The 3DS isn't finished yet, based upon its recent performance and Nintendo's estimates for the current financial year. The system may be slowly winding down, but the extraordinary sales of Pokémon Sun and Moon, in particular, helped drive the portable's sales trends upwards and evidently gave Nintendo confidence for the coming year - its lifetime sales have now passed 66 million in total.
In the last financial year - up to 31st March - there were 7.27 million 3DS systems shipped, nearly half a million units higher than the year before. In total seven games sold over one million copies but the key performers were Sun and Moon, which between them shipped 15.44 million copies up to the end of March.
As for the next financial year, Nintendo is estimating 6 million 3DS systems getting shipped, which would be a new low for the console but thoroughly respectable at its current point of life. Intriguingly, Nintendo estimates that 40 million 3DS games will be sold in this financial year, higher than the Switch number (35 million). Though there are some high profile 3DS titles to come, and that estimate is down from the 55 million games sales of the last financial year, we'd suggest this may point to at least one high profile game yet to be announced for the portable.
In any case, it's clear that the 3DS isn't going anywhere quite yet. Nintendo has repeated its goal to expand the portable's audience among women and children, in particular, and based on the figures it clearly believes that's a reasonable target.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 37
Pokémon Stars exists, and it's a 3DS game.
I hope I'm wrong, but that's how I'm interpreting this.
I hope that down the road, they target a price reduction to around $80 and recapture that Gameboy Advance SP market. They could sell another 20 million units easily, especially if more key software is reduced to $20.
It'll be a duel release of the next Pokemon on 3DS and Switch by the looks of it.
I bought 2 2DS's this week as Christmas Presents for my daughters.
They had some great cheap bundles at EB so I nabbed them.
Doing my part in Nintendo's success.
Pretty sure Pokemon Stars is a Diamond and Pearl remake.
Those software sales projections tell me there's going to be a main series Pokemon game this year on 3DS. Between that and the launch of Dragon Quest XI in Japan, they'll come close to that target.
On a side note, Pokemon Sun/Moon are the second best selling 3DS titles overall now.
still impressive figures considering mobile phones tablets etc
Diamond/Pearl remake? They don't do sequels back-to-back years.
Another Pokemon is coming this year for sure, probably Stars.
Same as what happned with the 3DS, I don't expect to see a Pokemon game in Switch until christmas 2018.
Hopefully we'll see a revolution in the series by then.
@Freek I'm right there with you. Bought the Fire Emblem Fates N3DSXL and the Pokemon Sun/Moon N3DSXL. To go with the other 5 members of my 3DS family!
Now where is my Starship Troopers gif...
All of you saying that sales projection points to a Pokémon game, I wholeheartedly agree
Also no main Pokémon for Switch until Gen 8. They'll want to go all out for that. No 3DS interference.
@ThomasBW84 I'd also say it points to more 3DS games joining the Nintendo Selects range.
Is it me, or do the projections seem really low for the Switch? 35 million software
units by next march- with Mario Kart, Zelda, Splatoon, and Xenoblade all in the launch window? And that doesn't even mention what's coming at E3.
Switch hardware and software is gonna overtake 3DS much quicker than Nintendo is anticipating. Really interesting how they plan to phase out the 3DS from here
@FatAlbert1 It's them purposely lowballing projections so that they can smash them later and create positive headlines. Better that than having high projections that they miss and have to lower multiple times like they did with Wii U.
@Frosty_09 Hah, funny slip of the finger there!
@IceClimbers @FatAlbert1
Low? That seems exceedingly high.
Think about it. The 3DS has nearly 70 million units in the wild. Games often sell 10-15 million copies for the big hitters. Yet Switch, which will be in single digits of millions year round, is getting estimates just 5 mil below that of 3DS? That's insanely high for a system less than a year old to have software estimates basically on par with a mature, 70 million selling platform.
I hope that Pokemon Stars isn't a Switch game. At least, if it's just a remixed Sun/Moon, then I hope it's not for Switch.
One of the main criticisms of the Switch is it has few unique games and Stars wouldn't help. We've all got and played Sun and Moon by now... I'll be happy with the 3DS version until a brand new game is released for Switch. It NEEDS to be a new game for Switch, IMO.
Perfectly happy for Stars on 3DS though, for those that want it.
@Frosty_09 It has to get one mainline Pokémon title down the line. Where else would they release it?
It's one of the main reasons why I hope Nintendo isn't planning to put out a dedicated handheld system. I'd rather have all their games in one console.
@JaxonH Because that platform doesn't have Zelda, Mario Kart, Splatoon, or Xenoblade coming out. In fact, the more I think about it, I think Nintendo is intentionally overestimating software sales for the 3DS just so they would have reason to shut it down come next year. 3DS literally has nothing announced, and even if there is a Pokémon Stars, its gonna get sloppy seconds on 3DS owners who already own and enjoy Sun and Moon. To hit 40 million, it'd need 5-7 huge hits. A new Kirby game barely got over 1 million units sold last year!
@JaxonH Often sell 10-15 million? That is not correct. Usually heavy hitters are 5-8 million. Sun and Moon are one the highest 3DS sellers (I think equal or just behind Mario Kart), as well as other main Pokemon 3DS games, but that's it.
@maceng
The point I'm making is that we see a number of games in the 10-15 mil range on 3DS. That's a lot. Pokémon X/Y, Sun and Moon, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, 3D Land, NSMB2, Animal Crossing... all these sold in the 10-15 mil range, and who knows how many digital.
But ok, let's say 5-8. The point I'm making is that 3DS has been on the market going on 7 years, and has monumental software sales. For a brand-new system it's only sold a couple million units in the wild to have projections dang near on par with a platform with more units sold than Switch, Wii U, GameCube and N64 combined... that's pretty good.
How do they expect to sell 40 million games when they barely have anything coming out? lol that's pretty ridiculous. This is the most disappointing year yet for 3ds game titles expected. Bring Puyo Puyo Tetris to the 3ds and watch those sales soar though!
@CheezIt My exact thoughts. I think that unless they are planning a new Pokemon game or a new mainstream Mario game (Mario galaxy will be welcome), that they are looking at 20-25 million sales, tops.
@CheezIt
Eh... will Miitopia gain some Hype ?
Sure, it's look temptating...
@maceng
Nintendo should try this for 3DS.
How about Studiio (Mii + Music Maker + Rhythm games) or My Life with Mario & Friends (Life Sims games with Mario & Friends) or Boxiing (Mii + Boxing + Street Fighter, unlike Wii Sports)
@CheezIt ever heard of pokemon? and puyo tetris already is on the 3ds. since 2014.
@FatAlbert1
Ew
Pokémon Stars on 3DS (only) and one other big game required to drive those software sales projections. My guess is New Super Mario Bros 3 will be revealed for 3DS at E3. Two big name games like that could drive 20 million in software sales between them.
The other 20 million would be spread among some secondary first party titles like the Kirby multi-player game and bigger third party games like Snack World and Yo-Kai Watch (mostly in Japan).
It seems that a lot of you guys are thinking entirely in terms of what would sell in the US and Europe when trying to figure out where those 40 million sales numbers are supposed to come from. Dragon Quest XI on 3DS will sell VERY well in Japan. It could generate 5 million in sales by itself. Snack World could end up going very big in Japan as well.
This smells to Pokémon Stars being on the 3DS only, plus maybe some other big hitter they have hidden. Dragon Quest is a big hitter in Japan, too.
E3 this year should be interesting.
It's really impressive just how well the 3DS continues to perform despite its age.
Well, I guess Nintendo has more time to work on the successor pocketable device. I hope that means it is basically a Switch at heart taking advantage of advancements in cooling and power for a smaller form factor. I don't think we'd see it until 2019 with this much 3DS success, though. Would rather it happen in 2018, myself, but oh well!
I think at E3 Nintendo will announced Zelda Breath of the Wild for the New 3DS.
I sense an upcoming disturbance in the Pokemon world....What form it will take is still anyone's guess. Who knows? Another big game announcement outside of the series may be on its way.
@manu0 Puyo Puyo Tetris has never been released on 3ds in North America.
@manu0 so? it's still on 3ds.
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