Splatoon is Still Number One in Japan as Wii U Sales Increase Again

It's really good to see Splatoon doing well in Japan. Hopefully it can continue to do well in the UK too!

This is good. More people are aware of the Wii U now.

Well, that was unexpected! Looks like Nintendo sorted out the stock shortage too.

Well I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong. I really thought Splatoon was going to bust in Japan, but I'm happy to see that it is succeeding.

Succeeding so well in fact that there is only a 50% drop from last week, with hardware improving. It must be getting good word of mouth.

Splatoon has officially had a bigger effect on hardware sales than MK8 or Smash! I said a few weeks ago I thought it could happen. MK and Smash are games for Nintendo hardcore, but those people already had the system. To get new people in, they had to put out sonething new!

I eagerly look forward to the NPD tomorrow. Japan's market has shrunk so much it almost makes this a hollow victory. I bet Wii U hardware will at least double in NPD too, an aversge Wii U month is about 60k, but it dropped to 40k in April. Hitting 80k shouldn't be too tough. Honestly over 100k should within reach too.

Great stuff. Its just so refreshing to see a Nintendo game doing well with Mario or Pokemon in the title! Its reignited my faith in Nintendo somewhat. Next step: kick all the old farts to the curb & let the new generation of Nintendo devs lead the way!

Wow... I was actully thinking Splatoon would still be in the top spot, but the Wii U might dip in sales.
This is awesome!

Wow.....Splatoon.....the game that finally sells Wii U's

Lol at this:

[3DS] Pokemon Omega X / Y

Splatoon and Witcher 3 seem to show that, for a change, great games get great sales.

@Gerbwmu lol really mario kart 8,smash bros.just to name 2 that have sold wii u's.splatoon not the only game.

The game is about small squid-based girls and boys bombarding each other with paint. Of course Japan would love it.

I've been saying all along. Splatoon is a system seller. And I still think it will outsell Smash U but will only be second to MK8!

I'm not surprised at Splatoon still holding No. 1, but I am pleasantly surprised at the increase in Wii U sales.

It's a rainbow bukkake simulator featuring tentacled ocean creatures dressed like school girls.

This is the perfect game for Japan.

Good news all around. The boost in hardware sales for this second week is certainly surprising, but very welcome.

Who'd a thunk it that a game feature squiddy/tentacle people would do so well in Japan? .... oh wait.

Even if it develops to be the best selling console on the markt, i hardly doubt that devs with acknowledge it. Its too much to swallow that a Nintendo product is successfull.
I mean, its the only company that has a certain agende against exploiting customers, playing favors with big publishers etc.

@HollywoodHogan LOL

Considering how every match us filled with Japs, and how the Miiverse community is filled with fantastic artwork, I can't say I'm surprised.

But, wow, quite a few mangaka have jumped onto Splatoon! Perhaps they want to ride on that crossover thing Ika Musume herself started!

My god, this was the game the WiiU needed

About a year ago

So I touched upon this in the Devils Third article but this is probably a better place to bring it up.

How has Xenoblade X been received in Japan? I know it sold well and hit 100k in 2 or 3 weeks but it's been gone since. Has Japan outgrown JRPGs? Bad word of mouth? Splatoon eating it's lunch? I'm just really curious how it holds up to XC b/c I've played a lot of JRPG in my life and XC is 1 of my favorites. MP10 is still on the list so people are still buying Wii U games despite the small install base.

Oh, and in case anybody who cares missed it, Splatfest vid in Japan, whatever that means.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDoL4bqJm_A

@slim80 - MK8 especially since it looks like it's Wii U bundle sold another 10K based on the sales charts. But the increase in hardware over release week is just impressive for a new IP. There is so much talk about Splatoon.....this might be the Wii Sports the Wii U has been missing. The thing that makes the Wii U cool to have. As Peach64 states, I can't wait to see the NPD estimations

Congrats Nintendo. Keep it up! And people thought this system would be dead in the water. 3 years out and it's still producing great hits!

The big news here is that the Wii U is still rising week over week! It's gaining momentum. Splatoon is actually selling hardware, and that's what Japan needed. That's what Nintendo needed.

And reportedly, Splatoon is still sold out in a lot of places, so look forward to a strong third week as well.

@HollywoodHogan hahahah yes!

It's outselling the second best selling console game 5:1?

Okay. That happened.

Also, New Leaf is getting dangerously close to reaching 4 million in Japan alone.

This kinda explains why there are so many japanese players online, which is great, since they're really good teamplayers! Also, give dat WiiU more boost! Maybe we'll finally get Arc to give us some Guilty Gear love!

@HollywoodHogan What the- AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Wait, does that mean my avatar is potentially pornographic?!

They've made a game that is great fun, simple to learn, bright, welcoming to new players, and cool: it sounds like such a simple formula, but Splatoon is definitely that one game the Wii U needed. It also feels like the perfect summer game. Makes me happy, this. My Wii U was already worth it to me based on the games I like, but this, this is brilliant.

@rjejr - I have to assume XCX has already outsold XC in Japan. If not it is close, but the bulk of the sales are going to be from NA. I think that is why the city is New LA with the US flag on the side. With out the western sales, I don't know if XCX would have been made.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is the one that is really suffering. That poor game is gonna be worth $150 in 5 years. Buy an extra and keep it sealed.

Well its official, Splatoon is the Wii U's new killer app! It's an amazing game, and I'm sure that when it gets paired with a nintendo console that sells more than the Wii U, it will become the biggest Nintendo franchise since Mario Kart.

now all they need is an overdue price cut and they may be able to actually sell the system... though that's a maybe.

Such a great game...I am going to have to take a few days off next month so i can sit down and play.

@Gerbwmu - "Buy an extra and keep it sealed."

I'll put it w/ my silver Mario amiibo.

@rjejr

You either mean you have played the original XC or you have an import Wii U you haven't told us about

Hopefully e3 will help keep this positive momentum going. Glad to see the WiiU doing well!

I really hope this encourages nintendo to get their devolpers thinking of new franchises rather than the same systematic approach to sequels they always have. I've a feeling we'll look back at splatoon in years to come as a real changing point in nintendo's thinking

@sinalefa - Nintendo sends him advanced copies so he can approve the localization.....yeah @rjejr is that important!

Shiren the Wanderer 5 Plus (Spike Chunsoft, 06/04/15) – 16,224 (New)

Wait this is out now? Crud...forgot to preorder... sigh will put it on the list for next month. I have to find my vita adapter anyway.

@RCMADIAX - I see a $249.99 MRSP coming soon....like September......special Mario Maker 30th Mario Anniversary bundle. Maybe some $199.99 black Friday deals.

I thought Splatoon would do good but not this good! The more sales the Wii U and its games get, the better.

@sinalefa - Yeah thanks, there were way too many letters in that post. Would it have killed them to call it XC2? Is the Monado sword even in the game, that was what "xenoblade" was referring to, no?

Wait, don't tell me, no spoilers. Nopon being in it are bad enough. Man I really need to finish XC.

@Gerbwmu - "Nintendo sends him advanced copies"

Only thing Nintneod sends me is envelopes containing white powder.

This game is on fire! I track it on amazons US charts and it's maintained great sales up to now. Nintendo has a mega hit on its hands. I'm hoping they really seize this opportunity with much more content and exposure.

@ikki5 Its already selling, doubt it would do any good to cut the price, just get as much as you can by now.

Splatoon is hot and its selling WiiUs at this price, doubt thats the problem (if anything, drop the price AFTER Splatoon lose some steam, to entince more people being on the fence)

All these players. Maybe this is why I'm getting D/C'd several times a day.

Wow good for Nintendo honestly did not see this coming, but I'm glad this new IP is working great for Nintendo.

Good good, stay on the course!

That momentum will be lost if we have another drought on our hands.

So impressed with how Splatoon is doing in Japan. Hoping for the same in North America. Nintendo really hit one out of the park with this game.

@ShanaUnite Exactly! Doesn't hurt that it's super fun too!

This is good timing for Nintendo, the momentum is strong going into E3.

I really am not sure what the Wii U user base numbers in the UK are, but would like to. Am really glad to see it doing well in its home territory, and am pretty sure N/A will have shifted a fair few copies and consoles. My real problem is, if anything/anywhere is going to hit Splatoon, it is going to be the UK.

I know it went straight in at number 2 in the UK all format charts. The Witcher 3 released on 3 different systems, so was obviously going to take top spot. But, with Splatoon at number 2, did that mean Witcher 3 did not sell as many copies as some people are suggesting, or does it mean Splatoon sold exceptionally well?

Now this I was not expecting. Splatoon holding #1 and a Wii U hardware selling more for 2 weeks straight. I'm happily surprised.

Great job on a great game. We have an evergreen title here and word of mouth and Nintendo showcasing it at the world championships won't hurt it at all. The most fun I've had on my Wii U to date!!!

Wow, 10,000 difference between Wii U and PS4... kicking butt.

Splatoon was JUST what the doctor ordered. The game the Wii U needed.... and now has.

I hope this encourages Nintendo to step outside of their comfort zone more and keep experimenting. Inklings obviously won't become as iconic as Link or Mario, but I can see them becoming at least as well known and beloved as Pikmin.

Also, hopefully more successes like this will encourage Nintendo to keep the U alive longer.

Very impressive Splatoon and Wii U numbers. This may be the first time the Wii U has ever outsold the 3DS family.

Great for Japan—but again; what about other regions like the Americas and Europe? That's where Wii U needs a boost more than anything.

Regardless; I'm happy Splatoon is doing well because from everything I've seen, read and heard, it really deserves it.

I'm shocked the Wii U is surging. I may have to purchase Splatoon. And E3 is going to bring huge announcements. The rest of the year is likely to be stacked with releases. I'm officially on board the hype train!!

@lilith - I'm afraid to read any of that stuff - or watch any videos - b/c I'm afraid of spoilers. I'm just looking for more general stuff, like if word on the street is good, people are still playing, or like PS4's "1886: The Oder", it looked good, but was over fast and everybody moved on to Bloodbourne?

Good for Nintendo! I hope the momentum keep going. I have said it before, but I think it worth a repeat. If there's any game that will sell Wii U, it's this game. With MK8 and Smash, both were more focused on local multiplayer, so arguably, some people that enjoy them won't buy their own Wii U if they have a friend that own one. With Splatoon, as it's lacking in the local multiplayer, those people need to go out to buy one if they wanted to join the multiplayer fun. So ironically, despite the complain of lacking in local multiplayer, it is somewhat a blessing for Wii U.

Now this...THIS is exciting.

Good to see the game is still doing well . Though I haven't been able to play it lately because of finals.

Now that can't be. Someone on this very site said that Nintendo fans only buy games with Mario, Link, or Pikachu in them. Clearly there must be a mistake here.

I'm glad people are buying the game, hopefully this means the online community will stay active for a while.

Wow, 219 Xbox One's sold in Japan..... While I don't have that type of cash, theoretically my brother could buy more Xbox's than the entire country of Japan in one week......

Awesome!

I wish there was an option to filter those players out. Not only do they cause lag but they also are all level 20 with amazing gear. Splatoon is becoming really frustrating now. When you get a group of players that have a fairly even skill level it's the most fun I've had with an online game. More often than not however, you get totally unbalanced teams and one side slaughters the other. Those matches aren't fun whichever side you're on. They need to implement some sort of matchmaking so there's more of the former.

It definitely deserves it, it's a great game. I bet it's selling well everywhere else as well.

Mario Kart still 6th... Dayum.

@Kaze_Memaryu I hope so! I would buy Guilty Gear Xrd on Wii U day one!
So far, Arc's been treating the current Nintendo systems as the dumping grounds for their budget titles, rushed ports, and lousy spin-offs. That needs to change.

Cool?

Great news!

@DiscoGentleman Are.. are you serious? Ar-are you really going there?!

@TheWPCTraveler Please don't refer to the Japanese with that term. It is a racial slur in English speaking countries.

@Ryu_Niiyama @DiscoGentleman Yes, I do realize it is so. I shall be careful not to use that here, and to restrict its usage to more politically incorrect areas on the internet.

That said, I never quite understood how it became a slur. As far as I know, it's shorthand for "Japanese."

I'm happy for Splatoon! It's doing well in the US too, my local Best Buy sold out, which really doesnt happen too often.

@DiscoGentleman oh come on.... Stop with the PC bs...

@TheWPCTraveler Was used extensively as a derogatory term during WWII. After the way Japanese-Americans were treated after the war, the offensive meaning stuck. Original meaning was shorthand...however as we all know human language is ever evolving. Also given the fact the the Japanese don't call themselves Japanese I think that makes it worse.

While I am very aware that everyone has a different view on the power of words, it isn't about being PC...it is about respect for others. If you want it you have to give it.

Back on topic: going to go play a few rounds of Splatoon before bed. Perhaps I'll reach level 4 eventually...sigh Need more free time.

@TheWPCTraveler yes... I agree with you 100 percent, besides I don't think you meant it in any kind of disrespect? I don't like it when people always, always try to find some issues stemming from political correctness...

@Ryu_Niiyama
I understand your point of view, actually, so don't fret. That said, the other shorthand happens to be a brand of candy here in the Philippines...

Back on-topic: Part of the appeal behind the Japanese squiddos are the fantastic Miiverse drawings they craft. It's ridiculous how good some of them are, I've seen dozens at this point! I better touch up on my Miiverse art before I get Splatoon...

@Danrenfroe2016 If you want it to stop, it'll do so naturally.

You know, when SHTF come the financial collapse. I can't wait until it happens, I'm a few steps away from winning tons of cash from options!

@shigulicious They said they are going to advertise it as long as Mario Kart 8 which is 6 months. That is a long time.

Yeah Nintendo finally seems to have a proper hit on the Wii u, wich is good for them. I wonder though how much marketing is behind it. I haven't seen a commercial so far, but I don't watch much tv at the moment. If they had lots of marketing worldwide, that's good. Nintendo's biggest fault most of the time is that they don't market their games, except from Mario and Pokemon. I saw a Kirby commercial a couple of times a few weeks back though.

this the killer-app the WiiU needed at launch

The game is great beautiful and vibrant. Its lacks though... as is not worth 60 dollars, yes we are getting free dlc here and there but this should of been day one. Ive gotten bored playing the same game modes in this game practically.

On other hand im glad its doing so well. I just wish it had more modes more options here's to the future ~

Great to see Splatoon doing so well. It's great to see a new nintendo IP be such a hit. I remember the week leading up to it's release there were douchebag trolls in a FB wii U owners group that were talking about Witcher 3. Naturally they got torn a new one for breaking the rules but to do that when a new Nintendo IP was around the corner and is more worth talking about just defies belief