The question now is can BOTW reach 20m units total and can it possibly do it by the time the sequel arrives, it'll no doubt be pass 16m total by the end of September and last holiday period it moved around 1m or so for the quarter which if it repeats that feat would have it at 17-18m.

I thought this was a tbone51 thread :P

Why didn't I comment in the thread a year before? I probably thought it was too obvious Zelda would do that.

My hesitation blinded me.

Odyssey will still reach 20m though, it’ll sell forever. Even if it will be at a snail’s pace at some point, it’ll reach 20m. Breath of the Wild combined seems like it actually has a shot at a number that high too, though I remain less confident. On Switch alone though I don’t think so.

Hopefully this will again prove to be too pessimistic on my part lol.

Unprecedented for a zelda game. It's crazy, I thought that after Skyward Sword the franchise was dead, but here it is competing with Mario for the best selling single player game on the Switch!

That said, I predict Odyssey will beat BoTW when it's all said and done because:
1. Mario games always always still sell well 3,4,5 years after launch. Odyssey I feel will have that.
2. Zelda BOTW 2 will eat away from the original sales. Unless Odyssey gets a sequel, I see BOTW sales trailing off.

STILL, what an achievement! Very well earned for a gorgeous game.

It's definitely outpacing odyssey at the moment, but it's not impossible that odyssey eventually retakes the lead. The sequel to BOTW might cut it's legs, though by then the damage may already be done, and for all we know a sequel to Odyssey might be on the way too.

I think both games are pretty amazing in sales, I did not expect Odyssey to surpass 15 million based on past 3D Mario sales. I am not as surprised to see BOtW surpass Odyssey, Nintendo got it really right with that game.

I believe those expecting BOTW 2 to cut the first game’s sales are right, but let’s not forget that it was a one minute teaser. I don’t expect it to release before Christmas 2020, and it could go even later.

edit: surprised we are past 15 million for Odyssey, let alone 16.

That is a good point.  I'll have to check the Japanese sales threads to see if Zelda sales are even higher.

Are 2 type of Mario Bros. Games. 

a) the 3d AAA games.

Frontloaded sales. In 2, 3 years go down very hard. (12-18 million seller type)

b) the 2d AA games

Nintendo doesn't release anymore. Sells the entire generation. Last One: New Super Mario Bros. Wii. (30 million seller type) 

All other successors "new" formula it's the second team B Game with bad innovations. 

Are 2 type of Zelda Games

a) the classic open-world (rudimentary) Zelda and BOTW combat and exploration oriented.

Sells the entire generation. (BotW maybe will sell 20M+)

b) Aonuma's Zelda puzzle-oriented. 

Sells badly, unless have AAA investment and great concepts. 

and the day had come