Super Smash Bros. Takes the Lead in Japan Once Again, 3DS Sales Dip Further

Bayonetta 2 better sell ten times as much in the west.

Fatal Frame will probably need a localisation just to break even at the moment! Fingers crossed. I wonder if Nintendo will promote Bayonetta over here like it's a key game of 2014 or whether they'll leave it to rot and just advertise Smash.....

these numbers are pitiful across the board..... the only decent ones are smash and Yokai Watch 2. Kingdom hearts is... decent but not for a launch.

Well.... Hahahaha Nintendo needs to find a way to get Yokai Watch on the Wii U somehow...

Every single one of the 10 hardware systems fell last week, is that a typhoon issue or something? 3DS sales should probably be at zero w/ the new one coming out in 3 days.

Not going to lie, KH HD 2.5 Remix being only on PS3 but not PS4 puts a smile on my face. Of course KH HD 2.5 Remix Remastered will probably release on PS4 next year

So when does Japan get SSB U? I think that's the only week left that matters (edit: to me) this year.

Next few weeks should be crazy with New 3DS and Monster Hunter. Still disappointed by both Bayonetta and Fatal Frame's sales. People might call them niche, but there's no competition for them on Wii U. They're at the very least in the top 6 biggest games on the console in the whole year.

Fatal Frame was built on Tecmo's in house engine from DoA 5, so I'm sure development costs were relatively low. Still, it's a shame. It's a great IP that deserves to sell more than Resident Evil, in my opinion.

@rjejr 6th December so 1 day after Europe and 15 days after America. Really makes me think the only reason it's coming out 21st November in America is Black Friday and if that didn't exist then it would have been 5th December like Europe.

@SpookyMeths
I thought that too then I heard that they:
1. Shoehorned Ayame from Dead or Alive into the game
2. Asked for Team Ninja's guidance on 'chest physics',
3. Designed the clothes of the school girls to be transparent and clingy when in water, a large focus of this title.
4.Focused on making it the most casual friendly entry in the series by making it more of an action game pacing wise.

I'm sure a lot of this is stuff is a positive to certain people but it has crushed my enthusiasm and respect for this series. It is probably still a great game though.

@Nintenjoe64 I think we all know the answer to that...

Good to see Danganronpa & Forbidden Magna up there~

I bet they couldn't wait to open that game cover, put the game in, look at all the content and go straight to practice mode on Corneria using Fox to open the small channel.

@rjejr
Well, according to a survey vid by Kotaku (I think it was them, don't remember), not a lot of people know what a New 3DS is yet. Then again that was before Nintendo started advertising it publicly, but they're gonna need more than just one commercial to reach most people.

@ikki5 Well, it is just an HD collection. I'm not surprised that Kingdom Hearts 2.5 sold so few copies at launch.

Good to see that Smash is still taking the lead!

Wow, I am absolutely shocked by the sales numbers for Bayonetta 2. They are even less than I possibly imagined! This game is a bomb, plain and simple.

Where does Platinum Games go from here? Everything they produce seems to sell like crap.

Is this the first time Yokai Watch has disappeared from the list since its release?

@Beetlejuice sadly I agree. Their games are absolutely awesome but their sales is just appealing. Lets hope P* doesn't get discouraged and stop making games.

I'll pick up Bayonetta 2 day 1 because it just looks like awesome fun.

@Jazzer94 id love it if it did sell better even more so as it would be in the running for game of year in this or any other year but im not optimistic.none of platinums games have sold well (barring mgr revengeance) and that was probably due to mgs license.i just hope that p☆ either keep going independently or nintedo buys them out. Developers like these need to stick around

I don't understand why Platinum games sell so poorly. I've gone through their entire portfolio at least once and not a single one was worthy of these kinds of sales. Granted, they make very difficult action gamer-centric titles, but still, why do gamers not go for that kind of stuff anymore?

Those hardware numbers aren't bad. Obviously the new 3DS is what everyone is waiting for. Along with what basically everyone else said, those Bayo 2 numbers aren't good at all, I was at least hoping for 100K at this point. I certainly hope Europe and NA can save the day, cause Platinum deserves it.

The numbers may be low for Bayonetta 2 but at least the game was made. I had a blast playing through the first and I'll be picking up the sequel along with the first one on the eshop at midnight launch. Being launched around the same time as Smash Bros. could explain the numbers but I'm glad it's here for Halloween. Very appropriate timing indeed.

Meanwhile, Watch Dogs is nowhere to be found, Mario Kart 8 is still going strong and Destiny sales have plummeted while Smash maintains its position on the charts. Hype for excessively marketed, "triple-A" games does not last and barely breaks even with advertising costs, I'll bet. I actually feel bad for Ubi and also want to prove that M-rated games can still sell on the Wii U so I'll buy it. I'm just hoping they did something with the game pad like Capcom did for RE:Revelations.

Ouch that drop for Bayonetta. I was hoping it would have at least hung in there a few more weeks to reach 100K in the long run but that seems out of the question now.

Yokai Watch's success is just insane, it'll probably hit 3 million before the year is up. I'm really curious as to how it'll fare in the West but Level 5 has no excuse not to try with these figures.

LOL @ Destiny

Bayonetta 2 is still in the Top 20 again, despite stiff competition in Smash Bros, Kingdom Hearts, etc. I'm sure plenty of other of games would be jealous to get a fraction of that, despite it being such a controversial game. Why does everyone claim its a dud? The Japanese economy is more of a dud, surprised games are selling what they are there right now.

Person says Bayonetta is a dud, yet to be released in the states.

@DaemonSword

Yes, week 3 has Bayo in the top 20, at number 20. Those numbers are mediocre at best. Granted, it's certainly better than the Japanese W101 debacle, but I can't see the executives at Platinum and Nintendo pounding their chests at those numbers. It might hit 80K by the end of the Xmas season, and honestly I think I'm being generous with that estimate.

It's clearly up to Europe and NA to save any chance that Bayonetta 2 is a successful venture.

@MoonKnight7 There are movies released every weekend with higher budgets and A-list stars with lower numbers. Yes, the sales aren't good, but they're not bad either, considering it's competing against Smash Bros, Hyrule Warriors, Kingdom Hearts, Destiny. The timing couldn't have come at a worse time to release, so again yeah, those numbers aren't dud numbers at all.

@MoonKnight7 and what was your estimate ? the first Bayoneta did 1 million in a MUCH MORE HEALTHY enviroment, the PS3 and the 360, im not saying those numbers are good or bad, but im pretty sure Platinum & Nintendo were aware of the situation and the risks of those games.

And Japan as a whole "sucks" for console gaming nowadays, everything is Mobile & Handheld, and handhelds are losing steam

@MoonKnight7
I agree with you. Ultimately it is the sales that matters because money does. Like you I don't imagine those involved with the game will be popping the champagne quite yet.
People expect much better sales for Bayonetta 2 in the west but I don't.
I find that the Wii u is the one console that sales are represented quite equally (relative to user base) across all markets.
I will let time tell.

Xbox is Doomed! lol I can't resist that each week. I also can't wait to get my hands on that new 3DS and play Xenoblade Chronicles again. I love that game. Can't wait to also see what Nintendo will do with upgraded 3ds hardware. 3DS is my main system and I just love the thing.

I guess the 3DS sales are dipping in Japan because the people are waiting for the New 3DS.

No take; every console took a dip.

@Faruko

Of course they knew the risks, but they approved this game far before Nintendo was in trouble with the Wii U. At the time it was a statement that Nintendo is willing to put mature games on the system. That "statement" isn't applicable anymore, it needs to be successful. If this games fails, I don't see platinum working with Nintendo anytime soon, especially after the W101 tragedy.

I understand what you're saying about the poor market, but I was hoping for 100k by this point. That would place it around a 50% drop from the first game in Japan, 60% if you count the 360 numbers. Obviously, these numbers are going to be far lower. Investors can't be happy with that. Ultimately, I was hoping for a grand total of 400k around the world. I can't imagine a smaller number and it still being successful.

@DaemonSword

I understand what you're saying, but ultimately excuses mean squat when you're sitting in front of a counsel of angry investors. They would simply say, "If you knew competition was going to be heavy, why did you release it to get lost in the shuffle?"

@MoonnKnight7 Im dead sure this game was a response to the lack of "hardcore" games on the WiiU as a way to spice things a little bit, you know, they know, their mothers know that this game was going to sell "bad"... hell games like Fire Emblem Awakening "only" need 250k to be called succesful, why wont be the case with this game ? You cant say because different budgets, because we dont know the actual numbers.

While Nintendo investors could be angry at bad sales, why should Platinum's be ? they get their money long before the game is even finished (thats the idea of a exclusive deal, or publishing in this case), you are supposed to be "happy" with the lack of sales on other systems (or the game in general) because you already got your money.

Just like Stealth inc 2, its a WiiU exclusive because im 100% sure Nintendo put the money for it, theres no other way around, why would you neglect the PS4 and the XB1 if thats not the case ?

@Faruko Some indie devs just simply chose to make their games exclusive to a certain platform. Scram Kitty, Stealth Inc 2, Shantae (would be 3DS-only, but they obviously wanted to avoid the usual "bring it to Wii U" begging that happens for every successful 3DS game), etc.

@Blast Why? Not every 3DS game needs to come to Wii U. Yokai Watch on Wii U doesn't make any sense anyway.

When 3DS sales dip in Japan, it makes sure to take every other platform down with it.

@IceClimbers Good point but Shantae has always been a "Nintendo game", Scram Kitty its a new IP so its a mystery on what system was going to be release, Stealth Inc 1 was never released on a Nintendo console, but its on PS3, 360, PS4, XB1 & Steam...

I agree that some games could be exclusive because the lack of some games makes it much more appealing, but Stealth Inc was a comercial success, there was never a doubt that the sequel would sell

@Faruko

"I'm dead sure this game was a response to the lack of "hardcore" games on the WiiU as a way to spice things a little bit, you know, they know, their mothers know that this game was going to sell "bad"..."

Haha I know, that's why I said that before you did.

I further said that this was before the Wii U was in its current situation. Every game counts now. Bayonetta was supposed to be along side of other mature third party games by this point, but it's flying solo now.

You misunderstood my point with the investors. Platinum of course would be fine money-wise, but Nintendo certainly isn't going to invest anymore if Bayonetta is a dud. If platinum is smart, they'll stay away as well. After 2 chances, it's clear Nintendo gamers aren't buying what they offer (that's if Bayonetta 2 isn't successful). I think we're already seeing that with their Xbox One exclusive shown at E3. There's a little more involved with this than simply cashing in a paycheck for being an exclusive game.

To further reiterate what @IceClimbers said, indies are different. They play by their own rules.

@MoonKnight7 Platinum Games do poorly because they do, not because the place they are... their CEO even said that he would rate the sales of their games "a C or a D", their biggest game is Bayonetta which sold around 1.2 million (Im not counting Rising, because that would sell only because the MGS name), i dont know how it would fare Bayonetta 2 (30-40% i guess?), but its the only game in their history have a sequel... which says a lot about their sales

So Nintendo knew that they were getting a game that sold slightly more than 1 million copies on more than 100 million consoles (only 1.2% of the user base actually bought the game) and put it on a console with less than 10m (im assuming the WiiU is around the 8m MAYBE 9m by now ?). The projected sales should be around 100k, less if the typical "Nintendo gamers dont buy hardcore games" (a very bad estimate, but estimate at least

Investors wont be naive enough to think it would sell as much as the original, let alone half of its numbers, they put as much money as they think this game would sale, im guessing between 350k-450k, 500k would be god-like

@Faruko

I can't really tell if we're still disagreeing. In particular, I'm pointing to your last paragraph, as it's basically what I said in the beginning of this conversation.

It's obvious it's going to be lower than the original game. A 50-60% drop off of a well revered game on a floundering system would be considered good. That's why I said "I wanted it to be at 100k...etc." I just don't want numbers lower than that. Japan looks to be far lower than 60% in the end, so that puts a lot of strain on NA and Europe to make up the difference.

I don't think we can use your theory about the 1.2%, or at the very least, not use it directly because Nintendo gamers do tend to buy more games, particularly because of game droughts. This one of course is tricky to gauge because of its mature rating.

I do think it's important to keep in mind that Bayo 1 released on an installed base 10x the size as Bayo 2...

@MoonKnight7 Well, there's still the Microsoft Defense "low sales in Japan, crazy sales everywhere else" (of course they better do well in the west for that card to work, lol)

@Peach64 not at all. In termos of sales potential and history, fatal frame is below donkey Kong, just dance, Mario kart, taiko, kinopio taichou, smash Bros, ,Zelda musou... Hell, even bayonetta. Those are all big sellers (with the exception of kinopio, but ts a Mario spinoff) where the best selling fatal frame didnt even crack 80k after a long time.

Bayoneta was a disappointment. With fatal frame no one should've been expecting nothing different. The retailers certainly didnt, since the title got its first shipment sold out already. In fact, its going well on its way to surpass the last title released on wii. Next week will probably do it.

Oh yeah. I've also played the game and its not as good as it looks. It doesnt run well and theres too much movies. This is not a game you guys should beg a lot.

@DaemonSword

Oh I certainly agree. I personally think it will do pretty well in NA and Europe. Not like the original, but respectable numbers given the Wii U's situation. I was just hoping for better results in Japan before it released elsewhere. It puts a lot of strain on the territories that are left.

@SpookyMeths so that would imply unrealistic... Um.. Physics?

@AVahne - I wonder if that Kotaku poll was a general public man on the street thing. Most people probably aren't planning on buying a 3DS at any given time anyway, but those planning on buying 1, ie gamers, I think would know a new 3DS was coming.

Sadly I think a general poll in the US would find most people still don't know what a Wii U is

@Grumblevolcano - Yeah BF matters, that's for sure. Nintendo released the Pokemon release date of Nov 21 months ago so I wonder if they were always shooting for the dual release date? I also wonder if that Nintnedo of France website ad "mistake" meant they were trying for Nov 21 as a global date but just couldn't manage it?

So Japan is getting it after both the US and even the EU? Is that Nintendo symbolically giving Japan a spanking for not buying more Wii U?

Bayonetta 2 is selling like utter doggeypoodleoopsiepoopie over there...I'm sure that it's doomed to the same fate here in the west...

@MoonKnight7 Did your username come from the Marvel Comic Moon Knight or no?

Fatal frame maybe ? Maybe for the consoles

Since when is the Vita popular? Did it get a substantial price drop or something?

I still want to get a PS4 though, I MUST play Kingdom Hearts 3

@rjejr

"Nintendo released the Pokemon release date of Nov 21 months ago so I wonder if they were always shooting for the dual release date?"

I think they were. I believe that they were just waiting until the 3DS one released so they wouldn't confuse anyone.

@Excep7ional

That's a bit of a yes and no. I do enjoy Moon Knight comics, however my Umbreon in pokemon X is also named Moon Knight, hence my icon. He is my pride and joy.

@JellySplat

I believe there was a price drop, but I think it was awhile ago. The vita has typically done pretty well in Japan.