Nintendo Switch Stays On Top in Japan Despite Sharp Week Two Decline

After Zelda I wouldn't have anything to play on it now besides the Puyo Puyo Tetris demo.

I'm surprised Ghost Recon beat the Kingdom Hearts remasters.

Shouldn't there be a dropp off for the Switch's 2nd week? I thought just about all their stock was pretty much snapped up. Makes sense their numbers would be lower imo.

After Zelda, I have nothing to really play until Splatoon 2 or 2 or so Indie games.

Well the attach rate for Zelda went up a bit. Word of mouth can go a long ways. Ratings don't hurt either!

It makes me happy to see the Switch selling well.

This isn't too surprising, the Switch has done well so far considering the time of year, major brand damage done by the Wii U's failure and the initial stock selling out in most territories.

The real key to the Switch doing well is Nintendo releasing more big games to keep as much momentum going as possible. After some GREAT pre-launch marketing it seems they're starting to drop the ball.

I doubt the Switch will do well in Japan until Splatoon 2 is released. Mind you, if the original is any indicator, that can be the console's killer app in Japan.

Wow. Needs momentum all the way till Christmas

This isn't going to be a trial, because I think most early adopters grabbed all the titles they wanted at once rather than a copy now and more later. Also most that wanted the Switch(or could find ok w after they decided they wanted one belatedly) already bought one.

I expect numbers to drive down weekly, Big N needs to get stock out asap. Honestly though, until Mario Kart, is there anything to bring in non gaming diehards? I love Zelda, but I have had moments of frustration, I have gamed since I was 9( 17 years). My girlfriend refuses to touch Zelda because she said it looks confusing, and hard. She will only play 1,2 Switch and she is excited about playing Mario kart.

It will be interesting to see if numbers can hold on until then.

@Xaessya I bought 'I Am Setsuna', 'Blaster Master Zero', 'Fast RMX' and of course, Zelda. Already have a backlog on my PS4 Pro, New 3DS, AND PC. I gave my stepdaughter the Xbox ONE cuz she plays it more. Haven't touched the Wii U since Xenoblade. I'm good wi5h not having too many games pop up for Switch right now. LoL!

After Zelda I have nothing to play except 1 2 switch, super bomberman r, shovel knight specter of torment, and fast rmx until snake pass then MK8 deluxe then arms, sonic mania... come on guys there's a ton to play!

@Salnax Um, it did quite well actually. Don't just read the headline. Considering there wasn't a lot of stock to be had it did extremely well.

Maybe if they pushed more units it would be even higher.

To give u guys a idea how switch as done here is a chart for first 2 weeks of Japanese sales...
First bit is this week's sales then slash overall sales

Wii 85.439/435.797 overall
3ds 209.623/584.387 overall
Psvita 72.479/397.338 overall
Wi U 126.916/435.058 overall
PS4 65.685/374.839 overall
SWITCH 61.998/391.152 overall

"Multiple factors may have contributed to this - the Wii U launching in December, and potential stock limitations with Switch. Nevertheless the bare numbers give a reminder that the Switch needs long term success, which Nintendo will need to focus on delivering."

So important. Also, if it is indeed because of supply shortage, it's simply inexcusable at this point.

Get some more games out and the sales will certainly improve.

It is a lack of games that will slow down sales.

I am happy with Zelda for a few months but non Zelda fans won't pay over £275 to play one of the other available games.

Ok a few will, but most won't. But sales should be at a very decent level before the end of the year.

If Splatoon as a new IP can find huge success in Japan and round the world then so can Arms,which might be only a couple of months away.When Splatoon released many,including myself said "if only it was there for Wii U's launch then things could have been different".Arms could be that game for Switch.It will be the consoles first big exclusive game and one that makes full use of the system.I'm confident it's going to be the Switch's "killer app".

Great numbers! Is Nintendo's job to keep releasing content so the Switch picks up real steam.

Also I have always found very funny the fact that Japan does not seem to care about PS4 PRO. With all the talk in the west about graphics, shades and whatnot Japanese gamers only care about gameplay, mobility and price. I like Japanese gaming community more than the Western counterpart.

@Dakt I think ARMS will be a huge success. Is just a feeling.

@NintySnesMan It seems to be doing fine, I wonder how much stock limitations has play out but I really think the new President should follow Iwata's initial plan of unite handheld and console divisions. When that happens I think the Switch will be a beast just like the 3DS.

A drop off was expected, perhaps not to this level but it is honestly too early to come to any conclusions. I'd say after 4-5 weeks of data to cover at least one complete month we can determine how the Switch's early days will be.

The fact that there seems to be little before MK8D is a cause for concern though and Nintendo has to start courting those 3rd parties to help fill the gaps in between their 1st party offerings.

This of course isn't helped by the 3rd parties' "wait and see" approach.

@Jessica286
The numbers imply there is a shortage,it will probably be a similar situation around the globe,but still a good start, early days yet with a few games coming that will see spikes in sales,let's hope Ninty can supply on demand

It's only March so no real surprise.

I already have Zelda, Snipperclips, Blaster Master Zero, Fast RMX, I Am Setsuna, and Shovel Knight Treasure Trove, all of which will be complemented shortly by The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth +, Human Resource Machine, and since I'll have a touch of eShop credit left, something else in the ~$10 range as well. Then I'll need to start selling off old games to buy MK8D pretty soon, and then there'll be new Sonic, I'm interested in Snake Pass, Shakedown Hawaii, Lego City Undercover, and Has Been Heroes.

I guess what I'm saying should be pretty obvious: the Switch clearly has no games and nobody should buy one.

@Rumncoke25
Well... is your girlfriend like RPG with cute touch like Fantasy Life 3DS or Moco Moco Friends 3DS or Pokemon on 3DS ?
If she has interest, maybe you can introduce her from 3DS first, make sure she understand basic gameplay of RPG, what it called RPG, what should I do during gameplay, how do I beat my opponent or enemies, what else can I do during storyline, etc. Actually it's pretty typical for almost RPG genre.

So for Zelda Breath of the Wild case, I think you can introduce how is the game have similarity with other RPG games, the basic gameplay, the missions should be done and anything else that can I do. Tell to her that you can freely decide what armor that you can ewuip based on situation, how to defeat enemies easily, how to find items, how to find something surprising in the game, etc. If she can enjoy simple RPG with cute touch, i'm sure she can grasp RPG games so quickly without worrying her discomfort zone. You know, some girl gamer doesn't like some game genre that focusing on killing enemies, thinking hard for some situation, quick reaction gameplay, etc.

Well, happy gaming with your girlfriend. Keep introduce her with so many games in different genre and beyter you can grasp some genre that girl like most (Rhythm, Puzzle, Simulation, Adventure, Tycoon, Quiz, Party, Cute things, etc).

@NintySnesMan @SanderEvers The Switch was released in a less than ideal part of the year & also follows a console that failed quite badly. As someone who's worked for a national statistical company, I can tell you that numbers without context are pointless.

You'd expect a console that launch after a huge success (Wii U) to initially do better than the Switch that released following quite a public failure. I think we'll need to look back at figures further down the line to really know where the Switch is going to sit in the history books.

@Dakt the next Japan release is Romance of the three kingdoms.

Well obviously it dropped off week 2, its sold out everywhere.

Not surprising given the very limited games library at this point. Unless you really wanna play Zelda, really no reason to get it yet.

This is not surprising, considering they are impossible to find now. Also, given the fact that it launched in such an odd month when there is not a crazy demand for new electronics, I'd say it's doing pretty well. Only time will tell, though. I'd say the fact that a dozen or so people I know who have not bought a Nintendo console in years bought the Switch bodes pretty well for Nintendo. They've managed to capture the attention of people who haven't looked at them twice in over a decade.

@SanderEvers
Yeah mate..I was just throwing numbers out there to give a idea. Tbh I don't go to much on when a system releases,let's face it the launch sales for first few weeks for any system are usually generated by fans of a company. Others usually buy consoles
If and when,don't think sales would be much different even at Christmas time,if there is a shortage then it wouldn't matter when it was released and yeah Bro there is a shortage

@JudgeMethos
I had a backlog on PC and I pushed that back to play Zelda first
Although my choices are a bit more limited since I have some of the games on PC already which isn't the case for everyone.

@faint There is a game series named "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"? Wow, that's like calling a game "Macbeth" in the UK/US... there literally tens of thousands of animé and games based on that book.

@DanteSolablood Were you counselling the same need for context when the '1.5m unit sales' were trumpeted? After all, we're talking about a Nintendo console being released in March, and unlike the PS4 and the XB1 there are no other console launches to steal its thunder, it's the first Nintendo console launch in over four years, it has the first mainline Zelda title released since 2011 (and was highly anticipated because of repeated delays), and the Wii U generation, because of its abject failure commercially, was a crucible produced a community of up 14m diehard cheerleaders that will literally purchase anything that Nintendo releases.

So, yeah, context matters.

Wow look at poor Nioh,outsold by a repetitive over hyped game called Horizon Zero Dawn. How awful

That's normal. Combination of stock shortages and just the fact that sales always take a bit of dive in week two.

Mario Kart and especially Splatoon 2 will push systems more than Zelda.

@Anti-Matter

Your advice sounds as if you think the girlfriend is an idiot. Smh.

@DanteSolablood
Romance X111 has just been announced for vita other day.. Never usually gets a western release unless u know of some,it's supposed to be a good strategy game

Oh, good God, you again.

Yes, they were released roughly simultaneously. They were, in essence, dividing a single audience between them. The Switch does not have a novel competitor to divide sales.

@k8sMum
Eh...I didn't mean that.
There are some cute RPG games with girlie or cutie touch that probably will appeal with some girl gamer, let's say Pokemon, Fantasy Life, Moco Moco Friends, etc. If she can understand the games like that, i'm sure she will not have difficulty to play RPG games like Zelda, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, etc.
Sorry if you thought my advice sounds like underestimate her.

I live in Japan and the sales numbers this week are because there are no more Switches on store shelves. A lot of the games and almost all of the licensed accessories are sold out too. A couple major electronics stores say they're getting a shipment in on the 19th, but are holding a lottery to see who can buy a console.

@Rumncoke25 tell your gf that my 6 year old son has close to 20 hours in Zelda. He is just wondering the world aimlessly and finding shrines. He has done about 30 of them by himself, or with minimal help from me.
There is so much to do in the world you can forget about the story completely.

@Jessica286
Ah, me too.
Gameplay means more than Ultra HD graphics.
My mindset is somewhat like Japanese gamer.

@DanteSolablood
I get what your saying about numbers,how they look further down the line. Problem with that though is 3rd party AAA publishers will be looking at the numbers now and constantly,this is a crucial time for Ninty after the Wii U disaster. For ppl like myself none of this matters,I just like data,it's just a fun hobby for me mate

I hope that Switch will be a lot more succesful than WiiU in the long run, and imho it deserves it, it is a great qnd extremely interesting device while Wii U in my opinion was rather disappointing compared to Wii and Gamecube.
I understand that right now having many Wii U portings and some issues like some of the left Joy cons not working properly can be less appealing for somebody but I think many people are just waiting for the right moment to buy it. I really think that this console is something outstanding and I hope it will be succesful as it deserves.

A second week drop off is very expected, especially given the two points highlighted in this article of short stock and launching in March - I can't remember a major, non-(strictly) portable console coming at this time of year. But Nintendo really needs to push that stock out and iron out some of the kinks that have been discovered since launch.

I think it will do well in Japan. Splatoon 2 will be huge there. It was a shock of a hit on Wii U and given this can be taken on the go... I suspect it will be a major success. Same goes for the portability of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I'm hoping E3 brings some big announcements such as a Pokemon title or a Smash Bros enhanced port... sales would go through the roof combined with Mario at holiday.

EDIT: It's also unsurprising to see 1-2-Switch do so well there. Japan loves mini game compilations. If I remember correctly, Wii Party U was a hit there so much so that Nintendo created a hardware bundle with it, whereas the game struggled nearly every where else.

Obviously there will be a sharp decline in week two and beyond. Also, I imagine there aren't many left in stores. The real question is where does land when the dust settles and you can easily get a Switch that's sitting on store shelves.

@BiasedSonyFan

Nope, most 'hardcore' gamers, that is to say buyers of the PS4 and XB1, and the casuals most willing to buy a home console are stateside. What happens in February - April in the US? Tax refund season is a huge time for people to purchase furniture and consumer electronics; consequently the Switch posted its strongest sales in the US. Nintendo knew that the Switch would have reasonably good home court advantage anywise, considering that XB1 sales are virtually nonexistent there and The PS4 numbers aren't even 1/10 of the overall install base. So they released during that time.

And before you bring up Europe, it's nowhere near as important in terms of sales volume. Two countries, the US and Japan, accounted for 66% of 3DS hardware sales and 72% of Wii U sales (US outsold Japan nearly two to one). From a standpoint of tailoring a release, Nintendo was more than willing to tell Europe and all other territories to get stuffed. They know precisely where their bread is buttered and they chose a launch time in which America, their largest home console market, had disposable income on hand.

Very glad to see RE7 is doing very well over there. Love it on PSVR but it's too intense so I've played it (very slowly) on my TV for now. Must get back to it.

@JohnGrey Actually I was talking about context in the article covering the 1.5m sales, though mostly because that number was based on an estimate & people were throwing fully tallied first week sales at it. Though, we both know that's not exactly what you meant.

To tackle your points directly though, the Wii U was launched nearly a clear year ahead of both the Xbox One and PS4 so it was hardly handicapped by competition from it's rivals either. While you have a much better point with regards to Zelda, both the Wii U and Wii had much better general launch line-ups (unless you're going to say Assassins Creed, Arkham City & Darksiders 2 aren't system sellers).

As for the Wii U being a crucible creating a "community of up 14m diehard cheerleaders that will literally purchase anything that Nintendo releases" tell that to @Sligeach_Eire that was so burned by the WiiU and how Nintendo treated it's fans that he's pooping on the Switch in nearly every comment section. I'm not exactly sure you can count every Wii U owner as a confirm Switch buyer.

However I do take your point that there are pull factors for the Switch as well, it's just my belief that the push factors have not been adequately taken into consideration when people rush to show that the Switch hasn't met the same kind of sales as previous console launches. The sales figures are still strong... anyone that expected the Switch to blow all previous launches out of the water were probably being quite unrealistic.

@NintySnesMan Haha, it's not a problem! I can just see a lot of people jumping on the figures & trying to slap people in the face with them without thinking them over first. But you are right about third party support, Nintendo need to keep the sales going over time... probably why they've spread out their first party games so much this time around. Trying to avoid the drought that happened after the Wii U launch.

A reminder that buying a Switch is a risk. I am a Nintendo fan first, and while there are many understandable reasons why this slump is occurring (and also reasons to hope for a successful future) Nintendo has a lot of work to do to restore and then maintain post-launch momentum.

Even with the innovative tech and the well-earned praise it's received from the general public, the higher price tag attached to a Switch investment and the lack of a solid lineup of third party titles makes for a difficult sell to those outside the Nintendo fan base and also to those inside who are hesitant to pay something like $430 dollars for a system, a controller, and one game (especially if they feel wary due to the short life of the Wii U).

I'm rehashing the obvious but one can get a PS4 Slim with a bundled recent classic (Uncharted 4) and another brand new game of their choice for around $350. The debate about whether you NEED that pro controller along with your core Switch purchase is valid, but outside the fold most people will EXPECT it. I want it.

My point is that it's an expensive system and even hard copies of the software for the Switch seem to be considerably more expensive than the competition.

Add to that the fact that purchasing a PS4 or an Xbox One even this late in the generation guarantees years of support, upcoming AAA games, access to just about every indie title released, and a huge back-catalogue of excellent software.

Purchasing a Switch gives you access to one stellar title that shouldn't be underestimated. It also gives you the chance to play more powerful software on the go than has ever been possible. The Switch, too, carries the promise of titles sporting Nintendo's singular magic touch (Super Mario Odyssey). The surprise HD Rumble feature is also a winner as gimmicks go.

Personally I think "gimmicks" like the new rumble, motion control, duel screens, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D, and now console-gaming on-the-go can reinvent and reinvigorate the hobby but Nintendo's efforts are widely panned or ignored as often as they're wildly embraced for a variety of reasons.

It is still my opinion that the primary reason for this is that Nintendo systems for the last three generations are not powerful enough to support the big third party games. Yes, many of them are disposable, but many of them are unquestionably worth every unprejudiced gamer's time. We don't seem to have a system here that can both innovate like only Nintendo can AND support highly anticipated third party titles like Red Dead Redemption 2.

They call this "home console level gaming on-the-go" but in my opinion the open question is what kind of home console gaming they're talking about: take your Wii U with you? They need to shake off doubts surrounding that perception and how they do that will either ensure a stellar success or another middling few years for the company.

It remains to be seen what Nintendo has up its sleeve with third parties beyond five-year-old ports but the task now is to foster an affordable software lineup that makes use of the innovative software (in ways that generate AAA buzz of their own), and that incorporates outside developers.

As has been stated by many, E3 will be critical and announcements and releases for the holiday season will make or break the system.

I want a sequel to 1-2 Switch damn it! I demand 3-4 quick!!!

Now Nintendo needs to focus on meeting stock demands...

The Switch sold 95% of its stock in its first week, so a considerable drop off was expected for its week 2 sales.

@Koke Thanks for clearing it up.

@Mainsaile That's a very well thought through comment & outlines that anyone that takes a Nintendo fan's sale for granted are simply not being realistic and Nintendo genuinely need to address power and third party support issues to get attention from the wider audience without relying on their gimmicks.

This was my main issue with the Switch launch, while I understand why Nintendo has spread out it's big name IPs so there is consistent support throughout the first year... they really should have had more games ready to help bolster early sales. Plus, with a few months to go they were still sending updated dev kits, meaning many of the games we're seeing now really aren't showing off what the Switch can really do.

Let's be hopeful though, Nintendo can potentially pick up console & handheld gamers this time around with the Switch. If that pans out third parties will come on board. All up to the Nintendo's next few months.

Edit: #bigpostclub

Well stupid Nintendo did not make enough units.... So of course there will be a steep decline

Yikes! It was to be expected. I'm sorry Zelda has dropped off so much. From my playing of it so far it's going to be one of the greatest if not the greatest game of all time. The Japanese have never truly appreciated Zelda games.

@Jessica286 I hope it succeeds just to help support the case that investment in new IP is worth the risk.

However, unless there is a very good deal on game & Joy Con bundle, I won't be investing.

Anyone else a little surprised the Switch did so well? Zelda as a brand doesn't carry weight in Japan as much as it does stateside. Outside of that there are some really great games, KOF 98 is on Switch is great for the Esports crowd, but nothing that strikes me as a Japanese system seller. If they had launched with Mario or Monster Hunter it would have done better, but Zelda and Superbowl ads suggest this was NOA focused. August sales will probably be the strongest month 5 global sales period of any Nintendo console to date.

You know the Switch demand is ouutpacing supply when the Wii U is seeing sales.

I wonder if there's any figures from retailers on interest in the (out of stock) consoles rather than just going but (unavailable) units sold 3DS trailing behind is a good sign.

I'm also surprised to see Wildlands doing so well in Japan. It doesn't strike me as a game Japan would be terribly enthused about given it's VERY western nature.

@darth2d2 LOL, yep. And amazingly it's still outselling XBox by almost a factor of 4

@DanteSolablood

To tackle your points directly though, the Wii U was launched nearly a clear year ahead of both the Xbox One and PS4 so it was hardly handicapped by competition from it's rivals either. While you have a much better point with regards to Zelda, both the Wii U and Wii had much better general launch line-ups (unless you're going to say Assassins Creed, Arkham City & Darksiders 2 aren't system sellers).

Yes, it did sell unapposed, and it sold 22% of its lifetime sales, or roughly equivalent to its entire Japan lifetime movement, in the first month of retail availability. If you're suggesting a similar trajectory for the Switch, then Nintendo has a real problem.

As for the Wii U being a crucible creating a "community of up 14m diehard cheerleaders that will literally purchase anything that Nintendo releases" tell that to @Sligeach_Eire that was so burned by the WiiU and how Nintendo treated it's fans that he's pooping on the Switch in nearly every comment section. I'm not exactly sure you can count every Wii U owner as a confirm Switch buyer.

I did say 'up to'. Obviously not all 13.56m Wii U buyers are going to convert; in truth, I would be shocked if generational transition from the Wii U to the Switch is over 70% for that audience. My intent was to point out that there is a not-insignificant number of absolutely fanatical Nintendo supporters, perhaps the most passionate fandom in gaming (look at the response to Jim Sterling's BotW review), that will literally purchase anything that Nintendo releases, and the numbers of those people are far in excess of the estimated 1.5 million sales. In reality, the granulated numbers concern me a lot, especially the Japan numbers. It sold roughly the same amount in its first two days that the PS4 did. A high-power Nintendo handheld only did as well as the PS4, which has had 4m total sales there. This means either the domestic draw isn't there, and Nintendo knows and thus didn't allocate, or they don't understand their audience at all. That's a major forward concern from an analytical perspective.

However I do take your point that there are pull factors for the Switch as well, it's just my belief that the push factors have not been adequately taken into consideration when people rush to show that the Switch hasn't met the same kind of sales as previous console launches. The sales figures are still strong... anyone that expected the Switch to blow all previous launches out of the water were probably being quite unrealistic.

And I'm fine with that. What I'm not fine with is unvarnished spin when favourable numbers are posted and mitigative explanation when negative numbers are.

@JohnGrey "What I'm not fine with is unvarnished spin when favourable numbers are posted and mitigative explanation when negative numbers are."

Haha, well it wasn't my intention to post a "mitigative explanation", just adding some relevant details and didn't consider the points that you put across, other Nintendo consoles have been in similar positions. Burned in fans & little competition at launch.

In regards to the Switch's sales trajectory, this is yet to be seen. Nintendo has treated the run-up and launch of the Switch quite differently to previous consoles. Whether that's a good or bad thing is still unknown (though you can bet people will have their own opinion).

It's going to be hard to keep sales up when not much stock is available for sale. And until new buyers exist, it'll be tough to continue to sell games. I expect a 2nd push when Splatoon hits.

@Dakt it's a mid tier release. It will have an impact even if it's not huge. They asked what the next Japanese release was and I told them. It has a small fan base but they are devoted and they have never had the full console experience as a portable.

And this is where **** starts to get real, in the weeks and months after the most loyal fans have bought the initial run of launch consoles. It's here where all those little niggles—the high price (for most people who don't have money to burn), the lack of major AAA titles, the reported Joy-Con problems, the total lack of a Virtual Console at launch, the often higher price of games on Switch relative to the same games on other consoles (even with some games that are a generation old at this point), the often equal or higher price of digital games compared to their physical counterparts, missing now standard services like Netflix and Hulu, no Internet browser on a device where it just makes sense, the lower than ideal battery life, the still hazy paid online service, even the lack of one set of analog triggers, etc—might just be starting to show their importance in the bigger picture. Maybe the machine is still on a huge success curve. I really hope it is. Time will tell. But I personally think the onus is firmly on companies like Nintendo to eliminate as soon as is humanly possible any and all possible reasons someone might choose not to buy the system (be it a lost purchase at launch or down the line). The Switch has all the potential in the world, and it could easily still be a genuinely huge success (and a truly satisfying console at the same time), but only Nintendo will be the one who decides the future of this console as far as I'm concerned—and all the responsibly and praise or blame lies its feet.

I'm aware of the tax break season in the U.S. It still pales in comparison to the holiday season; over the past decade, the most console hardware is sold during the holiday season, and it's not even close. You cannot argue against that fact.

I'm not arguing against that. I am arguing against the idea that a March launch, absent a novel competitor and during a period when Nintendo's single largest regional market has excess discretionary income, played absolutely no part in the system posting the numbers that it did.

As has been discussed before, the PS4 and Xbox One aren't even direct competitors for the Switch. Many gamers who are in the market for the Switch aren't the kind of gamers who find the PS4 or Xbox One appealing.

And as has been discussed before, you'd better hope that's rubbish because the system isn't going to draw casuals, not as a single-use device in a world populated by easily available tablets with cheap, or even free-to-play, games and that costs the same or more than traditional consoles that have far better performance and much larger, and broader, libraries. If you're expecting the Switch to sell on casuals an Nintendo diehards exclusively, and to post stronger lifetime sales than the Wii U, then you've lost the plot.

@Dakt of course MARIO Kart 8 will but that's not the question ask above. What's the next retail release? Well that's romance.

@DanteSolablood
Thanks. Not to get too far into the weeds, but I do hope that the innovative nature of the DS family carries over to Switch titles. The relatively lower power of Nintendo's portable family of systems seemed, astonishingly, to be a benefit rather than a hindrance. Developers got very creative (Etrian Odyssey springs to mind) and the results were impressive.

I wonder if the Switch hardware will nurture similar creativity. Will the next Mario & Luigi RPG in HD have the same charm without the retro-isometric look and the lovingly animated sprites? Maybe they won't abandon those elements? And what about dual screen titles like Mario Maker? Will they function as well without the touch screen or will there be a fair number of portable-only titles?

If they can address these questions and harness the possibility of the Switch as a portable and console device that both introduces new IP's and creatively iterates on franchises already established in both ecosystems then they can really succeed.

@NintySnesMan yep I do hope is not another NES MINI situation.

@Anti-Matter Same here! I have seen Ultra pretty games being just blatantly bad and very low res games being really good. Is all about gameplay.

@BiasedSonyFan

Are you suggesting that the Switch wouldn't have been successful if it launched during the holiday season, against its so-called competition?

Re-read what I wrote. Novel competitor. Something newly launching at the same time. The PS4 and XB1 had to divide an single audience between them, as they were launched within a week of each other immediately prior to Christmas 2013. If the Switch were launched against either one during their launch period, to say nothing of both, and at the current price point, then yes, I absolutely think that it would get crushed.

@Dakt I agree with everything. I think Nintendo has a hit in their arms. See what I did there?!

@Dakt for home consoles yes I do.

@Anti-Matter

Thanks for the suggestions. You know that the most RPG like game that she seemed interested in? Animal crossing. She likes the whole change clothes, equip the house, run their life aspect. She actually plays the sims. She doesn't like quick twitch thing of combat. And doesn't really like fighting, or else I would say she might like ARMS.

Anyway, I trust Big N will bring the games, and that casuals like my girlfriend will be interested

@Donutman
Idk if it's awesome that your son is killing it, or lame of me that he has completed 10 more shrines than me 🤔😉.

She takes the games too seriously, it's like if she isn't instant good she doesn't want to play. I died all the time, as a parameter to see what I couldn't and couldn't accomplish. For what it's worth, I have gotten her into picking out things to cook, and see what happens. She says it like elf cooking mama, which made me think of chef hat link amiibo that could give you recipe bonuses.

@Dakt home consoles in Japan have been slowly dieing. You should know this. Typically if a home console game breaks 100 it's already considered a hit there. Lots of home titles from big companies fail to break 40,000. The home console market there has been propped up by American and Europe for a while now.

@Dakt those sales are opening week only. They probably legged out at 15 thousand. It's a shame it not coming here.

One should note that the Wii U had higher Week 2 sales than the Switch, PS4, PS Vita, PSP, PS3, or Wii.

That didn't do anything to help it's long term success, as it took nearly a year after launch for the Wii U to get a blockbuster game in 2013 - Wii Party U (Pikmin 3 sold...okay, and Wind Waker HD bombed in Japan).

The Switch should be able to maintain its momentum much better starting with the release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in April. Heck, even the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire could provide the Switch with a major sales boost given how massive Splatoon is in Japan.

I hope this early drop off isn't a sign of things to come! As long as Nintendo keeps putting out quality releases I will have a decent amount of hope for this system.

@MarioPhD How many of those are exclusives?

Man, the Switch is killing it in sales, which is great since there will be more than plenty of an install base to attract more third parties.

@Jessica286 Agreed. Arms looks like a game that could appeal to those who just want to casually play and to those who want to competitively play, much like Splatoon.

@PlywoodStick Zelda, Human Resource Machine, and Blaster Master Zero can be had on other Nintendo hardware, but the rest cannot as of now. That's enough for me to be content for a console that's been out for less than 2 weeks.

If we're being nitpicky, though, we can easily say that FAST RMX, Snipperclips, and for the time being Specter of Torment are all exclusives to the Switch. If nothing else, I'm content for these to be our exclusives instead of a bunch of RCMadiax nonsense, with some degree of parity with other systems involved as well.

6 weeks until the next big release (which is a enhanced version of a previous released game) is very worrying. Then we got Splatoon and FE Warriors. And at last Mario Odd. Amazing AAA games in a first year, but the lack of general release of mid tier games is the worst.
After Zelda and Fast RMX I don't want to buy anything until Mario Kart, which I don't know if I'll double dip yet.

@impurekind Have you ever considered a career in writing movie or game scripts?

@MarioPhD When you put it that way, it sounds better than the PS4 or XB1 launch to me...

@Spoony_Tech @Spoony_Tech Yes, it had a good launch, but sales often fall soon after a console is released, unless if it's during November. And in the Switch's case, the only major games coming in the near future are Mario Kart and Arms. Mario Kart will likely sell less than usual due to its nature as a port, and Arms is an unknown quantity.

@Salnax MK8D will also be severely limited by being released far earlier in a console cycle than any previous iteration, even earlier than MK64. Can't sell more games than you have consoles.

@PlywoodStick Have you forgotten dlc is a thing these days. Early release surely paves way for an early dlc model. I don't consider your point severely limiting. Quite the opposite in fact

@PlywoodStick You mean to tell me you wouldn't have preferred Ryse: Son of Rome and Knack to Breath of the Wild at launch??? That's crazy talk.

@MarioPhD Lol I think it's a good point, though- Despite all this heady talk in this thread, it's worth reminding ourselves that the platforms which the NS is often getting compared to had really crappy launches. (Unless you like copy-paste shooter #1363826 or Quick time event simulator #117272.)

@GrailUK Just saying that unless Nintendo has another stash of Sandwitches ready and piping hot by late April, there's not going to be more than 2 million copies of MK8D to sell until then.

@PlywoodStick Yeah, I really do think this has been a pretty dang solid launch. Maybe not if you only care about major AAA titles, but then... Why even bother with the Switch if that's your only interest? The PS4 and X1 can be had for the same price and cheaper. In terms of solid and consistent forthcoming indie support and major Nintendo titles, things already look good!

Every time I see one of these weekly sales charts for Japan I am baffled as to why Microsoft even wastes their time with the Japanese region.

@Koke There should be dance offs to decide who gets to buy a switch. Show ya moves!

@PlywoodStick Ye, totally valid point mate

@PlywoodStick Yeah. That's for sure.

I see the same problem for arms. Any launch title becomes rare as hens teeth after 2-3 yrs anyway. Zelda will be evergreen I reckon though. But I don't see arms as evergreen I think the novelty will wear off pretty quickly there.

@Grumblevolcano It's the third time you can buy the game, and the second time since the very recent PS3 versions. Ghost Recon is totally new.
I think Square need to be careful that they don't kill the KH golden goose.

Attributing this big Switch hardware sales drop on stock limitations for now. Will be interesting when they are on shelves and if they stay there.

But PS4 is healthy in Japan, that's for sure.

@Ryu_Niiyama Every important decision in life should be decided by a dance off. ...Even the election of presidents! No one deserves to lead unless they have rhythm!

It's interesting that the PS Vita outsells the PS4 Pro. The pro doesn't seem to be a success so far.
Has anyone seen worldwide sales numbers for the pro?

I wouldn't have expected quite that big of a drop off, but lots of things can account for it. I've said it before but we won't really know how well Switch is doing for several months (at least).

Stock shortages are most likely contributing to this. I tried to buy a switch in a dozen shops in Osaka yesterday. Sold out everywhere, and no one knows when more will arrive. People tell me it's the same in other major Japanese cities.

It's just not good enough, from Nintendo, in my opinion.

@Koke where abouts do you live? And which places are doing the lottery? 😱

It stock nonexistent in Japan like in the US? If so, that's why. The US numbers are gonna take a dive in the short term due to that too

@Luke88 I'm in Kansai. Bic Camera is doing the lottery. As to accessories, I have yet to see a Pro Controller or a colored JoyCon in a store. The amiibo are possible to find, except Zelda and the Guardian. Nintendo and Hori cases are all sold out everywhere. Lots of apology signs next to displays.

I don't know anyone who got a console who didn't preorder it. The demand seems to be very high though, since many people are looking at displays and asking staff about stock whenever I'm in a store.

I don't understand the issue with the Switch's launch line-up. To be honest if Nintendo made a mistep it is having too many major first party releases so close together. There isn't a publisher in their right mind that was going to release next to Zelda, Spla2oon, Mario Kart, or Homer's Mario. Not to mention all of the incredibly strong budget indie titles. Consider that the PS4 launch had 3 exclusives and the Switch has 5. While they needed more AAA 3rd party support in the first 6 months, they have the strongest first party release schedule for a new console in my memory. Sony had a par showing with Knack and KZ:SF and Microsoft took almost 2 years to release Halo after the X1 launch.

Japan is even lucky enough to have a decent launch library too. I'm importing Disgaea and I'd die to even have a date for DQH1&2

Splatoon will be enough momentum for Japan considering the original's success. I just hope it continues to do well everywhere else.

How do they manage to still get sales? I haven't seen one in stock anywhere!

@BiasedSonyFan Probably. If you have three competing consoles released at the same time, then sales would suffer due to multiple choices being brought to the consumer. Then it'll be up to the consumers taste and preferences whether he/she wants an Xbox,PS4 , or Switch. Although no consoles would be "squashed", sales would still be fine, but the numbers wouldn't be as big, since there would be more competition during that season. The so yeah, the Switch would do well in that situation, but it probably wouldn't be 1.5 million, due to a crowed launch period.

@Skogur Magic.

@OorWullie if we were to go by the 'if only this had released at that point' argument then we'd all have played the new Zelda a year ago on Wii u and the switch would be doomed without a launch Zelda. 😜

Overall that sales drop off is HUGE!! That Shouldn't be happening that fast unless....You know...It's all launch hype that can't sustain a sales platform without game's and releases. I hope the switch does well overall​ but I'm not blind to the fact that the Wii u had a better launch at this point in the country the switch was pretty much designed for. AND they have the largest consumer/brand selling potential. This is the end of the hype train....It's a long wait for game's now, longer than Wii u. Let's see what happens next. Grabs popcorn and Wii u gamepad, puts feet up

@countzero
Yeah mate its about 950 thousand,can't remember the exact number,but yeah it was just short of 1 million about 2 weeks ago so it's probably just reached that 1 mill landmark. Not great numbers though

The release window for Switch games is still a huge problem. yes Zelda is obviously amazing but most people have finished it already and are playing on again which is fine but not everyone is a Zelda fan.

Mario kart is obviously ready as we all owned it long ago it should be out sooner, i fear people may get bored.

Strange how these threads bring some people out of the woodwork... "oh wow the Switch has dropped off in Japan! Failure! Time to gloat...told you I was right!"

I'm surprised Zelda sold as well as it did, the Japanese don't normally give Zelda games the time of day. They said they need to sell 2 million copies to turn a profit off the game, I get a feeling they might do that quite soon.

@Koke yeah I'm in Osaka and have experienced everything you say - I did manage to find a pro-controller in a random supermarket near me (which I bought even though I don't have the switch yet, just because I was aware of the scarcity).

I've heard talk of a restock here tomorrow, am keeping my fingers crossed.

There is no Stock available! Nintendo underestimated demand as usual, like with the NESClassic (which for some insane reason they suddenly stopped production for!, while there were still huge unfilfilled pre-order lists worldwide??!).

Here in Norway there hasn't been a new stock delivery since before 3rd of March.
New Stock keeps being pushed back week after week and now it's unconfirmed for next week Friday.

And who knows. Nintendo might have temporarely halted production in secret, to address current issues ( wifi and left joy-con ), before resuming production again.

@ luke88 If you're looking to pick up a console, my best advice is to check Amazon regularly. During the preorder phase, they had units available at pretty random times, despite being sold out almost all of the time. Yodobashi also seems to not put out purchase cards for all of their stock either. I got the Link Archer amiibo this week by asking at the counter.

Nintendo Switch no stock available thats all i here, which that statement is false especially in the UK. Amazon UK, Asda UK, Argos UK want one go and get one, thats not the problem in the UK after Zelda what else is there to play but indie games. Thats the problem games AAA, so the next spike in sales will likely be this Xmas holiday where there are games like Mario Odyssey, Slatoon, Mario Kart etc. And the Switch itself will likely be bundled with Zelda BOTW, Mario Kart or Mario Odyssey, making it look a lot more appealing.

Like others have said, the lack of games is problematic, though by no means a death sentence. Every console launch has a relatively week lineup. I've been more than happy with Zelda - I just beat the main story after 60 hours in, and I see it entertaining me for at least another 60 if not more. So I'm not disappointed about the launch.

But my wife, also a Nintendo fan, has absolutely no interest in Zelda. She's a casual gamer for sure, so the complexity of Zelda's systems, plus the puzzles, mean that she really doesn't really have any reason to touch the switch. The only thing she's looking forward to is Puyo Puyo Tetris, and only because I've been talking it up (She's a fan of Dr. Mario), and MK8 Deluxe, which I'm still not sure if I'll buy because we have it for Wii U. The first huge title she'll be looking forward to is Mario Odyssey, which isn't out until the end of the year if we're lucky.

I just don't really see how the switch is support to capture the non-gamer gamer market again with its current lineup. And it looks like it might be a long time before there is a good lineup for casuals.

The on the go factor has contributed to me playing my Switch more than any other console now, because I am always on the go for work lol

I have already bought Zelda, Snipperclips, Bomberman, I am Setsuna, Fast RMX, King of Fighters 98, and Blaster Master 0.

I am also only about half way through Zelda due to lack of time atm. But I can whittle away at it because I can bring it with me. If it was a PS4 game I wouldnt have even been able to start it yet, like Horizon that got delivered launch day and I have not had time to touch

@BiasedSonyFan That would of course also depends on how many units Nintendo made available. More ofthen than not their initial sales numbers are hampered by supply.

@PlywoodStick Actually, I have. And, funny you should mention this kind of thing, because:

http://www.inceptional.com/kirk-d-johnston-stories/

I just posted this the other day.

@BiasedSonyFan Yep, The Switch would sell less due to if it had launched near the PS4 and Xbox one launch of that season. It'll still sell well, but it be wouldn't be 1.5 million due to a sudden congested market of new hardware. Most people would rather spend their money on 'Next-Gen' consoles at launch then buying a secondary like the Switch, if given the choices. Of course you would leave that part out, since people like you are so predictable and pretentious as always.

@BiasedSonyFan Well I thought we we're talking about a what if scenario where The Xbox one, PS4, and The Switch were launched at the same time. I didn't say it wouldn't have sold half it's numbers I said it would've sold less due to more competition on the market at that time, it would still sell well, but it probably wouldn't be at 1.5 million.

The only joke I see here is you making mountains out of molehills from a what if scenario, overreact much pal?

@BiasedSonyFan I know that but I was talking about a hypothetical situation, if they had launched at the same time. People are usually going to buy a Next Gen console rather than buying a secondary console.

Man, you really are making a big deal out of a hypothetical situation, get some mental help friend. How absurd.

@Dakt hahahaha awesome. U r cool!