By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Nintendo Quarterly Sales Update: (To 31st December) Switch at 103.54m shipped

IcaroRibeiro on 03 February 2022
Valdney said:

I am sorry (not sorry) for you guys fans of Skyward Sword, but the underwhelming sales for this game is a beautiful thing to watch. Lol. It’s the market sending a clear signal to Nintendo, saying we do not want these linear story driven PuZZelda anymore. Lovely.

It's a clear message SS HD remaster is not worth it, only that. Ocarina of time sold over 6 million in 3DS a system with a significant smaller userbase than Switch. 

There is market for story driven Zelda, as long the game is good and/or there is significant work made for the game to improve it (like they did with Wind Waker). Skyward Sword is a half assed port from a game that isn't exactly well liked and got average reviews for a Zelda game, only 82 on Opencritic in a franchise where almost all home console titles got a 90+

Last edited by IcaroRibeiro - on 03 February 2022

Around the Network
siebensus4 on 03 February 2022

The Mario Kart 8 numbers aren't surprising, because the game is bundled with many consoles (download code). That's why it's currently also #1 at the eshop charts, because the ones who buy a regular model get this game almost for free (at least during the holiday sales).

Overall software sales are up this quarter (85.4M vs. 75.85M in 2020) while hardware sales are down YoY (10.67M vs. 11.57M in 2020). Nothing special but pretty healthy for a console with this install base. I expect that software sales even rise this year with Pokémon Arceus, Splatoon 3 and Zelda BOTW 2.

Last edited by siebensus4 - on 03 February 2022

IcaroRibeiro on 03 February 2022
Dulfite said:
siebensus4 said:

Splatoon 2 is actually a lot better than the first one on Wii U. You have a lot more weapons, clothing, maps and game modes as well as the Octo Expansion with story for single players. The co-op game mode Salmon Run alone should justify a buy, if you own Splatoon 1. The content is absolutely stunning. I think that the launch content is only 30 % of the game right now. They added so much stuff for free. Though, it's primery an online game and not a single player offline game. But maps, modes and weapons are so different to Splatoon 1 that it's really worth checking it out even if you own the predecessor.

None of those additions would get me or others like me to buy a mostly only multiplayer game again so shortly after the first one. This isn't the call of duty crowd. New maps, weapons mean absolutely nothing to me. New modes do mean something, but not enough to buy it.

The expansion was the most interesting part for 2 but I didn't want to have to buy both. A full game should have a fully built in story mode, anything else and devs are just being cheap. Same goes for Overwatch, Apex Legends, PUBG. Bunch of cheap games with no story mode. Overwatch 2 will have a story mode I believe and I'm highly interested because of that, same with Splatoon 3.

Make a full game or go home if you want gamers like me and not just the multiplayer-only crowd. If they just stick with a multiplayer only focus then there are going to be people each game that don't buy the next one. Not everyone cares about shiny new guns or maps. Just like not everyone cares about single player story modes. But if they want full potential sales they need both.

You better give up Splatoon 3 then, it's clearly a multiplayer focused game. The appeals of the franchise lies on its multiplayer, it has far more to do with games like Fortinite, Paladins and Overwatch, Valorant and so on 

It will have some story mode that you will beat in 10 hours and never play again, imagine a Ratchet & Clank game, but worse 



Spindel on 03 February 2022
Dulfite said:
siebensus4 said:

Splatoon 2 is actually a lot better than the first one on Wii U. You have a lot more weapons, clothing, maps and game modes as well as the Octo Expansion with story for single players. The co-op game mode Salmon Run alone should justify a buy, if you own Splatoon 1. The content is absolutely stunning. I think that the launch content is only 30 % of the game right now. They added so much stuff for free. Though, it's primery an online game and not a single player offline game. But maps, modes and weapons are so different to Splatoon 1 that it's really worth checking it out even if you own the predecessor.

None of those additions would get me or others like me to buy a mostly only multiplayer game again so shortly after the first one. This isn't the call of duty crowd. New maps, weapons mean absolutely nothing to me. New modes do mean something, but not enough to buy it.

The expansion was the most interesting part for 2 but I didn't want to have to buy both. A full game should have a fully built in story mode, anything else and devs are just being cheap. Same goes for Overwatch, Apex Legends, PUBG. Bunch of cheap games with no story mode. Overwatch 2 will have a story mode I believe and I'm highly interested because of that, same with Splatoon 3.

Make a full game or go home if you want gamers like me and not just the multiplayer-only crowd. If they just stick with a multiplayer only focus then there are going to be people each game that don't buy the next one. Not everyone cares about shiny new guns or maps. Just like not everyone cares about single player story modes. But if they want full potential sales they need both.

I fully understand what you are saying.

 

For me Splatoon 2 is the single game I have the most hours logged in on the Switch.

But I will probably not buy Splatoon 3 on the Switch unless:

1. The game mechanics are seriously revamped giving a different player experience (meaning it basically is a different game with the same brand name and visuals)

2. Most of the player base disappears from Splatoon 2, so I have no one to play with. 

If Splatoon 3 is delayed to the successor to the Switch, and I get that console, I will probably buy it day one even if it's basically Splatoon 2 with prettier graphics and new guns.  

I have never played the original Splatoon, so to me Splatoon 2 was a brand new experience, and a good one at that. I haven't even finished the SP campaign. 



Valdney on 03 February 2022
IcaroRibeiro said:
Valdney said:

I am sorry (not sorry) for you guys fans of Skyward Sword, but the underwhelming sales for this game is a beautiful thing to watch. Lol. It’s the market sending a clear signal to Nintendo, saying we do not want these linear story driven PuZZelda anymore. Lovely.

It's a clear message SS HD remaster is not worth it, only that. Ocarina of time sold over 6 million in 3DS a system with a significant smaller userbase than Switch. 

There is market for story driven Zelda, as long the game is good and/or there is significant work made for the game to improve it (like they did with Wind Waker). Skyward Sword is a half assed port from a game that isn't exactly well liked and got average reviews for a Zelda game, only 82 on Opencritic in a franchise where almost all home console titles got a 90+

If Wind waker is a good example of a good story driven Zelda game in good demand, then why are  sales  so pathetic? Why  does the HD version with all the improvements have even more pathetic sales??  The data is crystal clear, Puzzelda doesn’t hold a candle  to open world Zelda. And most importantly: open world Zelda lights the world on fire and moves hardware, lots of it. 

OoT is a different beast.  OoT is a great game indeed, and it still carries a lot of what makes the older titles great. 



Around the Network
Spindel on 03 February 2022
Valdney said:
IcaroRibeiro said:

It's a clear message SS HD remaster is not worth it, only that. Ocarina of time sold over 6 million in 3DS a system with a significant smaller userbase than Switch. 

There is market for story driven Zelda, as long the game is good and/or there is significant work made for the game to improve it (like they did with Wind Waker). Skyward Sword is a half assed port from a game that isn't exactly well liked and got average reviews for a Zelda game, only 82 on Opencritic in a franchise where almost all home console titles got a 90+

If Wind waker is a good example of a good story driven Zelda game in good demand, then why are  sales  so pathetic? Why  does the HD version with all the improvements have even more pathetic sales??  The data is crystal clear, Puzzelda doesn’t hold a candle  to open world Zelda. And most importantly: open world Zelda lights the world on fire and moves hardware, lots of it. 

OoT is a different beast.  OoT is a great game indeed, and it still carries a lot of what makes the older titles great. 

I would say this is a wrongful analysis. 

Those games didn't sell "bad" (well this is relative since they probably turned a nice profit anyway) because the old formula is bad, they sell "bad" because people don't want remakes/re-releases of games. People want new games.  



Zyphe on 03 February 2022

Wew! That Metroid Dread sales though! Looks like a certain RGT 85 will lose sleep playin' Balan Wonderworld! Yikes!



mk7sx on 03 February 2022

Downward adjustment is due to NA underperforming due to shortages.

Expectations were ~15.72M for 2nd half.  Split would have been 11.75M Q3 and 4.0M Q4. 

US Nov ~1.1M estimate (expected was 1.3-1.4M)

US Dec ~1.3M estimate (expected was 1.9-2.0M)

(I am making up expectations to fit the narrative - but I do know that the forecasting mechanics would work this way).

Sell-through shortfall of 0.8-1.0M, which is why they slashed their FY forecast by 1M, meaning they still plan to ship 4M in Q4 (and after this result, I think they can exceed that if demand is there).



UnderwaterFunktown on 03 February 2022
Valdney said:
IcaroRibeiro said:

It's a clear message SS HD remaster is not worth it, only that. Ocarina of time sold over 6 million in 3DS a system with a significant smaller userbase than Switch. 

There is market for story driven Zelda, as long the game is good and/or there is significant work made for the game to improve it (like they did with Wind Waker). Skyward Sword is a half assed port from a game that isn't exactly well liked and got average reviews for a Zelda game, only 82 on Opencritic in a franchise where almost all home console titles got a 90+

If Wind waker is a good example of a good story driven Zelda game in good demand, then why are  sales  so pathetic? Why  does the HD version with all the improvements have even more pathetic sales??  The data is crystal clear, Puzzelda doesn’t hold a candle  to open world Zelda. And most importantly: open world Zelda lights the world on fire and moves hardware, lots of it. 

OoT is a different beast.  OoT is a great game indeed, and it still carries a lot of what makes the older titles great. 

The Wind Waker was released on GameCube and the Wii U - two systems with install bases of rougly 20 % and 15  % of where the Switch is currently sitting at.

It can't be denied that Nintendo seem to have struck gold with the open-world formula of BotW and brought tons of new players to the series, but if they had followed it up with another critically acclaimed "linear story Zelda" it could still have done incredible numbers on the Switch. Personally I hope the series will draw elements from both types going forward.



Try out my free game on Steam

2024 OpenCritic Prediction Leagues:

Nintendo | PlayStation | Multiplat

shadowii on 03 February 2022
Zyphe said:

Wew! That Metroid Dread sales though! Looks like a certain RGT 85 will lose sleep playin' Balan Wonderworld! Yikes!

i've been hearing this a lot what is the story behind that?