Mario Bros. U: 15.41m
Super Mario 3D World + BF: 11.38m
Mario Party Superstars: 10.17m
Super Mario 3D All-Stars: 9.07m
Super Mario Maker 2: 7.89m
Mario Tennis Aces: 4.28m
Paper Mario Origami King: 3.34m
Mario Strikers Battle League: 2.54m
Mario Golf Super Rush: 2.35m
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: 2.00m
Mario Kart Live Home Circuit: 1.58m

Total: 168.20m

Pokemon Games on Switch

Pokémon Sword/Shield: 25.82m
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet: 22.10m
Pokémon Let's Go: 15.07m
Pokémon BD/SP: 14.92m
Pokémon Legends Arceus: 14.83m
New Pokémon Snap!: 2.74m
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: 1.89m
Pokkén Tournament DX: 1.54m

Total: 98.91 million
 
I feel like all the Switch sells discussions always just like conveniently forget the primary Nintendo markets are in a pretty universal state of inflation and difficult to uncertain economic realities while also at the same time being increasingly tied to populations who are eager to get back out and spend leisure money on things other than indoor gaming activities.

Luxury items are the first thing to go in a difficult economic situation, so $60 for a game in general is a tough sale to people who are eating those levels of costs in groceries, rent, etc. already that they might have had before.

And then if you do have leisure money, well in the last year the world has largely "opened back up" from Covid and social activities are just starting to really seriously recover for a lot of people. So with the less money that people have, many are not only decreasing the amount spent on that type of leisure and pivoting towards experiences they've been denied or have not had access to for the better part of 2-3 years.

I just don't get how people can theory craft forever about advertising, the decline of the Switch, etc. and use all the data to prove their points and never acknowledge the economic conditions actually impacting the people who would be buying these games. If my bills have gone up by $100 a month and I haven't had a wage increase, yeah, I'm less likely to buy a niche game and wait for only the really big releases that matter the most to me. And I'm not going to be spending money on games the same way I did 2 years ago when all my other leisure expenses disappeared because of a pandemic and at home entertainment was the only avenue I had. That's just a really big shift in situation that really catapulted the Switch and its franchises to new heights in the first place.

Games as an industry live on the time and money people have to spend on the hobby, and when both decrease for a huge number of people, maybe not every conclusion should be so corporate expansionist based in nature.
 
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Top 100 Nintendo published games
Updated Software as of 31st March 2023, Switch games colored purple

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I remember crazy numbers being thrown out in that prime remaster sales thread. History has thought us all we need to know about prime sales.
 
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