Whenever Nintendo talks about sales and profits, it can always turn to amiibo for good news. Company President Tatsumi Kimishima wasn't short of statistics to use when highlighting how successful the NFC range has been, which has already accumulated over 40 million sales (between figures and cards) in the first three quarters of this financial year.
The Holiday season went particularly well for amiibo, as the graphics below show - Q3 sales showed marked increases over Q2.
Intriguingly the popularity of the figures and cards varies per market, evidently reflecting social trends and the popularity of related games. Europe is responsible for 22% of global shipments for both figures and cards, yet while North America leads with a whopping 57% of figure shipments, Japan dominates amiibo cards with 43% of their shipments. The market in the Americas is clearly more familiar with figures courtesy of other brands such as Skylanders, while sales of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer have driven the popularity of the cards in Japan.
Meanwhile, the latest charts of the most popular amiibo show regional discrepancies in terms of which amiibo are most in demand - Europeans sure love the cuddly Yarn Yoshi.
It's evident just how far expanded ranges and decent stock levels have helped, with Kimishima-san acknowledging that better manufacturing and stock management have contributed to boosts in sales (particularly with the Splatoon figures in Japan). With Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge out in Japan - and surely heading to the West - there are naturally plenty of plans to continue expanding amiibo and how they're used.
Are you still a big amiibo fan, and what do you make of these results? Let us know in the comments.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 33
Only planned on getting a few, got over 30 now. I like em and only buy for the figure, not the unlock (even though I have most games).
Amiibo are doing well, but they need to find a better use for them instead of being used to lock on disk DLC if they want people to continue to get excited for them.
Why do I get the feeling that comments from here on will start ranting and defending the use of amiibo?
I've been less interested in game-functionality than the figures themselves. Haven't finished challenge mode in Splatoon for any character; rarely play Smash and if I do, I'm not interested in fighting a figure player; never used my yarn Yoshis in Wooly World (need to pick that one up again). I suppose the new Star Fox game might push me to get Falco; I no longer feel the need for day-one purchase given supply problems seem to have been solved, so I can wait for the game to come out.
Toad is number 9 for Europe!! My European brothers and sisters I'm proud of you all who bought him!!!
I had a complete boxed collection of all amiibo up until January, I just sold all of them before the new ones come out. I was getting out of hand with my monthly spending on them. Now I just have all my favourite characters. I feel relieved not needing to rush out to pre-order or buy them any more. The ones I have now are actually open and I can use them. Much better then just storing them up and never using them!
Inking Girl and Squid top selling in Japan >:3
That's impressive! I'm a collector myself, currently have 24. Except for two, I got all of mine from regular stores here in the Netherlands, but what I find interesting is that of the top selling ones here, I only own two of the ten given (Classic Mario Retro colours and Pikachu). All a matter of taste I guess. I honestly wasn't expecting the Splatoon amiibo be so high, but I guess Splatoon really is big.
Sounds like a lot, but I wonder if I can find a website that has same period sales for Skylanders and Disney Infinity toys? Though with DI having Star Wars that might be a bit unfair. I'd also like to see Pokémon card sales. Those amino cards barely sell in the US probably b/c they don't really exist, there is no section in retail stores for NFC cards. I see them occasionally next to the amiibo, a pack or two, but there are no signs or explanation for what they are. And I don't think that AC:aF game sold very well, tons of those amiibo toys everywhere.
It is good to see amiibo on store shelves, I think they have improved production. But, if they ever do make an amiibo-centric game the problem will be while there are amiibo on shelves now there are only maybe half a dozen variety, not 40, for people who may have missed them originally. They may need to do cards for those early models.
@BrizzoUK same boat. just wanted a taste but wound up gorging on the whole buffet.
@GH05T that's the perfect picture. they really are little plastic addictions.
Want them all,I enjoy unlocking the mii costumes in Mario kart with my amiibo samus is my favourite costume 😄 so cool
I skipped the Animal Crossing amiibo and cards. I don't really care about the series/characters.
@Jamotello @BrizzoUK Same here, I have about 18 Amiibo now and it's probably not going to stop there.
Ganondorf is top 10 in the US because people realize that Twilight Princess is too easy without double damage.
These types of toys are always like a double edged sword. People will complain that they don't do anything substantial in a game, but then people will complain when they are used to unlock bonus stuff accusing Nintendo of using them as expensive DLC. What they need is an Infinity-like specific game that makes use of the amiibo from the get go instead of an afterthought.
It's also understandable why Nintendo talks about them so often because they are the one bright spot they had last holiday... since they certainly can't brag about low systems sales and hardly any upcoming games to show off. I think once they officially announce the NX, we'll hear less about amiibo all the time and much more about that.
I personally have a number of them, but mainly for collector's purposes because I love their design. I have a few Smash Bros ones, but I've really gotten rabid about getting all the Animal Crossing ones and cards even though I don't play amiibo Featival.
Boy is that blocky Mario popular everywhere! Inkling Squid in Europe may have to do with it being separate and NA people importing it.
amiibo world domination!!!
@FierceRagnar no one is being forced, nothing is "core" when it comes to locked content, everything is a bonus. I do agree that none of the "locked content" like the splatoon courses should be on the disc, but instead a download once the amiibo has been tapped, my guess is that they do this to streamline the effect and make the content immediately playable.
You asked am I still a big Amiibo fan; that is very presumptuous of you, or there is a lot of wishfull thinking on your part.
They have nothing to do with gaming directly. And Nintendo may regret their decision to overdose on these toys, in a year or two, just to earn a quick buck now.
For every four Amiibos sold one less game will be sold. Less games sold less will be produced and so profits will decrease share holders won't be happy and Nintendo will be ready for a take over and someone like Google will snap it up. To get into gaming, as Microsoft and Sony are.
You heard it here first.
I have all of the most popular amiibo in the US, with the exception that my Bowser is from the Super Mario series, not Smash.
Would like that Mega Yarn Yoshi myself, but Toys R Us likes to have exclusives and then not make them available on their website. You'd think the retailer with the Lion's Share of this would make them more available. Especially since it's more expensive than the average amiibo.
I have donkey kong and Yoshi. Not mainstream, I guess (?). Also! A fan from twitch gave me a yarn Yoshi. It's too kawaii, please make more amiibo with other materials like yarn or kevlar
I have the entire Smash Bros line-up that's out and have the ones that aren't preordered. I also have the Splatoon ones, Toad, Modern Mario, Classic Mario, Chibi Robo and two Shovel Knights. I'm starting to think I may have a problem.
Still waiting for more Fire Emblem amiibo restocks over here since I only have Ike. I dunno if I'll stop buying amiibo once I get those and the Shovel Knight amiibo, but I'll see depending on what functionality amiibo some will have in the future as they do look good, though some have better functionality than others.
@GH05T that pic sums me up right there.
@FierceRagnar Nintendo isn't forcing anything. Are you going to die if you don't get a pac-man suit for your mii in mario kart 8? or a skin for your fighter planes in ace combat? Do you really care about leveling an amiibo partner in smash? Need extra rupees or weapons in Hyrule Warriors? No? Then amiibo have not detracted from your gameplay experience at all. All they do is unlock optional content in multiple games as a little bonus for owning them. Aside from amiibo festival there are no games that you can't play without owning an amiibo.
Interesting to see the Splatoon ones doing so well, given they lock a bigger chunk of the game away than a lot of the others. I bet Nintendo have taken note and are planning accordingly....
@UnseatingKDawg Seriously a problem with Toys "R" Us being the worst when it comes to exclusives. They never had Greninja properly either and I don't like the in-store option only. I never got the Mega Yarn Yoshi (in fact the only one I am missing).
Despite their use of already existing IPs and use across multiple systems and games, and the supposed shortages generating a ridiculous demand for amiibos as a whole, 40 million in 13 ish months still doesn't seem all that impressive next to the 30 million figure sales skylanders figures received in their first 6 months as a completely new IP. I'm not the hugest fan of Skylanders, but it just doesn't bode well in my eyes that what is supposedly a the hottest range of toys to life figures on the market is paling in comparison to a new idea back in 2011.
I wish they could release some smash series amiibo cards, it would make taking them around to play at other houses or on the 3ds a lot easier.
Well... I guess I'll keep using the yarn Yoshi amiibo as my portable smash buddy until that happens.
Had 20 of them but my wife drove over them with the lawn mower. my game pad for my wii u too. she is no longer with us.
@RoomB31 cough amiibo festival cough
@wariowarewolf sure a game that has amiibo in the freaking title. Your stretching.
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