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| h2ohno said: For me the question is why certain games sell so many systems while other games don't. |
I think some games core fandoms are about the few millions who buy the game in the first month or buy just right they got their hands in the console. I don't think majority of game sales are from fans, maybe on more niche games, but definitely not among blockbusters
Console needs to sell many times fandoms-sizes to be successful, and there is a intersection among franchise fandoms, as many Zelda fans are also Mario fans, Metroid fans, Smash fans, etc, etc
What were the the mega franchises blockbusters Wii U got other than MK8? No Pokemon, no Animal Crossing, no Zelda until the same game was released on Switch, no mainline 3D Mario, No Wii Sports/Wii fit, it had by far the worst first party line up ever for a Nintendo console and it totally reflected its dreadful sales
About why AC become big after DS is because the system sold the game and not the opposite; Like Switch ownership made me give a try to New Horizons, now I'm an Animal fan and very likely to buy next Nintendo console that got next Animal Crossing game (just like I got my DS to play Pokemon back on those days)
It can be a reach, but I do feel like Pokemon is Nintendo biggest system seller. Their sales are just so damn stable, no matter how popular is the system it was made for. Exceptions were 1st and 2nd gen madness, but since 3rd gen all Pokemon mainline games has about:
15 to 19 million sales from mainline entries
10 to 13 million sales from remakes
7 to 8 million sales from third versions
It's a 20 years old consistency that can't be ignored. Pokemon sales are the most front-loaded among Nintendo exclusives, meaning they are heavily anticipated and tbh I just don't feel so much excitement for Pokemon among other Nintendo-exclusive fans, seems a franchise that heavily rely on its own core fandom
