
It's been an excellent first year to date for the Nintendo Switch, with the big N in the welcome (albeit stressful) position of racing against demand to manufacture and ship enough units to stores. The concept has taken off, and the company will no doubt hope to see that momentum carry into next year and beyond.
In the NPD stats for the US market the Switch has been a regular star - from a record launch to topping the hardware chart in the last two months. NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella has now weighed in on where the system stands in terms of software sales in its launch year; it's in a good spot, basically.
He goes on to clarify a few other things around this statement - he's referring to the 'launch year' in terms of the calendar year, his statistics are based on consumer spend not just unit sales, and the statistic doesn't account for pack-in hardware in the past such as Wii Sports. As a result the Switch statistics benefit from its early March launch (not April as we said earlier, oops!), as opposed to a late year release.
All of the provisos aside, it's another indication - at the very least - that the Switch is performing well. It's had multiple major hits like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and also the likes of ARMS and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Super Mario Odyssey will be a big driver in the festive shopping period, too.
Bask in those positive Nintendo vibes - go on, treat yourself.
Thanks to all that sent this in.
Comments 55
I'm still taken aback whenever I see good news about a Nintendo console. The Wii U conditioned me to expect the worst at all times. This is great news.
good for switch! hope this continues on.
The console Nintendo launched in 1995 was the Virtual Boy. Not the best comparison.
Most Nintendo platforms launch during the holiday season (November). This comment is basically saying that Switch software in its first 10 months will exceed Wii, Wii U, DS, and GCN software sales in their respective first 2 months, which is cool but really not that impressive.
A valid comparison would be against the 3DS, which was also a spring March launch. Nintendo shifted <12 million units of 3DS software in the US in 2011. Zelda Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Odyssey on the Switch will sell at least 6 million copies in the US by the end of 2017.
Throw in the sales of every other Switch game of 2017, from Splatoon and Arms to FIFA 18 and Skyrim, and the "battle" will be ridiculously lopsided in favor of the Switch.
Mario should sell literally in the millions, even w/ the install base at 6 million, before 2017 is out. My digital download won't be counted among them however.
It's been a great launch year no doubt. Still have FIFA starting tomorrow - I'm guessing that will sell - and Skyrim should sell some copies as well. XC2 is probably too niche to move the needle outside of Japan. And Doom. Software sales being good should come as no surprise to anyone when you have software to sell.
All these positive Nintendo news is making me feel odd. I'm not used to it.
Happy to hear this.
I was extremely skeptical when the Switch was first announced (having been burned by the Wii U debacle), but I'm delighted to see the Switch performing so well, and with it having a huge amount of potential for further improvement too (video apps, virtual console, increasing 3rd party support, etc.)
I'll be picking up mine this weekend so long as the Target near me hasn't sold either of the ones they have in stock the other day...
@westman98 Or if they based it off of a 12 month timeframe, then it would be a fair comparison.
Quality-wise, I think this may be looked at as the best launch year for any console, ever. Good to know things aren't much different in the sales standpoint.
@Takerkaneanite6
Yep, that would be the fair and accurate comparison.
The Switch launched in March. Also, wow, it's based on the calendar year? That significantly decreases how interesting this is. Most Nintendo systems launch at the end of the calendar year.
Provisos aside, it's obviously doing very well and is on track to be one of Nintendo's great success stories.
@KingMike He means records began in 1995, so it's the best launch year since records began.
I'm all for a bit of Switch positivity but these seem like pretty dubious figures. Not the best comparison.
Either way, it's nice to see success rewarded. Nintendo finally show they have learned from their mistakes and launch some quality hardware with a very strong software lineup. It seems right that it should sell.
Wii and Wii U both had launch hardware bundles with software included. They're not included in this analysis. Switch launched with no pack-in software, requiring people to fork out even more money. It's good to see them do well but you can always spin some stats to put a glossier shine on a product. If Wii Sports was included it would destroy almost anything. It's one of the biggest sellers of all time.
@KingMike they only started recording the figures in 95.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE actually npd couldn't wii sports even tho it was bundled. No spin.
in retrospect, I am amazed by how badly Nintendo bungled the Wii U and especially the 3DS launch library. Compared to Switch, its like they didn't even bother trying
@Mando44646 They didn't. Then could only afford to keep one alive and we all know which one they chose.
That's a very pointless stat. The only thing it's really comparable to is the 3DS which was widely regarded as a flop. I'm sure the switch will be right up there compared to all Nintendo hardware's first 12 months, but saying it's had the best first calendar year means next to nothing when you look at when other machines launched.
Impressive, but that statistic isn't too useful since it's talking about the launch year. I'd be much more curious to see how the first 12 months of the Switch compares to the first 12 months of the other consoles, but it's too early for that one.
I feel like I've been incredibly choosey when it comes to picking up games. Come October though, I'm going to be hopelessly behind.
@BensonUii I literally spat my drink across the room when I opened my inbox...lol. Sorry I wasn't here earlier, had trouble getting home, there was a broken down freight on my line. I blame Nintendo personally but the rail company said it was a broken down train. PR cover ups and a Reggie deflection more like....
These stats mean nothing, the Switch is dead last and sales will plummet in 2 months and well basically what it all boils down to at the end of the day when push comes to shove, all the cards are laid on the table and the chips are down, they're pretty much doomed.
How's that?
It helps that the games are great. This is the strongest year one library I've ever seen, and it's not even over yet!
@Mando44646 I think what happened with Nintendo was they got caught up with the success of the Wii and the DS, and thought they were untouchable in the gaming market. They assumed all they needed to do was slap their name on both systems and market them as successors to the Wii and DS, and the rest would fall in line automatically.
They made the mistake of assuming their name alone sold consoles, and for a brief period forgot the golden rule that software sells hardware.
Nintendo is not alone with this arrogance, at some point all of the big three have suffered from it.
Look at what happened with the PS3. Because of the success of the both the PS1 and PS2, Sony arrogantly assumed they could slap their name and the Playstation brand on the PS3, and it would sell regardless of the software and at any price they wanted because people would flock to own one. They even insulted gamers by saying they could simply get another job if they wanted to own a PS3.
What happened? The PS3 struggled in its first few years on the market as the Wii took the casuals away while the Xbox 360 targeted the more mainstream to hardcore gamer.
Even Microsoft has seen this happen to them during this generation. The Xbox One has struggled to find its footing ever since Microsoft made serious PR blunders before the system came out.
Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all made the mistake of assuming their previous success in the last generation would mean they could do whatever they wanted and their fanbase would eat it up.
All three learned the painful lesson that you never rest on your laurels and its a never ending race. Like with the PS2 owners who flocked to Wiis and Xbox 360s when Sony drove them away, the Wii U and 3DS suffered as many of its consumers went to other platforms.
But in the end, there is a silver lining in all of this. Because of their losses with the Wii U, Nintendo had to hit a home run with the Switch, and it resulted in one of their most loaded launch years in their history.
Sony learned their lesson and made the PS4 more developer friendly, ensured they made their money back on the hardware quickly, went out and got exclusive games and content for the PS4, and pounced on the mistakes of their rivals.
Nobody is ever out of the race if they learn their lesson. Nintendo did that, and they are in a strong place yet again.
@Caryslan thats a good point and probably nearly spot-on. It seems every other generation or so, these companies need to be humbled and forced back into the recognition that they need to actually try with software and general pro-consumer concepts.
Microsoft's asinine 'Play Anywhere' program, thus eliminating all Xbox One exclusives, is the worst marketing idea I've seen in a while. That will backfire on them as well. Software, especially exclusives, sells the hardware
Basically Nintendo is selling games - and if you lucky enough as a 3rd party to make a game with a Nintendo iP... looks about the same to me.
Wait wait wait...Early April launch? Didn't the Switch come out in March?
NINTENDOOOMED!
seriously. Can't wait to play DOOM again on Switch...
Note that digital software sales on Switch are not accounted for in the NPD.
Any comparison between software sales on Switch vs any other pre-Wii U Nintendo platform will always be slightly biased against the Switch due to the lack of digital tracking.
Cue the armchair CEOs with the usual "these guys don't know anything, these numbers don't mean anything, I ran a lemonade stand back in 1985 so I know much better than these losers."
Our family already has 6 games. 3 are downloaded, and the other 3 are physical.
@Caryslan This, very hard, all over the place.
Definitely a good sign, not as good as it sounds since we are comparing about 10 months for the SWITCH versus 2-3 months for other Nintendo consoles. On the other hand, except for the Wii-U isn't this the first console to have full disk/cartridge based game also available for download, so that helps, albeit not even out, the discrepancy in the amount of time counted as a launch year.
@Peach64 The DS essentially had 8 years of production selling 154 million with 4 versions and only two of those versions truly mattered (Original and DSi). The 3DS also had only two versions that actually matter being the original and the New 3DS and containing a total 6 different versions in the 3DS line. The 3DS has currently sold above 68 million systems in 6 1/2 years. In terms of hardware sales it does appear that the system has sold poorly, but put into context, the 3DS has managed to actually survive and thrive through an era where the mobile market has almost been entirely consumed by smartphones and tablets. The DS had no such competition to deal with and on top of that the only other popular portable device was the Gameboy. The DS was a no brainer for anyone interested in mobile gaming at the time however the opposite is the case for today. Almost everyone has a smartphone, which can be easily used to play games on the go, why buy a 3DS when you can just use your phone? Another huge factor is due to the massive support of Pokemon exclusive games throughout the entire lifecycle of the DS. Pokemon is a huge seller for hardware. The system had 9 different versions of Pokemon (including things like diamond and pearl as separate games) where the 3DS currently has 6 and will be getting 8 very soon. I don't expect the 3DS to sell over 75 million by the end of the year as it's currently being overshadowed by the Switch, but the fact that this system saw any success over it's lifespan is representative of Nintendo's success in a very closed market. Tl;dr sure the 3DS has and will sell less than the DS, but due to the times of the DS, the 3DS has demonstrated about an equal amount of success.
I'm basking, I'M BASKING!
I will be happy only when hardware sales are as strong as original Wii.
It's impressive how they turned the situation around after the disaster that was the Wii U.
Never count Nintendo out, it seems.
1995. That's the year we got Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country 2, Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Killer Instinct, Harvest Moon, Super Street Fighter II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Final Fantasy 6, Stunt Race FX, and DOOM on the SNES.
I feel strange.
Are people really hyped about this or is it just that it's better than Wii? I haven't heard a single person mention Switch where I live except my hard core gaming buddy. Not just they don't have it, no one even talks about it.
I know that is super anecdotal, but i just haven't felt any hype for this system. for some reason Odyssey doesn't seem that interesting and nothing else is a killer app right now.
Like I said, I feel strange. I'm all nintendo all the time. everything else is the "also ran" for me. but I could not care less about the switch.
I love my Switch thus far. My only complaint remains that I want more! I want VC, I want video apps, I want home themes. There are so many things. I love the dual nature of the Switch and am pumped for more and more content on it.
@speedracer216 Thats because its a different kind of hype nintendo has. The 3ds sells millions but have you ever heard people get hyped up about its games? Not even kids, its mostly on PS4 where all the hype is. But that doesnt define the succes of a console. The Switch definetly is a hype but the hype that you expect will happen if the Switch will get games like GTAV that has been rumoured now.
Going with SMO and LA Noir this holiday. Can't wait! With Amazon Prime I may even save enough for some eshop stuff.
I hope this wave of positive news continues! Really hoping Capcom will eventually release a Western Monster Hunter Double Cross.
@speedracer216
I work in Madison, WI and Switch is spreading like wildfire there. Every month someone new buys a Switch, it's gotten so crazy we named it "Switchworld". In fact I just got done playing some Splatoon with Xavier, who just got the Splatoon bundle the other day. Keep in mind he has never owned a Nintendo console since the SNES. He's an Xbox gamer- has the X1X preordered, plays Division and all that jazz. And he just bought a Switch. Of course I was playing with Anthony also, another Xbox gaming coworker who got a Switch. These are people who never talk about Nintendo. But they are now. Another 2 people in the lab with a Switch. Jonathan and John. One is a more casual gamer, the other bought it instead of PS4 he'd be saving up for once he learned he could play Skyrim on the go.
The reason for this... is they saw mine. And ever since they saw mine it was just a matter of time before they finally decided to buy one. It took some longer than others and I wasn't sure if Xavier was actually interested, but he was. This is a system where seeing is believing. And as more and more people buy a system, and each of those people show 10 others people, and each of those 10 people each show 10 people.... it's going to explode on a macro scale just like at my work.
Everyplace is different but keep in mind right now there are still less than 10 million units in the wild globally. Just a few million in the US. As time goes on more and more people will be made aware. And I've seen firsthand the incredible response from people once they are.
@westman98 I recall 3DS didn't have a very good software selection the first year. Probably why it didn't sell very much.
I got mine launch day but I don't recall playing it much, compared to my DS. Maybe I played DS games on it.
I think Super Mario 3D Land was the first Mario game, 8 months after launch. Before that the two big-name first party games were two N64 remakes.
Unless you want to count Nintendogs+cats as "major", but I think even by 2011 that franchise was down.
@KingMike One or two Nintendo consoles have launched since the Virtual Boy.
@Caryslan
Great post. That corporate arrogance that catches Games market leaders took down Atari and Sega too.
What's a physical game? Can I get the Facebook CD and plug it into my iPhone?
@VoodooTrumpet how were you burned by the Wii U? It had lots of amazing games and you were one of the lucky few to own one
When you include those provisos, the statement is meaningless. It's counting the Wii as having no launch sales at all in the West for Pete's sake!
@Fred13 "one of the lucky few to own one"
One of the few, yes. Lucky, no.
Admittedly, a poor concept to follow up with the Wii with, but it's failure was guaranteed by constant missteps by Nintendo, until the point they just gave up and stopped caring too.
The home console equivalent of the Vita (although the Vita was a terrific design): some good games, but mistreated badly by their companies.
@VoodooTrumpet Think whatever you want, for me and my family we absolutely LOVED our Wii U. There were a lot of amazing games on it.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...