In One SKU?

Apples and oranges.

GTA V released on PS3/360 just 2 months before the launch of the PS4/XOne. It did monstrous, gangbuster numbers because in terms of scope, size, and openness, it was Breath of the Wild BEFORE Breath of the Wild. And it was seen as the last big swansong of the PS3 and 360 before moving on to the next generation. Then, when they got ported to PS4 and XOne, pretty much all of the people who bought it on the old consoles bought it again as one of the first games they played when the got the new consoles + new gen gamers who wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And overall, the game's monstrous success is based almost entirely on its own merit. The biggest reason why it's at 135 million copies in 7 years and STILL not slowing down, is because the game is just that damn good.

Animal Crossing is not doing this on its own merit. It's monstrous success is unquestionably boosted by a worldwide pandemic that caught everyone off guard. And with everyone basically trapped indoors, most turned to video games as a time-killer and a source of comfort and escapism, and New Horizons was the PERFECT game to fulfill ALL of these needs. It was a right place, right time scenario. Once this pandemic is finally over and things go back to normal (whatever 'normal' will be moving forward), it'll still have steady legs because it'll still get the new gamers year after year who want to see what the fuss is about. But it's not going to be the same beast it once was. Just like Pokemon isn't the same beast it once was when it was on top of the world in the late '90s. Sooner or later, that bubble is going to pop, and while Animal Crossing will still be one of Nintendo's biggest franchises moving forward. I don't think any game after New Horizons will ever reach these same levels again.

I agree with most of what you said, but don't play the merit card, it's pure marketing on every side (consoles not being backward compatible helped double the sales of course).

And I even played the game on a PS3, on PC and then on an Xbox 360 cause it's one of my favourite game ever (the solo, not the online) so that shows you how I agree with you. 

But, you cannot say "oh it's just because of the pandemic and the lockdown". That explains the first 13 million, that explains less the 10 million we got afterwards, and even less the 10 million we got after that.

This is flawed as how come only ACNH is benefitting from the pandemic and no other game then? Right time and scenario yet only one game is benefitting? At this point it feels some people are using the pandemic as an excuse to play down the sales like they did with the Switch sales last year what further calls what you said here out is the Pokemon part as S/S is now the third best selling game on the way to be the second best selling after breaking 20m for the first time since the 90s Pokemon is still very much the same beast.

GTAV sold well because it's good and with wide appeal to sell over time on top of what it sells upfront and is on multiple platforms (5 with a 6th being added) AC does the same as an exclusive the sales for NH have been brewing for a while with two 10m sellers and a massive cult following being generated from them, the unified userbase and momentum of the Switch it's like when people thought MK wouldn't sell MKWii level sales again yet here we are with MK8D.

Compare the hype, talk, and craze about Pokemon today to 'PokeMania' back then, it is not even close. Back then, you couldn't walk two feet outside your house without something or someone mentioning Pokemon. That's what I mean by 'phenomenon.' The fact that Sw/Sh managed to crack 20 million while no other game has done it since G/S, has more to do with the 'Switch effect' and, yes, the pandemic boost, than anything else. 

Don't put words in my mouth, I never said ACNH was the 'only' game benefitting from the pandemic. I said it was the PERFECT game to fulfill all the needs brought forth by the pandemic. And it is. Getting away from how screwed up and dangerous the world has become in just 1 year to go into your own little world and island, with a little virtual version of yourself living a virtual life and spend the days, weeks, months there without a care or worry in the world? It's EXACTLY the kind of game that you would need to get you through a this pandemic. And it released RIGHT when it started. So take the hype leading up to release and word of mouth after release and multiply it by 2-3. And that's what gets you 31 million in less than one year.

So yes, right place, right time.

The phenomenon is still around it's just not aimed at you who was the target audience at the time and has taken a different approach with the times I don't think you understand what is meant by a bubble bursting, S/S released before any nation went into lock down (January) and sold 16m on release so how does the Pandemic factor in there or is that the go to excuse now?

Not putting words in your mouth I'm pointing out what you're implying especially with your "own merit" comment AC was hyped long before the Pandemic was even a thing the were celebrities posting about it on their twitter a year before any lockdown anyone who knew the series could see huge sales were coming especially with the Switch's momentum we have a Zelda game heading to 25m when no game in the series never broke 10m in its entire history we have a 3D Mario game touching 20m for the first time, we have games like Luigi's Mansion about to hit 10m. This isn't the pandemic this is just the games being good, marketing and platform momentum. ACNH isn't the only game you can get away from the world from either nor is it the only game of its kind.

While a small section of Nintendo EPD might slowly look towards Next Gen Nintendo I don't think they're already starting to shift focus, maybe at the start of next year. On multiple occasions they've mentioned that they want a longer life cycle with the Switch and that it is currently at the midway point. This would lead to a roughly 8 year life, with a successor coming in early 2025 (releasing outside the holidays was a huge success for them and I think they will do it again.) With 3rd party relations restored, they can help with the launch schedule of Next Gen Nintendo.

I also believe there are many massive Nintendo developed games still to come and 2021 could be similar in scope to 2017. Monolith soft has been, all but confirmed, working on a new IP and I think a Xenoblade X-2 game is highly likely as well. Donkey Kong still has room for a Trilogy remake and another entry in the Returns series. Kid Icarus, although silent since Uprising could see a new release. Super Mario Odyssey has plenty of room for a sequel. Pikmin 4 is still a mystery. Luigi's Mansion is also a highly likely contender for another showing (please make Luigi's Ghost Town). I'd say at least 2 big new IP's, similar scope to Arms, will hit the system in the coming years as well. On that note, a sequel to Arms wouldn't hurt. Kirby 3D is being worked on. With the right depth and mechanics another Mario Sports game can be big. Mario in 2D is in need of another revamp, I'm hoping for a Metroidvania style adventure with hand drawn graphics, but that's just a pipe dream.

I don't think Nintendo is content with taking a step back either, part of the reason they merged their Handheld and Home Console departments together was to avoid having to let go of one thing to focus on the other. Looking through a list on titles Nintendo developed/co developed on Wiki, their name appears roughly 100 times during the WiiU/3DS gen. Their name only appears 30 times for the Switch so far. They have the manpower to support the end of the Switch cycle and start a Next Gen cycle.

Hi, I have found the units sold by quarters, just a question:

for SONY, the FY2011, is it the fiscal year ending on 31th march 2011 like for Nintendo, or is it ending on 31 march 2012 ?

EDIT: Nevermind I have my answer.

If you honestly think that Pokemon is still as big of a deal now as it was back then, you're kidding yourself. It is not. The Game Boy was dying a death by late '94 throughout '95 and then Pokemon came out, lit the world on fire, and cemented Nintendo's permanent dominance in the handheld market. But then, it was THE talk of the town. THE game. THE franchise. Somecallmejohnny got his copy of Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 by in exchange for a Pokemon trading card! A PS1 game for a tiny piece of cardboard?! THAT'S how big it was back then. To say that the phenomenon is still around is just a heaping pile of Kangaskhan dung. It's just not true. The reason why it sold 16 million on release, and has now managed to reach 20 million has a lot to do with the 'Switch effect' which I noted earlier, and yes, the Pandemic boost. Because the press and word of mouth around Sword/Shield wasn't exactly good. Certainly not at the same standard as prior Pokemon games.

The Pandemic factor took effect in March, and it has had a notable positive effect on the Switch itself, which in turn, had a notable effect on its first party software. You think the Switch got to 28-30 million sales in 2020 by its own merit? And yes, I'm gonna keep saying that because there's truth to it.  It is undeniable that Covid was as big of a factor as anything else for sales exploding the way that they did, to the point where Nintendo STILL can't keep up with demand. The Switch is fresh off its best holiday season ever... With Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Pikmin 3, as its only holiday titles... I mean, come on.

Animal Crossing, as great and as big as it is, is not capable of that on its own. In some regions, it's not even doing it on its own. In places like China and even the homeland, Japan, Ring Fit Adventure is having as much of an impact on hardware sales as Animal Crossing. They're constantly going head to head in the weekly Famitsu software sales charts. 

Yes, celebrities and famous people from Brie Larson, to T-Pain, to Elijah Wood, to even Danny Trejo, AOC, and President Biden, were/still are playing Animal Crossing. Wow, big shocker, celebrities play video games too! Eminem and Miley Cyrus bought a Wii U for Smash Bros, but that clearly didn't do jack-shit for the Wii U or Smash Bros. 

But all those celebrities I mentioned who are playing Animal Crossing, who were also posting it on Twitter, they were posting it AFTER the game came out! So, not only are you misquoting me, now, unless you have actual evidence to back up your claim that there were celebrities posting about it the year before any lockdown took place, you're also lying. No celebrities were posting about it on their twitter 'a year (2019) before any lockdown', they were posting about it AFTER the pandemic and lockdown took effect, the exact same time the game came out!

Yes, before the game released, and before any sign of a pandemic hitting, there were a lot of signs, based on the performance of other Nintendo games on Switch like you just stated, from Breath of the Wild, to Odyssey, to Luigi's Mansion 3, that Animal Crossing was going to do huge numbers and be the best selling game in the history of the franchise. I'm not arguing that. What I'm saying is that, without the pandemic, there is no way in hell it reaches 31 million in less than one year. Maybe in its entire lifetime, with the right quality, marketing, and platform momentum behind it, but not in 9 months!

Yeah, platform momentum was a factor. And that momentum and Switch sales skyrockted more than any other system when the pandemic took effect. Why do you think we've been calling it 'the Covid boost?" And when you get the a new console, in the middle of a pandemic, you need something to kill the time and provide a sense of escape from the shitty situation the world is in. There is no better game that fits that mold than Animal Crossing. Again, I never said it was the only game of its kind nor was it the only game you could get away from the world from, I said it was the PERFECT game in this situation. It had JUST come out, and it had the Nintendo PR and marketing machine fully behind it, while Switch sales were at the highest they had ever been up to that point, with its closest competitors, the PS4 and Xbox One, winding down. All eyes and ears were on Nintendo, and they were showcasing their new big S-tier title. If it were Breath of the Wild 2, or a new 3D Mario game, or even Metroid Prime 4, sales would have exploded and people would have flocked to those games too. But unlike those games, an open-world action adventure, a space-shooting, sci-fi explorer, and a 3D platformer, which have a beginning and an end, Animal Crossing, as a life simulator, just keeps going and going and going. It was EXACTLY the kind of game you would need to get you through a pandemic. And Nintendo went ALL IN on supporting it.

So not only do I say this again, I'm adding to it: It was the right game, on the right platform, in the right place, at the right time.

Has any system other than DS sold more than 11.57 million in one quarter before?