Super Mario 3D World Struggles Against PS4 Titles in UK Charts

Oh lord.

Why would anyone want to play Knack instead of SM3DW is beyond me, though this does not change the fact that the news are not good for Wii U. Seems we are looking at a Gamecube situation all over again...

Prepare for the incoming wave of complaints about posting negative news, even though you guys post the UK chart every week!

So some positives… PS4 is sold out, so next week, they'll hardly sell any consoles, so software sales should be down too. Might let Mario jump up a whole ton of chart positions even though it's sales figures will actually be down from this week.

Look at Layton, hanging out with the big guns.
Japan was strike one, Europe strike two, but it takes three strikes to be out if the ballgame.

Is it just me or is 3d world a bit, meh ? I'm on world six and it feels like it should be on the 3ds instead 😓

I'm not surprised at all. UK is considered as one of the Playstation territories, So you don't need to expect wow sales for Nintendo.

This clearly shows the video game industry no longer represents me at all.

The Playstation brand has a lot of strength in the UK.
I've never really been a fan of Sony but they do at least acknowledge Europe as a serious market.

https://twitter.com/Reggie_NOA/status/407445202618822656 :3

See, I told everyone that SM3DW wasn't worth a perfect score... And sales tell the whole story nicely.

It could be a good thing though... Nintendo might put Mario on the bench for a decade or two and bring something else up to the plate instead

Most of the top ten are multiplatform, plus on a launch weekend, and does not take into account digital sales SM3DW.
The previous record for Console Sales at launch was held by PSP, so this does not guarantee future success

Guess most people just don't bother with reading reviews and buy the hype. When Knack, a game with pretty graphics and broken, shallow gameplay outsells the work of art that is Super Mario 3D World, you know the industry is going down the drain. Quick to the bunker, bring all the Nintendo supplies you can!

@Ootfan98
If you look at the individual platform chart. SM3DW is actually 20th.

Sales ≠ Quality. See Angry Birds!

The UK has never taken to Nintendo.... I remember hearing more about the Sega Master System than the NES back in the day!

Nintendo should have picked different date then on PS4 launch....IWATA instead of spending time in Paris should check the calendar...I bought SM3DW on Friday....but still I was tempted not too because of the PS4 launch

@Ootfan98 The PSP was not a success? It sold 80 million units.

The chart doesn't take into account digital sales, but I'd say a far bigger percentage of PS3/PS4/360/XBone games are sold digitally than Wii U games due to the account systems.

The WiiU base is still small. So it's no surprise. And you can't expect people to buy two or three consoles in one week.

@Peach64 fare point

@readyletsgo I also found it not for me and have it packaged ready to return to Amazon. I'm sure it's lots of fun to some people but after a couple hours co-op we realised we weren't really having that much fun.

PS4 launch date was the same as Mario 3D so I'm not suprised at all. I wouldn't count it out yet though as it might pick up once the ps4 and Xbox hype dies down.

Well people did get hyped up about PS4 because of E3 & hence preordered the machine in droves, & since they picked up a new machine they've got to play something on it, hence even going as far to buy Knack. I would be suprised if Knack had staying power in the charts & Super Mario 3D World didn't. Though I downloaded my copy, so my buying of SM3DW doesn't count towards any chart.

"Mario games? I think I've had enough of those." says the UK gamer, who recently stood in queue for the midnight release of the latest Call of Duty, the 8th entry in the series to be released this generation alone.

I can understand people being excited about the PS4, but still can't fathom that more people wanted to play Knack than Super Mario 3D world! Clearly, video game enthusiasts remain a minority despite the current massiveness of the industry.

Let's hope in 2014 Mario games then.
Because they're going to release them, along with Zelda.
5 Mario main games in last 2 years and half (3D Land, NSMBU, NSMB2, NSLU, 3D World), 4 Zelda games in last 3 years or so (Skyward Sword, OoT 3D, WW HD and ALBW), and I own each one of course.
It's about time to do something new Nintendo.

@Emblem Yeah, like 3D World, does look Very pretty indeed an all, but, cat suit, a bit fiddly to use, Double Cherry nice idea but, meh.

I havent played the M/player and most likely never will as I dont have family or friends into games, so Ninty missed the perfect opportunity for ONLINE play.

Of course with the PS4 Launch on the same day of course Mario is going to be pushed aside, but he'll get back into the charts next week with the lack of PS4's on the market until the new year.

Reason for Knack selling well is most people want a game to play on their new system that isnt COD etc that is bright and Mario like, and it seems a lot of people are enjoying it too, no matter what the reviews say.

Also, I cant imagine that Online sales of 3D World are too big in Europe, most people like to have a hard copy of Mario, sure people on here might download it instead of getting a disc based copy, but we count for like 1% of online Wii U buyers. Cant Imagine a Dad would buy the system for his kid and not pick up a physical copy of the game.

On my own opinion of the game, I got so bored by World 6 I went onto the eshop and picked up Edge and Toki Tori for €3.98.

I donno, I finished Bioshock Infinite Saturday afternoon before I started 3D World, I think (again, in my opinion) Ninty need to make new games as in FPA/S or something, give Mario a break for a couple of years, as someone said in a different topic this morning, let an Indie Dev work on a new Ice Climbers game or something, use their old OLD IP's that people younger than us wouldnt know about.

I feel bad for the Wii U but I wont be picking up a PS4 or Xbone any time soon, so get the finger out Ninty!

PS4 sales will plummet next week because they're all sold out and the software attach rate will probably be terrible until well into next year. I noticed the local retailers haven't assigned any shelf space to PS4 software yet... they know who is buttering their bread this Christmas. Hint: it's a handheld that was dismissed by the internets when it was first announced.

Lets remember that many of those sells are from Spain, Portugal and a few more countries. Just because it is cheaper to buy from there. It is a fact, relevant or not it is.

But I agree, nintendo needs something new along with their hits and maybe buy some forgotten ips. If nintendo managed to buy shenmu that would move some hardware too, or at least make the same for bayo2.

@Baum897 Nice closed minded/silly comment you got there, not every gamer/consumer shares your taste in games just because you prefer 3D World to Knack doesn't mean everyone else should and doesn't mean they have terrible taste in games.

Well atleast we know that 3D World is the best game on Wii U right?

@Baum897 dude Knack is a good game, sure it's not as good as super mario 3D world, but it's still a good game... don't judge people what to play and what not to play, leave them be & mind you're own business, for instance i prefer the wonderful 101 over super mario 3D world any day & any time, but you don't see me dissing people that play super mario 3D world now do you?

ofcourse it is going to be doing better, we have new systems theres and there are not that many games that are "awesome" so if a game looks decent, people will buy it so they can play their precious PS4.

14th place is not too bad a start when you put into perspective. I am more curious to see how it performs next week after PS4 ends up sold out

@MadAussieBloke Absolutely agreed. Suck it, Mario 3D World!

This game shouldn't have been Nintendo's "big" holiday title.

LMFAO so Nintendo's big system seller fails in Japan and goes even worse in the UK chart?
Seriously Nintendo deciding to release it on the same day PS4 comes out was pathetic and it has backfired big time!!!
The fact that even KNACK is at number 13 proves that NOBODY cares no more for the Wii U!!
Another clanger by Iwata releasing the Biggest game for the Wii U when the PS4 arrives!!!
Even with Mario World getting great reviews it seems that now consumers do not even care for Mario rehashes, as the majority of people just thought it was the exact same game as the 3DS but with just HD and it is just not worth it!!
The Mario game should have been released months ago, the fact that after ONLY 48 hours PS4 has surpassed Wii U lifetime sales by 55k is a huge joke for Nintendo!!
The only place Mario World has done ok is in America but every where else it has bombed big time!!
Also proves that people will not buy a console just for one good game in over a year when compared to all the great games arriving for PS4 and Xbox One in the next year.
Nintendo REALLY thought that Mario World would be this huge system seller, when it is the exact opposite!!
To get beat by the mediocre Knack proves that gamers do not care for how well games are received by critics no more!!
Now this so called huge system seller has failed will people even wait for Mario Kart and Smash Bros to also fail?
Wii U first year...3 Mario games....and then they wonder why they do not sell when it is just s HD rehash of a 3DS game?
Wii U is dead!!

Not surprising if marketing is as bad in the UK as it is here in Sweden. I haven't seen a single ad or poster for 3D World, and GameStop didn't even have the game on the shelves on launch day. Knack is plastered all over the place.

@DestinyMan It has NOTHING to do with ignorant public!!!
This is the THIRD Rehash Mario game in a year on the Wii U!!It was a game NOBODY wanted and was Nintendo again playing it safe using the success of the 3DS game and thinking they could just add HD and that would do!!!
Nintendo are the ignorant ones treated their fans and consumers like rubbish with excuse after excuse just releasing HD rehashes when they should have released brand new IPS!!!
Japan and UK sales of the game prove that no one really cares for the same rehash Mario year after year!!!
This game should have been a launch title, and the big game this Xmas should have been Mario Kart or Zelda to take on the PS4 and Xbox One!!!

@electrolite77 It's schadenfreude and vindication. This is a game that many people DID NOT WANT, so it selling poorly is seen as justified and as a "punishment" for Nintendo's poor decisions.

I made THREE separate attempts to pick up my preordered, prepaid copy of SM3DWorld from my local GAME store here in Norwich before I finally managed to get it. My first attempt was 9am, I finally got it at 5pm. Why? The queues for PS4 and Black Friday deals. Each time the queue was over half an hour from door to checkouts and I only had half an hour parking. Not everyone would have had the staying power I did.
It was MADNESS to launch on that day!

Iwata really does need to be fired!!!
His epic fail mistakes the first year of the Wii U to the name,zero marketing, priced way to high, all big launch games delayed,3rd party turning their backs and then he thinks just as the new Mario is similar to the huge 3DS game that People would just go out and buy a Wii U for some 1 good game in over a year?
Proves how arrogant Nintendo really are, just as consumers rushed out years ago to buy any Mario game does not mean they will years later especially when going up against 2 huge next gen consoles!!
I also do not think people will even wait for Mario Kart or Smash Bros, as the games arriving on next gen next year are far greater than rehash Nintendo games!!

@Frapp That's one of 2 games I would want and will miss not having a ps4 for. The other is GT6! Team Ico is one of the best for sure!

@Kruger85 I think part of it is an ignorant public, in the sense that there has been very little marketing, while Knack and PS4 posters are plastered all over game stores.

And it's not a rehash.

PS4's success will likely be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It barely has games out, but because people are hyped for it, it will get exclusive games, thus selling more.

Shame UK has pretty much given up on Nintendo.

It's sad but understandable that Knack would outsell SM3DW, it's one of a few exclusives for a brand new, much hyped system. Even if the game got bad reviews, PS4 owners would want to pick up a few 'new' titles that show off their console's graphical prowess, which Knack does even if it's not a great game.

Nintendooooooooooooomed!

I'm not surprised. To be honest, I haven't even seen any commercials for the game. I've seen a ton of 3DS commercials, though. A lot of people probably don't even know this was released. Why is Nintendo not advertising this?

@Ralizah Because Nintendo's marketing department is too busy playing Knack on their shiny new PS4's

Not surprised, but was somehow, optimistic about the Nintendo's latest console.
Honestly, can wait to see the new drastic directions from Nintendo, from this dreadful rate.

I remember when a lot of users got mad at me for saying Wii U is only going to sell 25-30 million units in its lifespan. And that's actually an optimistic number. "Just wait until September-December! The Wii U software and hardware sales will kill the competition!" The games aren't selling because a lot of people sadly don't want a Wii U. Even a lot of Nintendo fans don't have a Wii U. I was optimistic but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo announced a new console in a couple years to play catchup and do a complete rebranding.

I'm sure everyone will disagree with me, I was called some pretty nasty names on IGN for suggesting this but am I the only one who has seen plenty of stock for Xbone and PS4 in shops? I would have had no problem getting either in the last week or so and advertising for both systems has been really heavy so I am not convinced they're sold out or even close. When I hear that nearly every game has sold more copies than expected I just wonder if it's all part of the Sony/MS hype machine. PS3 claimed similar victories early on, as did Wii U.

I'm not surprised by Mario not topping the charts because I already knew there was barely 50k units in the UK and I will be willing to bet anything that it will outsell every single PS4 launch game (worldwide not UK).

@electrolite77 Whether you like it or not, there's a lot of dislike towards Nintendo for releasing Mario 3D World, and all the other errors they've made with Wii U. This is not a universally liked or well-received game despite what some "critics" and Nintendo fans would claim.

@readyletsgo

It's whimsical and fun but not a 10. I did not start getting into it until the secret worlds, and by then...well...it was over.

Ugh, Knack above Dead Rising and Ryse Son of Rome. So the PS4 is having a really strong launch, huh?

-Yes, even Knack

...
...
...

-UK
-Playstation

Leaves

@Kruger85

I would normally agree with such sentiments, but there is something off in the way you communicated them!!
It's like you're really angry or upset and can't construct a sentence without exclaiming your points like a hyperactive gerbil!!

Geez is the US the only potentially safe haven Wii U has left!?

I don't get it - seriously. I mean, Knack selling better than SM3DW? It's official - people bought it because of the BRAND and there is nothing interesting to play. I mean, this game was panned before release and even Cerny had a problem to show what is interesting about it other than "graphics look like you are watching pixar cartoon", even though they look horrendous.

@MadAussieBloke Oh please, as if Nintendo would put away their money-making mascot for two decades! What world are you living in which would make you think they'd ever do such thing? (Though to be honest, a little break from Mario would be nice after Mario Kart 8 is out.)

Anyway, there's no surprise here. Mario can't do it all alone, especially not in Europe, where other consoles & titles have shown they have more brand power than Nintendo.

@LDXD "Blind sheep"?! What does that mean in your post?

the problem is not how good is sm3w, the problem is what people want to play in a prospective of 8 years.
Nintendo has only first party, it can't cover sales every month, every week, the last game I bought was wond101 in september, october november zero, now december only one game, mario, but we can't choose between many games.
People know that can find much more variety on ps4 x1 and buy them, it's easy
Without a good hardware nintendo avoid all third parties, we talk about konami, capcom, square.
On the other side 3ds is doing the right thing, so the wii u has something wrong,
Nintendo has discarded this console before the consumers did

What a sad state of gaming today, where a universally acclaimed game, that has gotten tons of perfect scores and holds an average score of 94 out of 100, sells less than a mediocre one. All due to loyalists who are so attached to their brand that they would choose a more expensive console with average software over a cheaper console with multiple games scoring in the 80s and 90s. Like I've said in a previous article, people don't care about Nintendo anymore, no matter how good the game is. Oh well. In the past, in every form of entertainment, what's popular has rarely been what's best.

Mario 3D World will sell strongly on word of mouth for months, if not years. Knack's sales will dry up quickly. This is not the disaster you think it is.

I really don't think the comparison is very useful. Nintendo is not in competition with Sony - their markets are different. Britain has never been a good market for Nintendo anyway. PS3 is going to have a surge of early adopters, just as WiiU did. In Japan I am beginning to think the heyday of the home console is over. We'll see, I guess.

One thing not to forget is that, towering over all this like a colossus (and don't be fooled by the early-adopter rush) is - 3DS.

Mario games sell slowly but continually sell over time. 3D World will sell well into 2014 as well. There is nothing to worry about

@Frapp

Why would anyone want a PS4 over a Wii U is beyond me, and I have two PS3s! I look at the PS4 lineup and see a wasteland devoid of anything even accidentally interesting, now or in the near future,

Why would anyone want to buy a console with poor support? it hardly gets good 3rd party games and when it does it doesn't support the full features. If you buy a Wii U its for its exclusive only and thats it, apart from DK after Xmas the Wii U is dead until spring.

Now Knack got a fair few bad reviews apart from Push Square review & people that have actually played the game unlike others on here, Knack being a platformer like Mario but unlike Mario hasn't been around for decades. I think it comes down too people want a change, i mean how long can you play the same sort of thing? for some people decades thats why no news IP's sell on Nintendo's consoles its as simple as that.

@Peach64 I actually want mario to succeed but the Wii U to continue to struggle, here me out, If this system tanks then Nintendo will have to finally make a new morre competitive system and hopefully make a fully integrated online system like xbox live and get some new blood in marketing, or the company in general, I love my Wii U, but I can't help but feel left out of some great games while paying inflated prices for gimped 3rd party games, and I blame Nintendo for being stuck in the past, sure there current games are fantastic, but they also need to reach the modern day gamer to boost sales and support

There are not enough Wii u's out there, so Super Mario 3ds won't sell in vast numbers, but maybe it will remain in the charts for a while.

This is freaking insane.

yeah I love Nintendo, I sincerely wish they can turn things around. Seems I am in a minority, wanting gameplay as opposed to amazing graphics. Sad in a way

People are buying Knack only because it's a launch title. It will be soon forgotten and Super Mario 3D World will keep on selling at a steady pace for as long as it's available, and it's lifetime sales will be exponentially higher than Knack.
This is dissappointed fan boy speak, but hey, what can ya' do?

Honestly, this is news? Nintendo has always struggled in the UK and Europe when it comes to home consoles. The NES & SNES struggled against the Master System and the Mega Drive, and everything past the N64 has had trouble against the Playstation Brand. Maybe the WIi broke this trend, but Sega and Sony have always been more popular and sold better in the Uk and Europe than Nintendo. That's nothing new or shocking.

The key market to look out for is the US. If Super Mario 3D World fails to make a dent in NA, then we have a serious problem. I'm not downplaying this at all, but the Playstation 4's launch in a region where the brand is insanely popular was going to overshadow anything Nintendo put out.

I am wondering though, who at Nintendo's marketing department in the UK thought it would be a great idea to put Super Mario 3D World out at the same time as the PS4's launch?"

@Kifa HA, GameCube!

Such an optimist...

It appears that the UK really doesn't care for Nintendo. For those living over there, is it lack of adverstising, dudebro consumers, waiting for price drops, or just plain don't like Nintendo? I am not one of those people that give a hoot about sales as I have a Wii U, and am enjoying it and feel it's worth the purchase, but it doesn't sound like the UK market will be there.

@BlackStar9000 which games do you feel left out of?

@MadAussieBloke We don't need ignorant troll posts here, thanks.

Sigh...
SM3DW should have sold better than that... Just more bad mood...
Hope Ninty does a turnaround like the 3DS.

@Nintenjoe64 - I have seen a few of each in some stores.....not a lot though. There are a ton for resale on Ebay that seem to be going for a decent profit which leads me to think there are a lot of shortages though. Wii U was pretty similar the first week though so it's difficult to guess on that alone. What I'm seeing are a ton of 360's & PS3's moving out of the stores. I think this generation as a whole might be in trouble.

@jrob23 it can't be advertising as i've actually see alot of adverts for Mario 3D World.

Xbox One have the most ad's because i've seen 5 mini adverts in 1 ad break, each with a funny Shazam symbol. (Dead Rising, Forza, Fifa 14, Ryse and Titanfall)

However i've not seen many PS4 adverts (not as frequent as Xbox One) but they started sponsoring alot of Channel 4 shows and the newspaper ad in the Sun saying "sorry Rosey, 22 from Middlesex, this page 3 is for the players" got alot of news coverage because it pushed a topless model to page 5 (instead of the infamous page 3).

Personally I think it's more to do with the shops themselves because WiiU games are not well stocked, often hidden amongst Wii games, relegated to a tiny shelf or in some cases, not sold at all.

Seriously when I bought my WiiU from Tescos, the staff had no clue what I was talking about and I, a shopper who has never been in the store before, had to lead the guy WORKING IN THE VIDEO GAME SECTION of the store, to the Wii section and point out the WiiU price sticker to him... ironically as soon as i'd shown it him, he conveniently said "oh that, yes, we have 1 left" (he said this without even checking, then after actually checking, he came back with 2 bundles).

I'll buy Mario but not till after Christmas. And I will love playing it....because it will be fun. I'm sure there will be a ton of fun games on all the platforms in 2014 and we will all buy what we want. The only reason I want Wii U to sell more is to get decent 3rd party ports.....but realistically....I have 3 games I love already with 5 or 6 coming before the end of 2015 that I know I want. Throw in some interesting Indie E-shop titles and I'm happy.

Seriously.....if Wii U had sports games......IE NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, FIFA....all my friends would buy one. But as of now....there isn't much coming so they are staying with their 360's or ps3's. None of them are interested in One or PS4....but in 3 years when they are $250 they will buy them for the sports

@MadAussieBloke sales aren't always a good indication of a games quality.

@Kifa Knack is the only child-friendly game on the platform atm. Although from the demo I played at Eurogamer Expo, it's more a trial and error challenge - progressing a bit further through each level, each time you die - but quite unforgiving in that you will die multiple times, before you get it right, XD, and you've gotta memorise enemy positions and be ready for 'em, etc, as you die in only a few shots. So yeah - looks like kid's fodder, but you'll have your donkey handed to you on your first play, ^_^. But yeah, on Wii U, there's Mario, or Lego City, or New Super Mario Bros, or - gosh - even Ben 10. On PS4, there is only Knack for platformer/kid-friendly-title. But yeah, I was surprised by the number of people picking up Lego Marvel at launch too btw. But at least it shows not everyone is just in next-gen for Battlefield and COD.

@Azooooz See, this is what I'm thinking, but contrary to all the national news reports of PS4 outselling XBone, there were circa 200 people turning up at my local GAME's midnight opening for Xbox One, and only circa 100 people turning up for the PS4 midnight launch. I fear my local town has more Xbox One fans than PS4 fans in it, =S. Unless all the PS4 fans were at Tescos that night, XD. Even amongst friends, I know more people who bought Xbox One.

@Gerbwmu I have a feeling that Sony will milk the PS3 to the point where it damages the PS4, just like PS2 did last gen. They'll be ok because the hardware will have legs and most of the gaming media are Sony apologist fanboys. I know lots of undecided people who would prefer an xbox because of Kinect and the possibility of illumiroom. I don't have high hopes for either next-gen console until they get their big guns out.

I don't want gaming to go wrong this gen but I would like to see a reverse of the "AAA" or "Indy" trend. Nothing will change until a CoD or an AC completely tanks. There needs to be a variety of game otherwise we won't advance from this boring 1st or 3rd person shooter phase we're stuck in. Even EA were innovative in the PS2 generation.

The problem is that it is falling also in japan where ps4 runs.
The problem is that nintendo don't listen to nintendo core gamers
I make an example
I spoke about card master for snes, but Hal laboratories produced also mother 2 and alcahest for snes,
THEY ONLY DON'T RELEASE THOSE GAMES FOR VIRTUAL CONSOLE BUT ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF REBOOT THOSE IP AND CONTINUE TO PRODUCE KYRBY
see here
http://www.hallab.co.jp/works_list.html
I see only kirby
kirby everywhere,
Is it possible that no one understands that players want something more exciting? Some action rpg, some dungeon crawler, what the hell is doing Hal, kirby?
So don't be surprised if snes was the best console in 1990 and now the wii u is irrilevant

Isn't Knack part of a bundle there? If that's the case, that likely explains why it is ahead of SM3DW.

@ljb88 When sales are declining so dramatically from previous entries, compared to games like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros, especially, the sales are telling of lost interest and lost effort. The Wii U and Mario 3D World didn't have to be this way, they could have done better.

Releasing Mario 3D World as the only "big" game of the season is exemplary of Nintendo's current mismanagement.

@Mahe There are plenty of big games this season. it was the reviewers who do not like them. I think both W101 and Sonic Lost World are great, but they are not liked and reviewers only like Mario.

The UK doesn't have anything against Nintendo. I think in the US, Nintendo has been helped out by the loyalty of it's fans, even when the systems and games haven't ever been that good. People grew up with Nintendo, and stuck by them.

Things were different in the UK. The games industry was focused more on computers in the 80's and early 90's. The US video games crash didn't really affect the UK, so when Nintendo came along in the US without any competition, they didn't find it so easy in the UK, and didn't even try. The Megadrive was the first real successful console here, and then things exploded with the Playstation. People don't hate Nintendo, they just don't have that nostalgia for them that the US has that makes up for the games.

People on here might go on and on about all the games they've loved on their Wii U, but to any non-Nintendo die hard, the first great game was Mario 3D World, and by this point, sales of the console are so bad, not many people are going to go out and buy a Wii U because it's almost certain to get more price cuts soon, either official, or retailers trying to shift stock on the cheap. I really think people are interested in this game, but the Wii U's dire sales is hampering it's performance. A lot of people don't like to hear about just how bad the console is selling (all over the world, not just in the UK). They like to compare to the 3DS or PS3, but it's so much worse than either of those to, and is going to affect those of us that enjoy Nintendo games.

@electrolite77 And the one time they had the time advantage in the UK they absolutely squandered it.

I have no interest in Super Mario 3D World because I hate cats

This is just disappointing. Super Mario 3D world definitely deserved a higher spot.

@MadAussieBloke Sales don't necessarily equal quality. In some cases, yes, but not always. I believe The Wonderful 101 didn't do especially well in Japan at first and nor did Rayman Legends (RL is a fantastic game and I'm planning on getting W101 after playing the great demo they released for it). Also, Earthbound didn't do so well in the US when it was originally released, and it's a seriously great game as well. Then there are games that, in my opinion, are mediocre and sell unreasonably well (I'm looking at you, Call of Duty). It's likely more down to the fact that the Wii U hasn't exactly lit up sales charts either. I do have to wonder though...Have you played SM3DW enough to form an opinion of it? Not trying to be confrontational or anything, I'm just wondering.

before people begin to panic or boast, no one has any idea how much Nintendo sales digitally. Until you get the actual number of games sold, these articles are meaningless other than to attempts to cause people anxiety or false senses of hope.

@jrob23 GTA 5, bioshock infinite, battlefield 4 (i love the online multi-player) just to name a few, and yes i can get them on a pc (except gta) but that's not my point. To make matters worse Nintendo seems ignorant to online multi-player outside of mario kart and smash bros, why isn't sm3dw online? My kids and I would love this since they don't live with me. A US Soldier.

Nobody should be surprised.

It's such a shame that such a good game isn't doing that well. Hopefully once the hype from the PS4/Xbox one hype starts to wear down this game and the Wii U will begin to sell more.

@Shiryu

Was thinking the EXACT same thing. When people call me a gamer I get offended now because gamers are apparently the people who would rather buy crappy games on a popular console than amazing games on a less popular one. I mean, I'm all down for Last of Us, Halo, etc...but Knack? Why not just buy nothing and stroke your gameless PS4 in front of your "gamer" friends...it'd have the same effect.

@R_Champ When jumping from Wii to Wii U, I had clear reasons to do so: I had no HD console and I wanted to try the 3rd party offerings, I actually saw innovation with the Game Pad and have been slowly watching Nintendo show new ideas on it. Plus, I could actually swap my Wii withotu throwing away the game since it was backwards compatible, something I really appreciate in Nintendo. All this frenzy around PS4 and the fact the Xbox One doesn't even have a official release date in my country, it really saddens me to see so many people flock blindly into a new upgrade that as of now no one really needs or has a convincing reason to own one. Time will tell, I guess...

Launches are always going to pull more software units sold, so I don't know why everyone is freaking out.

@Azooooz How is the UK a Playstation Territory when it did the worst out of 360/Wii/PS3 ?

@GreatPlayer That's a good point. There's no reason to trust reviewers these days, trusting your own judgment is much more reasonable.

@Peach64 "So some positives… PS4 is sold out, so next week, they'll hardly sell any consoles, so software sales should be down too. "

LOL! Love the sarcastic enthusiasm

Eh, quality over quantity. (Or in this case, reception over sales.) And the people who bought Knack probably should've seen the reviews first. Just saying.

A game with a Metascore of 55 outsells one with a score of 94? Wow, that's a real bummer, also considering that Mario is one of the most well known gaming brands while Knack is a ... well, over-promoted piece of averageness.

The whole world at the moment is Playstation territory. Even the One is gonna have a hard time going against it!

But Knack is a Crap SCE Japan Studio title! Why couldn't have ICO or Shadow of the Colossus sold better? Of course the final figures aren't in yet, and Nintendo may well bundle Mario 3D World in the future.

But who cares? I know that Nintendo overall are in a strong position and a good game is a good game, despite sales figures!

So by that logic a crap game for a good console should sell better than a good game for a obsolete console?

And, as for Wii U games, there are enough exclusives that I feel like I'm getting out enough of my investment - Pikmin 3, W101, MH3U, SM3DW, NSMBU, Lego City Undercover, Zelda WWHD, ZombiU and some more. On top of that, many multi platform games are best on WiiU because of Off TV Play (yep, I'm lovin' it) and for the fact that you can get all menus off the TV screen for the most immersive experience among all consoles (loved AC3 on WiiU!).

@SavantSupreme

Financially, Nintendo are in a stronger position than they where in 1994 when the Playstation came out and even stronger than in 2001, when the Microsoft entered the industry.

It's incredible but true.

There comes a time when you have to face the facts- and the fact is it's "cool" to own a Playstation or Xbox. But most kids will ridicule you if you even so much as mention you like Nintendo. And considering such a vast majority of gamers are in fact minors, this takes its toll on Wii U sales.

We all know how great Super Mario 3D World is. We all know how great the Wii U is (those of us who own one, anyways). Doesn't matter though. Mediocre games will continue to outsell Nintendo's masterpieces as long as those games are what everyone at school is playing.

I learned this harsh truth recently when my boss asked me which console he should buy, explaining to me that his kid wants an Xbox One because that's what all his friends at school have. It is what it is- oh well. Let's move on. We might be the minority this gen, but that doesn't mean we're not playing the best games!

One thing about Knack: When I first saw it, it looked so cool and promising! But now it seems the black-sheep of the launch-titles! It seems you are just running around very lineair levels beating the same enemies over and over again! I saw some footage on youtube and it looked very boring! It's a pity, it could have been sooo sweet!!

@SavantSupreme
Yes and no. I would argue that the market for which the console is aimed has more to do with it than anything else. Again, the majority of the market share is minors and easily swayed youth, who are VERY susceptible to peer pressure and doing what's popular. It's no fault of Nintendo's that Sony and MS are what's popular among minors- it comes down to the immature thought process that violent, profanity-ridden blood fests and war games are for grown ups, and the misconception that if you play Nintendo you're a "little kid", due to Nintendo's non-offensive approach.

It's illogical, and many a gamer are missing out on some of the best games as a result, but it is what it is, and no amount of advertising or AAA content will change this type of culture that has developed- only time.

I tried knack in GAME the other day, it was bad, terrible in fact, even the graphics were rubbish.

I just lost faith, not in nintendo but in gamers. Mario 3d world is a superb game.

@SavantSupreme

The balance sheet?! Ignoring the fact that Microsoft has never made a profit out of Xbox and the PS3 completely wiped out all profits from the PS1 and PS2.

Which is why people say Nintendo is 'irrelevant', rather than going bust!

In market share terms, they've lost ground and possibly losing ground, but the bottom line is still strong. In fact they are probably still going to post a profit in the years end, while Microsoft and Sony will hide their losses.

@Frapp

You talk of people wanting change, but I don't see any change with PS4 so far.

Of couse you haven't it's only been out 3 days here, lol.

@SavantSupreme "Nintendo could totally compete with it's competition if it wanted to." Don't lie to yourself. You know this isn't true. If Nintendo tried to directly compete with PlayStation and Xbox they would be demolished. Nintendo has even admitted this. They know they are bad at competing, which is why they don't try to.

The UK is Sony mad, you could stick a Sony logo on a turd and it'd sell more than 3D Land (well I guess they already did that with Knack).

Sadly it's pretty much the same in North America. People will buy the Sony and Microsoft products because they just think 'next-gen Sony/Xbox, must be cool', whilst I think that they are rather mediocre at the moment.

Nintendo prefers to be that small Japanese card company that shocks the world from time to time.

And that is what they are good at. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. But their games are absolutely fab, and the core gamer will always know this. I know I will always support great games.

Personally, I don't want Nintendo to be like Playstation or Xbox and lose focus on the core gaming business. Don't forget Sony/MSFT are in this business in order to sell us something else and build their network media services!

All these arguments could be said about Nintendo, slap Mario, Zelda Pokemon in the title and people will praise it as the best game ever. All these things can be said for any console so long as there are console fanboys.

You guys act as if these arguments aren't said by the other two console fans, for every "dudebro, shooter, low quality, cash grab, sheep" comments/arguments, fanboys of other systems say the same thing about Nintendo, except replace dudebro with kiddy and shooter with casual, and low quality with rehash.

I bought the PS4 because it has the games I want at the moment, not entirely sure what's wrong with that ? With Second Son and few others around the corner, why on Earth would I get a Wii U first, when the Wii U games I want don't come out till next year farther down the line ?

I saw no reason to get a Wii U first instead of the PS4. No I don't play shooters or dudebro games, but I do play Action Adventure and RPGs, which the PS4 has games that interest me in that category at the moment. I didn't buy it on hype, I bought it based on knowing in the near near future the games I want are coming out.

@SavantSupreme
You say Nintendo could compete if it wanted to. They could directly compete if they morphed into a Sony/MS-wannabe company, but why on earth do we need 3 console makers all with the same specs, same RAM, same power, same 3rd party gaming library, same paid subscription online services, etc? Isn't having 2 bad enough as it is?

No, there's not room in the market for 3 identical console manufacturers. Nintendo understands this, which is why they give us an alternative library from the rest of the industry. An alternative and creative way to play, an alternative online structure without recurring fees, an alternative and cheaper console price while still maintaining competitive visual results. Sure the graphics aren't as luxurious as PS4 or Xbox One, but they're good enough that I'm not complaining, even moreso considering the artstyles Nintendo utilizes with their games.

Point is, Nintendo thrives, and survives, by being unique. By NOT directly competing with other console manufacturers. There are pros and cons to this approach. One of those cons currently being the unpopular stigma among insecure minors. Nonetheless, their strategy is that of the long-term, not short. And while they might not even come close to outselling Sony or MS this gen, at least they'll still be around 20 years from now to fight another day. Directly competing could jeopardize the company's foundation, and it very well could put them out of business.

I notice ALOT of people knocking the Wii U simply because it's not selling, it's not selling, it needs to sell. Well, if it's not selling then it MUST be inferior, because only inferior consoles don't sell. Wrong. I own a Wii U, and can personally attest to the fact I play it every single day, whilst my PS4, Vita, and even my beloved 3DS collect dust day in and day out. I play it every day because the games available for the console are simply put, amazing. There is no game on ANY console right now that even comes close to the magnitude, depth, and addictive nature as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U. I'm sorry there's just not. Likewise, games like Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101 and Super Mario 3D World shine as true masterpieces without equal.

I know firsthand just how much fun the console is, unfortunately that's not good enough for some people. There are some who, regardless of the console's entertainment power, refuse to accept the Wii U because it's not selling well. They say it's not powerful enough. They say it needs this, or needs that, or no games interest them (which I hear alot, but I find that once people actually TRY the games on Wii U instead of speculating, they find out how much they actually love them). The Wii U is perfect just the way it is- I couldn't imagine life without it now that I own one. And personally, I don't care if it flops or sells a hundred million copies. I'm just happy Nintendo has created such a masterpiece of a machine, with games to match.

Nintendo competes by being UNIQUE. Not by being a PC in a Box, with ripped off Nintendo controller designs!
The last 10 years of Nintendo's sucess should tell you that.

UNIQUE both in hardware and software design! That is what they are.

Not knocking the One and the PS4, but even they know they have to watch Nintendo's back, just in case.

@SavantSupreme

Just my opinion here, keep that in mind:

But the Gamecube was the most capable system, and it was put to shame saleswise. Being the most capable doesn't automatically equal popularity. On the other side of that coin, being the least capable doesn't automatically equate unpopularity. The Wii proved that, and the 3DS still proves it to this day.

And I don't think Nintendo's saying we're ok being the unpopular console- I'm sure they're very much NOT ok with it. But what are they gonna do about it? Start making Zelda a FPS going to war with Ganondorf in tanks and helicopters? No, there's no feasible solution to this.

And hardware power isn't the answer. Wii U is on par with PS3, the system which has had the most and most notable releases since the Wii U launch, and still, very little ports (compared to 360 anyways- Wii U actually has had a fair few ports this past year, for a Ninty console at least). So it's clear that hardware parity will not bring the 3rd parties on board. They'll just find another excuse, like they always do.

Neither will sales bring the 3rd parties on board. Wii sold 100 million consoles, and yet, very little meaningful 3rd party support. The 3DS is the number one selling gaming device in the world right now, and yet, very little meaningful 3rd party support (even the Vita got an Assassins Creed, and Rayman Legends, for example).

It's just the reality of the situation. and low sales doesn't mean the Wii U provides inferior entertainment (on the contrary, I have more fun ON the Wii U than any other console). The only thing Nintendo should be focused on is continuing doing what they're doing- bringing more amazing games to the Wii U and 3DS. So far so good, and I'm very much looking forward to some of next year's big releases.

@SavantSupreme
There have been more games announced for the Wii U that I'm interested in than the PS4/XBO combined so far. Wii U - DKC Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, 'X', SMT X Fire Emblem, Smash Bros and Zelda. PS4 - The Order 1866, InFamous SS, Uncharted, Kingdom Hearts 3. XBO - Kingdom Hearts 3. There just isn't enough on PS4/XBO to justify me buying one, but maybe by 2015 there will be.

@TechnoEA
Just out of interest, what games actually made you buy the PS4? When you take out the shooters you're not left with much other than sports titles at the moment.

I'm generally not interested in FPS or sports. I prefer action, adventure, RPG and platformers; which the Wii U seems to offer more of at the moment. For other people though, they want their FPS and sports fixes, so perhaps the lack of those genres on the Wii U will really hurt it.

@SavantSupreme
Already resorting to the rehash insults are we?

Hmm, let's see. Mario Kart 8. So, that means in 25 years, this will be only the 8th iteration to release, mind you that's across not one but TWO lines of consoles- home and handheld. And that's "rehash". Gotchya.

But the fact we saw 8 Call of Duty games, and 8 Assassin's Creed games, in just the 7th generation ALONE, is perfectly ok, right? Gotchya.

So basically, what you're trying to tell me, is if Nintendo waits 5-10 years between releases (eg Smash Bros 4, Pikmin 3) it's just rehash, and we just keep eating it up. But the truckloads of annual releases are perfectly ok, as long as it's on Playstation or Xbox, am I right?

This is how we spot fanboys- regurgitated insults toward Nintendo and its fans when upset from debating. Insults which are illogical, and tbh, hypocritical. Yes this is the 4th Smash coming out and yes I'm buying it! Nintendo's been making games for almost 30 years now, you would kind of EXPECT them to be on number 4 by now, don't ya think?! That's why we play Nintendo games, because we like them! We WANT another Smash, we WANT another MarioKart! Because they're great games! And since Nintendo now has a new console, if we're going to play those wonderful games with the gamepad in HD, they need to make a new one!

That's the most tired and useless insult I hear online from fanboys- "Go play your rehashed games Nintendo fans!". Ya, ok. If this is what you call rehash, I'd HATE to know what you call the annualized garbage elsewhere.

@SavantSupreme

Yes, another Mario game... that's all Nintendo 'haters' do. Why are you wasting your time here? It's clear that you appreciate Nintendo games and we all want Nintendo to be doing great but there are no easy answers.

Do you remember Super Mario Sunshine being too different and not like a Mario game.. and the game was not well recieved, despite the great design?
So Nintendo just can't win. People want the same and yet they want it to be different.

At the end of the day, Nintendo does not ask for any favours from any consumer and they compete in a very open competitive market.

@DilMan33 I agree with you but Nintendo cannot keep using Mario and Zelda again. New gamers will get bored. When NES and SNES succeed it was because Nintendo monopolize the third party games and do not allow them to port their games to Sega or PC Engine. The succeed of their past glory depends on third-party support, not only on first-party titles.

Yeah, MicroSony fanboys should never use the old 'playing the same games over and over' routine because the PSBOX/PC is highly guilty of that milking pleasure too

@GreatPlayer You bring up an interesting point. People keep claiming that Nintendo had excellent 3rd party support in the NES/SNES era, but the truth is that Nintendo's draconian policies at the time forced 3rd parties to develop for them. That's not exactly what I would call "support."

@JaxonH I agree. There's nothing Nintendo can do to turn the Wii U around now. All they can do is keep making excellent games for it. I actually think Nintendo will go handheld-only. Can you imagine how amazing the 3DS would become if Nintendo decided to drop the Wii U within a couple years? Nintendo becoming handheld-only would result in some AMAZING handhelds. I'm struggling to keep up with the 3DS' consistent release schedule now. If Nintendo went handheld-only, it would be the only system I would need for that generation simply because I wouldn't be able to keep up with another system at the same time.

@CaPPa

"Just out of interest, what games actually made you buy the PS4? When you take out the shooters you're not left with much other than sports titles at the moment."

AC 4
Knack
Contrast
Resogun
Escape Plan
Trine 2 complete edition
Injustice
DCUO

I bought mine early because Second Son is coming and that has priority over anything for me.

The UK truly dislikes Nintendo for whatever reason. Wii sold some 100 million untis WW of which only 4 million came from UK.

Why are people so surprised about this news? Nintendo has always done poorly in the UK. In the US on the other hand; SM3DW outsold the PS4/XB1 launch titles.

@JaxonH Agreed 100%!
You are by far the most smartest person on this site!

I think SM3DW will sadly be the lowest selling 3D Mario game. Too many people think it's a "lazy rehash" (they're obviously blind lol). And people are REALLY upset that this game isn't a Super Mario Galaxy rehash.

What disgusts me is that people say this game is a "rehash" and that they should've made Super Mario Galaxy 3. Those people are flat out hypocrites. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is less original than the NSMB games, and here people what a sequel to the crappy rehash of a game? That amazes me.

What's also hilarious, is that the people who hate SM3DW haven't even played it! XD

Truly pathetic.

@IceClimbers Nintendo, please do not go handheld only.

@JaxonH Nintendo fans may love re-furnished games but other gamers may not. I bought Wii U because it has more platforming games, but I never expect first-party games to be so low in difficulty (compared to NES or even Genesis games). Back to the good old days these games were regarded as kids' game. When I purchased my Genesis my first game was Doraemon (based on a Japanese anime series). While its difficulty and its marketing was clearly targeted at kids it is still harder than Mario U nowadays.

@Shiryu

Is it supposed to represent you personally?

@IceClimbers You are right. Nintendo did not request third parties not to support other platforms - it coerces them not to port their other games to other platforms.

@LDXD You say "it is possible to die often" in Mario games but I did not. Am I a particularly good gamer? I died miserably in Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 and in Mario 3. That is the difference between the new Mario games and the old ones. Level of challenge... with the new games geared towards new gamers in terms of difficulty. Maybe I am an above-average gamer but I am no way close to those people who did time attack run-through on old NES games.

@GreatPlayer I don't understand this new age mentality that says any sequel is refurbished, or rehash. I couldn't disagree more. Pikmin 3, 9 years after Pikmin 2. Smash Bros 4 will release half a decade after 3. Yet people STILL throw the rehash lie around as if repeating it enough makes it true.

Even NSMB series only sees one release per generation, not per year, per GENERATION, per console. And the only reason they release it like that is so that you can get your side scrolling Mario once on whatever console you own. Just because a game has a history doesn't mean it's refurbished. If that were true, what games WOULDN'T fit the mold?

Another thing to keep in mind is non Nintendo fans eat up annual releases like candy, but you're telling me Nintendo games that release once per gen per console is too much for them? Not to mention, if a person isn't a Nintendo fan, how could they possibly be tired of a franchise? They probably never played the older ones to begin with. No, it's just a common excuse by people who never played Nintendo games to begin with.

@JaxonH The problem is: Mario and related characters appear too often. Mario U, Luigi U, Mario 3D World, Mario and Sonic, all within one year or slightly over one year of release. Next year we will have Mario Kart and Smash Brothers. These games do not include 3DS titles. Mario appears too many times and such a frequent appearance may appeal to only Nintendo fans but not other gamers. The analogy is like: asking a non-chocolate fan to eat chocolate every day. No matter how many varieties chocolate you have or how good each of them is, you will be bored one day.

This is no surprise at all.
PS4 has already sold 250.000 units in the UK. This is much more than Wii U, witch only sold around 150.000 units.

PS4 is also a band new system, and with all the hype and bigger install base, it's no surprise that many PS4 games outsells SM3DW. It's just very logical.

Looks like about 14 thousand unhappy ps4 customers on ebay.

@Senario

I think the issue is, that Nintendo are basically having to develop for a console all on their own, because that's what they want... an ecosystem where they can dominate software sales.

...and what is on offer for the first 2 years of the console....is basically the same sort of thing that's always been done. A lot of people are bored by that conservative strategy..

I personally think Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, DK: Tropical Freeze, MK 8, Smash Bros, X sequel all look fantastic....but it's nothing new.. While it's not Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed levels of cashing in....(and hey, the difference is, all those Nintendo rehashes are actually of a very high quality)..

People still want new 'exciting' experiences, alongside the quality nostalgic ones...

Especially when you have this expensive 'centrepiece' gamepad that's currently being used mostly for inventory management..

Not even Nintendo can figure out what to do with it..how are 3rd parties supposed to figure out unique gameplay experiences using the gamepad when not even Nintendo can??

@Red3025 Yes.

@Shiryu

I'll alert the media.

@Red3025 They won't publish it since it's not me elbowing people to buy a PS4 and that's the only thing that's worth printing at the moment.

@Shiryu

Carl Bernstein has written an open letter to Alan Rusbridger, and the OECD school league tables show the UK languishing behind much of Asia.

@Red3025 Portugal here, so don't get me started on how far down that list we are...

@GreatPlayer But it's not all chocolate, it just all comes in the same color box. The character used to sell a game is not the game's substance. Every one of those games had totally different gameplay, which brings me to my next point: Those games are all aimed at a different type of gamer. Very, very few would actually have enough diverse taste to play more than one or two.

So just because 5 games with the Mario character released, DEFINITELY doesn't mean a non Nintendo fan is playing them all, therefore, one cannot use the excuse of too much of the same character simply because other games exist. No one gets tired of a character by simply KNOWING there are other games starting that character.

Besides, I tire from playing to many games with identical gameplay WAY before I tire from the appearance of the character

@GreatPlayer Also, NSLU was dlc, and Mario and Sonic wasn't aimed at core players. So really that's just two games a core player might get with Mario, one was a launch title in 2012 and the other came out a year later. Both games offering different styles of platforming gameplay.

Strangely enough, the vast majority of those who complain about too many games with Mario, haven't played a single game with Mario in it. They say I'm tired of the same character. So you ask, well how many games with Mario have you played recently? None. Well how are you tired of it then lol? And those that DO play more than one game with Mario in it usually have no complaints, because they realize just how different the games are, despite sharing a character.

Not to mention, there are other options. If a person doesn't wanna play more than 1 game starting Mario, fine. Play 3D World, then play any one of the OTHER, non Mario games out there, like Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Zelda Windwaker HD, Wii Sports Club, Rayman Legends, one of the 30+ multiplats to release in the last yr, etc.

Point being tho, you've got to actually play some of those Mario games before legitimately leveling complaints about them

I don't think Mario resonates with enough gamers to beat PS4 launch sales. If Nintendo released it at another time, it might score higher. Remember it's being bought by Mario fans, though. How much of these sales are actually ones that swayed someone from buying a PS4 or Xbox One? Most sales are driven by people who've already made up their minds. At this point in time, when Grandma goes to buy her grandson a next-gen home gaming system for Xmas, the only one available is the Wii U unless he's absolutely begged for a PS4/XB1.

@Kifa Because
-fanboys
-no really decent new launch games (plural) and none that interest me personally. One more "fanboyish" about Nintendo than myself could say "it has no games".

Europe is a casual sport loving region, no good games ever sold record there. Just give them Madden and FIFA and they'll gobble them up right away.

People really should demo games such as Knack before purchasing it. I demoed it and from what i played, that game doesn't even deserved the 40th spot. I seriously think people blindly buy some games thinking they look awesome and great. Then they get on the iop w/e list and turn out terrible.

I think a legitimate question is: why does Nintendo new franchises do not fare well? I know people keep saying that Pikman 3 is awesome, but when I first look at the art box I thought it was for kids only. I still have not play it, and I doubt I will pay $60 for a game that I thought it was for kids and I don't know much about (risk factor). Another example: I paid $60+$20 for Mario and Luigi U and I thought they are overpriced. Mario U is not challenging and Luigi U is too short. Should I played the demo of Mario U and Luigi U I will not buy either of them. Nintendo somewhat is reluctant to put demos on its game (except W101, which I purchased because of the demo). Both the price and absence of demo really kills my intention to buy the new franchise of Nintendo-based games, because too much risk is involved.

To advertise Nintendo can put a small part of their games as demo on other platforms (e.g., computer, smartphones, etc), if it fits.

First of all, the install base isn't quite there yet due to the lack of multiple must-have first party games, and the price may still be a little to high for most moms and pops. When Smash and Kart come out and/or the price goes down, watch the sales take off.

Second of all, based on history, Nintendo's most reputable first party titles have always had evergreen sales. Their sales rarely ever blew up on the first few weeks and then fell off a cliff the way the biggest FPSs and GTAs did. They quietly lingered in the top 10-15 week-by-week for many months or even a couple years and occasionally topped the charts on "down" weeks, and before you notice it they're at 20 million, while the next Western developer closes shop, because their latest PlayBox4One title that was ported to the Vita unfortunately scored a 75 in Metacritic, it underperformed in sales, and they didn't have the foresight to diversify to the latest Nintendo platforms because they heeded the claim of some game industry has-been who said Nintendo is going down the drain.