Earlier this week we brought you some comments from Level 5's head honcho, Akihiro Hino, outlining the formula for the success of Yo-Kai Watch on 3DS. The first title had a reasonable but modest start in Japan, before the accompanying anime series boosted its popularity and took it beyond one million sales.
Yo-Kai Watch 2 has arrived in Japan this week, with a huge amount of buzz and plenty of images of eager gamers queuing at stores. It looks set to be a smash hit, and it'll no doubt storm to top place in the next set of chart results for the country. Amazingly, Media Create has stated that prior to its arrival it tracked 814,000 pre-orders; the number could have been higher, yet stock shortages held it back. For some context, let's consider the fact that the latest figures for the first title have it down at 1,176,134 lifetime sales, at physical retail — the sequel looks set to surpass that number in a matter of weeks. It will more than likely be the first 2014 release to pass one million sales in Japan.
There are multiple factors to explain these figures, the most obvious being that — Pokémon-style — this entry has two separate versions; some gamers will inevitably double-dip to enjoy both. On top of that the IP continues to grow in popularity, and some may have conceivably followed the free TV show and will dip into the game with the sequel's arrival.
We can expect to see some impressive figures for Yo-Kai Watch 2 in the coming weeks, and there are strong odds that the 3DS — despite its impressive performance in Japan already — will see hardware sales bump along with the new software's success.
Level 5 has reiterated that it has significant plans to bring the franchise to the West, too, and can only hope for a similar impact outside of Japan.
[source siliconera.com]
Comments 26
I really want to try this game out. Pokemon has become a little too repetitive for me and I wanna see how good this is.
Is it bad that until now, I thought Yo-Kai Watch was an actual watch...?
The 3DS badly needed this, so let's hope there's a good hardware bump too. I said last week the numbers were going to be crazy. The first game kind of came out of nowhere, so there wasn't really the hype there when it launched. Word of mouth has kept it selling though, and now a lot of those people are going to be on board day 1 for the sequel.
I'd love to see the game over here, but I hope they don't rely on the cartoon to build hype like they did for Inazuma Eleven, because it seems nobody watches cartoons anymore, at least in the UK. There's no brand awareness at all for that series, and it should be a top seller
Wow, wonder what made it such a hit.
When both Pokemon and MH are so incredibly dominant, anything along those same lines blows up in Japan. It's a collector's obsession, one that is appropriately Japanese and exclusive to the country's reliance on space saving measures. When collecting hundreds of manga, dozens of figures and large consoles and their accompanying televisions isn't the best option, handhelds explode. Even adults see the draw in what can be a very cramped, crowded place.
@Alias ya thats bad. What kinda watch would sell this well? Haha
@Alias they probably do sell actual watches for this now.
"It will more than likely be the first 2014 release to pass one million sales in Japan."
Am I misunderstanding something, or did Monster Hunter 4 not sell over 2 million copies in a single month?
@Kaze_Memaryu That was the end of 2013.
Just curious, did this start as a 3DS game or did it get big first like Puzzle and Dragons as an app before moving to the 3DS and adding a Z?
Maybe after the sequel beats the first one in sales Level 5 will actually localize the latter for us.
@rjejr 3DS Exclusive game.
Plans to localize is not as satisfying add being told that they will localize and have it out for us this year. Come on Level-5 get on it.
@Retro_on_theGo
Probably something to do with how it also has an anime. I guess it's kind of like a new Pokemon.
Is that a Ludicolo's ghost?
@Emblem Wait, really? I thought it was around March 2014?! What did I mix up this time...?
Sucks that we aren't going to get it.
I'm curious enough to want to play it, would be a great new series to be localized and released by holiday 2014.
We could use a game like this for WII U!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Kaze_Memaryu Yep it had already sold 4 Million by 2014. Its a damn shame we won't be seeing it until 2015, at least we get the updated version.
Okay, this is impressive. I really want to play both games.
@ModestFan93 - Well so much for the "new IP don't sell" arguement then. A win for the 3DS all around.
@rjejr
If I am not mistaken, the anime did wonders for this game, and of course the knowledge of the game being made by Level 5. Let's hope the TV show trick works for Sonic Boom as well.
Meanwhile the world outside of Japan is still waiting for Time Travellers to arrive some time in the past. Or something.
@sinalefa - Sonic Boom
I really don't know about Sonic Boom. I think my kids and I will like it, but it just looks so different I'm not sure how well it will be accepted by gamers. And I think another kid oriented game won't sell unless it has toys. Or Captain Toad
@rjejr Captain Toad in Smash Bros?
@MadAdam81 - No, no Captain Toad in SSB, he doesn't even have a jump button (not that Link seems to have any problem jumping w/o 1 in WW HD).
My point was Sonic Boom looks like a kids game w/ those big new colorful characters and a Saturday morning cartoon on the way, but I think kids games need toys b/c all the kids are into Disney Infinity and Skylanders so Sonic Boom may not sell. But Captain Toad may sell as a kids game w/o toys b/c he's Captain Toad. He should get an assist trophy though.
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