Reggie: Switch sales are “unprecedented” for Nintendo

[DonFerrari]

Chrizum said:
Nintendo can spin this as long as they want, but the fact is that Switch still hasn't sold as much as Wii U and 3DS combined. It's a complete flop. Accept it thou loathed issues of thy father's loins!

Good one =]

NoirSon said:

DonFerrari said:
Know Nintendo top brass are on the same level of understanding of words of the regular VGC users.

But joking aside, he is talking about releasing in March and achieving 10M in 9 months as unprecedented, probably because they usually launch in the holidays?

Yes, that is what he most likely means, also if you consider the Switch portable hardware, this growth is out of the norm as well since Nintendo portables usually start off slow and build to a fever pitch, this one has just been on fire out the gate in terms of both hardware and major software.

Yes, there is no denying Switch sales so far have been fantastic and have no reason to think it won't keep doing good.

Machina said:
The qualifier about holidays is what allows him to use the word unprecedented and be technically correct, but it's a PR wheeze.

The Wii launched in November 2006, so technically had a holiday at the very start of its life, though it was so supply constrained that the fact it launched in the holiday period was irrelevant. The first three quarters of its life it sold over 10 million.

Switch is performing incredibly well but it is tracking behind the Wii, so its sales are definitely not unprecedented, unless you attach conditions to the statement.

Well, there were a big discussion that people didn't accept that since Switch was sold out for like 5 months, if it did launch in the Holiday nothing would change because there wouldn't be inventory available, same with PS4 that launched so strong and with so much pre-orders that if it launched in March it wouldn't impact much its sales. Henceforth both having fantastic tracking to the first 10M.

But yes it's PR shenanigans of narrowing the truth in a way that he isn't lying, but the interpretation is a lot more favorable than reality.

IkePoR said:

Madword said:

Isnt that because most consoles release in September or November and so have no chance of that 10 month run up? or in previous consoles were staggered releases?

So I'm not saying that 10 million isnt a good first year number, it is and its doing really well, but what you are saying isnt the whole picture.

 

Machina said:
The qualifier about holidays is what allows him to use the word unprecedented and be technically correct, but it's a PR wheeze.

The Wii launched in November 2006, so technically had a holiday at the very start of its life, though it was so supply constrained that the fact it launched in the holiday period was irrelevant. The first three quarters of its life it sold over 10 million.

Switch is performing incredibly well but it is tracking behind the Wii, so its sales are definitely not unprecedented, unless you attach conditions to the statement.

Yes and exactly.  :P  Don't mistake me, I'm not defending corporate PR talk.  I'm merely saying that yes, he is technically correct.  Which, as we all know, is the best kind of correct.  It's a good stat to throw out there.  Similar to Trumps "Hours without being a National Embarrassment" reaching 8, but not mentioning it was during his bedtime.

On a serious note - 10 million is impressive w/o a Christmas.  I know many don't count the first xmas for Sep/Nov launches, but it's a number the PS4 was at in 9mo. w/ xmas.  I'm in the camp that thinks the first xmas does count - why would everyone traditionally launch there if it didn't?

You release as early as you can, because sitting consoles on shelves waiting until december would be a lot of trashed money. But you are right about he being technically right, but distorting for PR as expected. At least this is a level of making something great look greater and not smoke and mirrors to hide a tud as we have seem from some other PRs on the gen (not talking specifically of Reggie or Ninty).

Jumpin said:

December is traditionally Nintendo’s biggest month. Their consoles typically sell around 2.8X better than their next biggest month, which is November. I think their biggest hardware sales month in history was December 2009. Although 2009 was the first year that Wii wasn’t constantly supply constrained resulting from a drop in immediate demand throughout the rest of the year. In other words 2009 was the first year when there weren’t 20 million+ people who wanted the Wii and needed it now!

While what Reggie says is absolutely true. If Wii has 30M units available at launch, does anyone doubt it would have sold 30M units in 1 month?

Well 30M in a month is quite obscene, but since it was Wii that was supply constrained for almost 2 years, I wouldn't doubt it selling 30M on launch month and with this reaching 130M total. IT was really hot on launch.