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Forums - Nintendo - Sales: Why did TP soar and SS flop?

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oniyide on 20 May 2012
Pineapple said:
oniyide said:
Jumpin said:
That is a good point, Skyward Sword is selling faster than Twilight Princess.

As to why the sequels of other companies do better than Nintendo released sequels; that's a good, I don't know. I am going to guess it has something to do with the amount of hype. Mario Galaxy, Donkey Kong Country, and Twilight Princess were three of the most hyped games in Nintendo's history, but that wasn't true about any of the sequels.

thats true, but how come the sequels dont get that much hype?? I look at stuff like Uhcarted and the 2nd game got a LOT of hype, which is amazing to me, because the original wasnt seen as all that. Hell even the third game if blowing past the other two and its not even as good as the 2nd IMHO. Maybe the general belief is that the Ninty sequels will be to similar?? I really dont know, its strange.


Nintendo games have a relatively odd pattern. When there's a sequel, it will, after a year or so on the market, sell less than the title it's sequelling. I'd imagine this is because when people hear word of mouth about Super Mario Galaxy 2, they'll go out and buy Super Mario Galaxy 1 in the shop, rather than buying the sequel first. This is possible because (nearly) all shops stock Nintendo games even years after release, which isn't true for other companies' games. This is very visible with Super Mario Galaxy, which is outselling its sequel roughly 2.5:1 so far in 2012.

So, essentially, the sequels don't sell as well on Nintendo systems because the predecessors steal chunks of their sales.  That's my guess, anyhow.

but why would they NOT get the sequel?? Especially if the original is gonna cost them the same anyway. Seems weird to me



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oniyide on 20 May 2012
DanneSandin said:
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
But you guys gotta remember that SS isn't a sequal to TP! There's only been to direct sequals of LoZ on consoles: Zelda 2 and MM - SS is a stand alone. By that logic TP would be a sequal to WW - now explain that ;)


very well, but MM and Zelda 2 still didnt sell as much as their originals. Its not just the Zelda series either. The point was the sequels are follow up games never seem to pass the originals on a given console

Well, aLttP didn't sell as well as the first Zelda game either, and neither did WW: both sold somewhere around 4-5 millions yes? If we take a look at sales this is what happens:

LoZ: Hit! (7miliion copies)

LoZ2: Flop (???)

aLttP: Flop (4-5m)

OoT: Hit (7m?)

MM: flop (3m?)

WW: Flop (4m?)

TP: Hit (6-7m)

SS: Flop (3m thus far)

There's your pattern. Hit, flop, flop, hit, flop, flop, Hit, flop, ??? Only every THIRD Zelda is apparently a hit....


again, im talking on a per console bases. NES had 2 Zeldas, as did GC and Wii. and I would never consider any Zelda game a flop.



zgamer5 on 20 May 2012

nintendo games sell mostly of legs, the wii is going to die soon. which is why it wont have legs.



Being in 3rd place never felt so good

DanneSandin on 20 May 2012
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
But you guys gotta remember that SS isn't a sequal to TP! There's only been to direct sequals of LoZ on consoles: Zelda 2 and MM - SS is a stand alone. By that logic TP would be a sequal to WW - now explain that ;)


very well, but MM and Zelda 2 still didnt sell as much as their originals. Its not just the Zelda series either. The point was the sequels are follow up games never seem to pass the originals on a given console

Well, aLttP didn't sell as well as the first Zelda game either, and neither did WW: both sold somewhere around 4-5 millions yes? If we take a look at sales this is what happens:

LoZ: Hit! (7miliion copies)

LoZ2: Flop (???)

aLttP: Flop (4-5m)

OoT: Hit (7m?)

MM: flop (3m?)

WW: Flop (4m?)

TP: Hit (6-7m)

SS: Flop (3m thus far)

There's your pattern. Hit, flop, flop, hit, flop, flop, Hit, flop, ??? Only every THIRD Zelda is apparently a hit....


again, im talking on a per console bases. NES had 2 Zeldas, as did GC and Wii. and I would never consider any Zelda game a flop.

Yeah, if you only take into acount the GC for TP, then this holds true...



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oniyide on 20 May 2012
DanneSandin said:
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
But you guys gotta remember that SS isn't a sequal to TP! There's only been to direct sequals of LoZ on consoles: Zelda 2 and MM - SS is a stand alone. By that logic TP would be a sequal to WW - now explain that ;)


very well, but MM and Zelda 2 still didnt sell as much as their originals. Its not just the Zelda series either. The point was the sequels are follow up games never seem to pass the originals on a given console

Well, aLttP didn't sell as well as the first Zelda game either, and neither did WW: both sold somewhere around 4-5 millions yes? If we take a look at sales this is what happens:

LoZ: Hit! (7miliion copies)

LoZ2: Flop (???)

aLttP: Flop (4-5m)

OoT: Hit (7m?)

MM: flop (3m?)

WW: Flop (4m?)

TP: Hit (6-7m)

SS: Flop (3m thus far)

There's your pattern. Hit, flop, flop, hit, flop, flop, Hit, flop, ??? Only every THIRD Zelda is apparently a hit....


again, im talking on a per console bases. NES had 2 Zeldas, as did GC and Wii. and I would never consider any Zelda game a flop.

Yeah, if you only take into acount the GC for TP, then this holds true...


Zelda 2 sold less than the original on NES, MM sold less than OOT on N64, TP(GC version) sold less than WW, and SS will sell less? than TP(Wii version), thats just the Zelda, im not even getting into the DKCs, Metroid Primes, Super Marios of the world, the sequels all sell per console. HTere is a clear pattern here.



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DanneSandin on 20 May 2012
oniyide said:
DanneSandin said:
oniyide said:


again, im talking on a per console bases. NES had 2 Zeldas, as did GC and Wii. and I would never consider any Zelda game a flop.

Yeah, if you only take into acount the GC for TP, then this holds true...


Zelda 2 sold less than the original on NES, MM sold less than OOT on N64, TP(GC version) sold less than WW, and SS will sell less? than TP(Wii version), thats just the Zelda, im not even getting into the DKCs, Metroid Primes, Super Marios of the world, the sequels all sell per console. HTere is a clear pattern here.

Oh, no I believe you - but looking at tyhe bigger picture of Zelda games gives a different story as well :P



I'm on Twitter @DanneSandin!

Furthermore, I think VGChartz should add a "Like"-button.

NightDragon83 on 20 May 2012

TP was released on 2 systems, one of which would eventually become their biggest selling console of all time.

SS was the only notable game released at the tail end of the Wii's life cycle, and after Nintendo had already unofficially killed it off by starving it of software and announcing the Wii U.

Another note: Glad to see that TOOT is still #1 in sales for Zelda games. It deserves it. Phantom Hourglass doesn't deserve to be that high, but it's no surprise being that it was released at the height of the DS's popularity.



On 2/24/13, MB1025 said:
You know I was always wondering why no one ever used the dollar sign for $ony, but then I realized they have no money so it would be pointless.

Tridrakious on 20 May 2012

It released late in the Wii's life. The excitement for the Wii was dead by the time Skyward Sword released whereas Twilight Princess released when the Wii launched and had the hype of being on a new system that was $249 against the 2 days earlier launch of the $599 PS3.



Metallicube on 20 May 2012

I don't have much a desire to play Skyward Sword, especially after hearing some of its less than impressive reviews. I'd rather stick with Xenoblade, which seems like what Zelda SHOULD be like anyway, or even go back and play TP again.



Zim on 20 May 2012
KylieDog said:
Wagram said:
lilbroex said:
When did selling over a million become a flop?


Since people started believing that had an idea what they're talking about. Like I remember a few months ago FFXIII-2 was a massive bomb and that it wasn't profitable. Look at there earnings statement for this quarter :P

It shipped a lot of retailers but at retail it did awful, only a week after release retailers were already slashing prices to shift stock, can find now for around the £12 mark.

At first I thought you were talking about Zelda and I was like £12 NEW?! Where?! You could buy them and sell them for more second hand lol. However then I realised you were responding to FF13-2 and yes it really did sink like a stone at retail. I'm pretty sure ShopTo dropped from £39 to £25 after a week or two from release. Now down to £12. For anyone wondering even games from November when Zelda released are mostly in the £25-30 range. FF13-2 was in Feb.



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