82% Of Starlink: Battle For Atlas Sales Were On Switch In UK, Only Managed 14th In Charts Debut

Giku.

Mandatory download?
Mandatory skip.

That's TWO lost sales from this household.

It's quite remarkable. My interest in this game went from zero to a hundred upon learning of Star Fox's inclusion, and then back to zero upon learning of the mandatory download. It is not unreasonable to expect a playable game for AU$120.

Spot the platform that's starved of new and interesting games.

And while you're at it, spot the overly expensive toyfest with a mandatory download.

I look forward to picking this game out of a bucket in a year or so.

PS. Inb4 somebody says 82 + 10 + 9 doesn't equal 100.

It hasn’t reviewed particularly well, unfortunately. Got a 6 on push square.

With CoD, Fifa 19 and RDR2 on the horizon it's a tough month for players and I'm sure Starlink would not be on the top priority games to be purchased on PS4 and XB1.
Switch on the other hand...is having a slow period, this month only Mario Party, Starlink and now Dark Souls...not many choices...

Didn’t the UK have a big price disparity going on with this game, or was that just the digital versions?
I don’t think it’s too bad, considering it went against Mario Party and Dark Souls got 12th. The fact that some folks are still confused about how it works probably didn’t do any favors.

Good game,but I only bought it to play as Fox if I'm honest.

(NO Comments, because you know what is my feeling to see this news...)

Should’ve been a Switch exclusive.
Multi-plat release doesn’t always guarantee greater sales.

They really should’ve ‘tripled down’ on the Switch fanbase.

Some games benefit from the exposure of being a platform exclusive- this would’ve been one of them. Although I think Toys to life is dead at this point.

Bought Starlink because of Fox&co. Digital...

I am liking the game so far and the collectibles make my wallet tremble...

@BladedKnight

I have numbers of pre order here in France and some other countries such as Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany and UK !
Let me tell you that it's scary !

Red Dead Redempion 2 has big chance to break records... o_O

@gcunit
Wait, you are no longer Moderator here ?

I don't see a Star symbol on your profile.

Mandatory toys to life price drop incoming!!!

Starlink had a full section dedicated to it at my local Game store. And some Youtuber’s (Arlo, PGB) we’re giving sponsored impressions. All this doesn’t seem to have paid off for them.

I do not live in the UK and I bought Dark Souls instead. Not that I won't pick up Starlink because I will.

Most people are saying it is better to buy digital anyway because you get more and it is cheaper. The toys are for a certain demographic. I want that arwing but I mostly play in handheld anyway. Digital is the way to go with this one.

@Silly_G
If you stick to this rule you'll have to skip many games in the future, and I'm not sure Nintendo will eventually hear you out.

I grabbed the Standard Digital edition which is no slouch at $119. Am I enjoying it? Absolutely. Had absolutely no interest in the toy gimmick but I'm really starved for a fun space shooter.

This will tide me over just nicely until Everspace.

I think this would have made a bigger splash if it was Switch exclusive but I'm not Ubisoft so don't really mind either way.

I'll grab Dark Souls when I get paid in a few days too. Windjammers comes out tomorrow which will be mine also!

The Switch is one hell of a games machine. I really wish Borderlands will see a release on it too. Portable perfection!

Mandatory download with a physical version and having to pay for new part with real money is not for me. I'll see to buy it if they release a GOTY version with everything included.

@jenkje I would have done that but I NEEDED that Arwing

Seems like this should have just been released on the Switch. The mandatory download puts me off. It would be good to see some TV adverts for this heavily promoting the Starfox content. It's clear it can only make any headway in sales on the Switch....

It's not just about how many people bought the game. It's about the average add on packs people buy.

That saying, I didn't buy any of it.

Way too expensive, wouldve been day one for me if i could download it for 50 quid or under

@River3636 69.99 on the eshop, way too expensive. Id love to have played it but hopefully itll be in the bargain bin in 6 months

To expensive, no publicity, bad reviews, no miracles.

I am willing to bet that on Xbox/PS4 most of starlinks sales was digital. Its far cheaper and doesn't have fox.

@NewAdvent actually last time I checked on the UK store is not even on the charts top 30... This is game was very wrongly priced here. I will buy it when the stardard package will be fairly priced (under 50 at least)

I knew it was gonna bomb when they debuted it last year or year before. The reaction to it was nothingness, people only started to care once Starfox was tacked on...and even then Ps4/Xbone owners didnt care.

They should have canned those versions.

Not insta bomba territory(especially if a decent chunk of people buy more toys/DLC) but not exactly a great start either. Although it’s not quite as bad as it looks with all the super evergreens and recent mega hits on the charts.

I still wish Chart Track would give us numbers like media create does.

@NewAdvent well I was off for the weekend but I am pretty sure was not there on the UK one (it was on the US though)

I want this game but the reason I haven’t bought it is because I wanted a retail version without the toys. Not only was that not offered, but they are actually incentivizing you to buy digital because you get more content for $60 digital versus $75 retail. It seems most people aren’t interested in the toys so I wondered if more just chose digital since it’s a way better deal.

@Azzdama It is Ubisoft so there will be a sale.

For some reason, this game does not appear in the European e-shop Top 30.
off topic: Google Chrome says today that it is not safe to be on this site.

@JasonLee99 in uk the digital version is 70 pounds, same as retail version, i just typed that into google and 70 pounds would apparently be 90 dollars. whereas 60 dollars (price of digital version in US) is 46 pounds in the uk. so u are getting the digital version for half the price versus the uk price. absolutely crazy.

The Star Fox bits look cool, but I'm totally put off by the Toys-2-Life concept, even if it's apparently easy to get around with the digital version. I want all the content in the base package, thanks.

well you look at toys then you look at game. my kids would maybee like toys but the game nope. and then I look at price and hahaha yeah sure ubisoft. But wasnt most skylanders sales actually on the wii as well. i still See them selling the xb1 ps4 sets here for next to nothing and still on the shelf.

I think the toys to life aspect is a big deterrent for this game's success.

I got the digital version, and I've been liking it a lot as a Star Fox open galaxy adventure. So much so that I honestly hope that's the way Nintendo takes the series going forward.

At the same time, I believe a lot of people see the toys to life aspect and instantly pass on it, without even realizing how 100% optional it is. The base digital version is absolutely a complete game, which isn't immediately obvious to a lot of people.

EDIT: @Ralizah your comment is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about! If you're at all interested in the game's concept, I heartily encourage you to get the standard digital version. I swear you won't ever feel the need to purchase any of the toys, physical or digital. Game's fun, runs well on Switch, and has impressive scope.

@BANJO "Seems like this should have just been released on the Switch"

Honestly, I'm inclined to agree. If they just made this an exclusive and called it Star Fox: Battle for Atlas, I believe public perception alone would allow it to sell significantly more.

@Silly_G I was amazed when I put Super Mario Party in and it didn’t need any updates. At all.

I considered buying it when the day one patch was confirmed to be 6GB instead of 15GB, but when I learned that the only way to get the physical game card is with a whole bunch of unnecessary toys, I passed. I don’t want the digital game, but i also don’t want the toys. Why can’t you just buy the game card separately?

I know I like to harp on Nintendo for their pricing, but this is the downfall of big quick sales. I picked up Rabbids at launch and loved it. But it quickly dropped to 1/2 price with DLC. I emwant this game but I expect a similar fate. Will buy when $30.

@cleveland124

Ubisoft was in control of pricing for Mario + Rabbids and Starlink, not Nintendo.

Not that I'm going to get this game any time soon, but it's always sad to see new I.P getting buried underneath the same old annual cash grabs.

My purchase of Starlink will count on the US sales charts. US deluxe digital edition about the same price as standard UK digital edition and it has all the content.

I like the game, but I wouldn't have wanted to pay any more and it is the case that the further I progress, the more I have need of different weapons. In many ways Starlink is an experiment for Ubisoft to test whether this model is as profitable as "traditional" microtransactions for certain demographics. Personally, a version with all the content is the only way I really want to go. They have to fix the pricing, though. £90 UK versus the equivalent of just over £60 (US) is ridiculous.

I'm really enjoying Starlink's digital version, but I couldn't recommend the physical version to anyone. If you want the game, just get it without the toys, that's a total option, plus in the US it's at a very good price ($60, same as all Switch games basically)

Not surprising, and cool to see it doing reasonably well on Switch. It's not exactly a game that was ever going to chart along with the 3 months of massive heavy hitters people have been waiting years for, but it's doing pretty well for a "B" title. I doubt Ubi was expecting this to sell like Odyssey. Tough it seems to be outselling the For Honor expansion which is both good, probably expected, and also....just.....stop trying to make For Honor happen, Ubisoft, it's not going to happen.

@thesilverbrick Check eBay in a week. I'm sure all the game cards that weren't in the starter kit boxes will turn up somewhere

@cleveland124 That's just how Ubisoft does pricing...they've been doing that weirdness for years now on other platforms.

@Silly_G Mandatory downloads pffft. With Starlink you're just lucky if you get a game at all

In all honesty, this game was so confusing to understand what came with what cause of the freaking toys. The toys are just so unnecessary and it would have been completely fine to have this game without them. I get that there's a starter pack, but I don't want to spend nearly 80 bucks on a game just for a toy. I'm just gonna wait this one out cause I'm certain these toys will be in the bargain bin after Xmas.

Biggest news to is seeing how low Soul Calibur 6 is

1st it priced its self out of the market
2nd all ships and pilots don't add any extra content at £25 that's wrong
3rd not the type of game to appeal to Xbox and ps4 gamers, should have focused of more starfox content and made it a switch exclusive
4th no one wants the plastic junk

its not for me.

@Juma009 IKR?! I am a bit flabbergasted to see it. I mean, it is technically niche, but I heard many people talking about it. Maybe it was just word of mouth, didnt see any posters or in store catalogs mention it. Hopefully iy does better in other regions.

Believe it or not, I didn't care a bit that Star Fox got in this game. I was interested from the beginning. I just always knew this was going to be a Christmas present with all the investment that has to go into it.

Glad to see it charted at all, frankly. Most of the buzz around it was skepticism at best.

I thought this would struggle to get in top 10 tbh as the price and plastic are off putting. I am however enjoying it immensely and encourage those tempted to take the plunge

I'm sure most people got it digitally and some probably got it from another region cause of all the pricing inconsistencies. Yesterday when I checked the eshop(canadian) it was in 4th place on the best sellers tab

I ran to the store...located the box...picked it up and looked at the toy....put it back down....it's an ugly Starwing

@hakjie11
yeah dude, I had the same feeling

@hakjie11 you too? me too man

@hakjie11 It is as if we were the same person

It’s telling that the vast majority of criticism comes from people who have never actually played the game.

This is one of the most fun, well-made titles I’ve ever experienced on the Switch. I haven’t been able to put it down since I got it.

All of the baseless philosophical musings and misguided manifestos won’t change that.

@Silly_G who cares about a mandatory download? Its 2018 where most games have that

@ricklongo Yes calling it Star Fox: Battle For Atlus would certainly help. As it stands I really can't see it selling on PS4/Xbox One, not with Red Dead around the corner. The game will be in the bargin bin in no time for those platforms. It has a chance on the Switch if it gets a few adverts in the run up to Christmas....

Its a great game, and certainly helps fill the ongoing lackluster 2018 release schedule on Switch.

Doesn't compare to AC Odyssey, Tomb Raider, or Soul Caliber on the other consoles for me. But I still recommend it!

@Cobalt Scary as in poor right? Coz in the biggest mediamarkt in Belgium they only sold 1 box of the Starwing version after 4 days of release.

@RadioHedgeFund : I commented on that elsewhere. I mentioned that it was a nice change of pace (and also quite sad, really) that I went in expecting an update.

And I feel quite frustrated whenever people beg for more content via DLC. I'm very happy with Super Mario Party version 1.0 (and I hope it shall remain that way). I'd rather get a new instalment instead. Mario Party is one of Nintendo's few franchises that would not suffer from brand fatigue by producing an annual(ish) instalment.

@Tibob : Their loss.

@BladedKnight @Mando44646 : Games on other platforms require installation because Blu-ray discs do not have enough bandwidth for games to be playable directly from the disc. The game itself is (in the majority of cases) still on the disc itself and can be played without a mandatory download or internet connection, so it is disingenuous to state that most games nowadays require mandatory downloads when it is untrue.

And publishers are at fault for rushing games to shelves rather than ironing out the bugs and any other issues before mass producing the games. Traditionally, patches are released when issues are apparent after release. Nowadays, publishers release unfinished builds of games knowing that issues exist.

I don't understand why you, the consumer would defend such practices. When one anti-consumer practice is normalised and the market accepts it with indifference, then scummier practices will follow. Perhaps having a complete game in a physical format is unimportant to you, but it is not unfair to have such an expectation, as the practice of releasing unfinished and/or partial games on physical media is a fairly recent phenomenon.

I'll Get it when on Sale. Just better things to play right now and my pre-order of RD2 is right around the corner. Even if digital - still not worth.

The Switch launch schedule simply has nothing exciting for the rest of 2018 except for Smash.

Starlink selling less at launch than Super Mario Party in its 3rd week is pretty bad. Unless it sprouts legs during the holidays, I could see Ubisoft completely ditching the T2L mechanics or outright canceling the series. If there is a sequel, it will probably be a Switch exclusive at this rate.

Same with Soul Caliber VI. I could see Bandai Namco canning the franchise, as these numbers are worse than Marvel v Capcom's Infinite launch sales.

@Silly_G

“I honestly feel infuriated when people beg for more content via DLC.”

I honestly feel relieved that development decisions aren’t determined by your mood disorder. Get a grip, dude.

Dark Souls Remastered actually sold quite well on Switch. It sold about as much as the XBO version of the game when it launched back in May. It did better than Starlink, and almost as much as Soul Caliber VI.

@hakjie11

We were talking about the preorders of Red Dead Redemption 2 !
On the other hand, Starlink is not far from a flop...

I don’t mind that Starlink has a download. I’ll likely wait for it to hit $30 like all other Ubisoft titles. And it’s no wonder Switch outsold the other two consoles— it’s got the Star fox content. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that more story, not just characters switched around from the other versions?

@BladedKnight : You haven't completely grasped my point. Space is not the issue here per se (however, one of the key advantages of buying physical copies of games, especially on a portable device such as the Switch, is to conserve internal storage).

The issue is that a complete working version of the game is not available on the cartridge in some cases. Those accustomed to rival platforms seem to conflate mandatory downloads with installations. The two are not one and the same. With installations, data is being transferred from the disc itself, so even when the servers are inevitably terminated, the game will still be playable in the future. Such is not the case with Switch cartridges that only contain a small fraction of the game and require a download.

@BladedKnight

They’re not. They’re often a necessary part of maintaining quality control or adding last-minute features.

The people who complain belong to a tiny (albeit loud) minority who have no concept of marketing and game development.

@Ryzaerian : You make it sound like I would go postal over such a frivolous hobby. There's no need to get personal. I was sharing an opinion with somebody who I thought was likeminded in preferring a better physical product over one that is rushed to shelves and fixed after the fact (and in some cases, they simply aren't).

And I am well aware of how major publishers conduct themselves nowadays. It is one thing to add last minute features to a timely release, such as, say, FIFA, which would require regular updates in order to keep the roster as current as possible, but in the many cases, unfinished games are put to press (so to speak) with no guarantee that pre-existing issues will even be resolved (WWE 18 being a particularly notorious example) where deadlines are prioritised over quality.

If you are happy with the way things are, then good for you. I don't see why you would disparage those who feel otherwise when our wishes in no way whatsoever impedes on your expectations of what constitutes a better quality product.

@Silly_G
This is really silly logic. On Xbox One and PS4 - EVERY game is a mandatory download - for the full game, even when you buy physical. And we are going to complain about a measly 6gb download so the game can run optimally? C'mon man. Well... 82% of Switch-owning purchasers in the UK obviously don't mind. You shouldn't miss out on a great game because of 6gb!

@Silly_G
Almost all games downloaded from disc on other consoles still require an update download - most often over 10gb. AND you often can't play the game without them.

@moonymarauder : Mandatory installation is not akin to a mandatory download. I have already explained the difference earlier in the conversation. And game updates are not required unless the game is online based (such as Fortnite, and I would guess the more recent Call of Duty games). I do not doubt that there are a minority of games on rival platforms that may require a mandatory download, but that would be indicated on the packaging with an "internet required" notice (or similar).

In all honesty, the game is garbage. I only played it at Insomnia because the booth assistant was cute. Other than that, other platforms have better games to be played.

People are just burnt out on the toys-to-life spin. Even though I believe they did it best outside amiibo. You can buy everything digitally.

You people who are passing on this game are nuts. It's one of the best Switch games to date, and by far the best thing that's ever happened to Starfox. The gameplay is fantastic. Forget about the toys and buy the digital deluxe version. Starlink is one of the best games I've ever played; cannot recommend it highly enough.

This should have been a Switch exclusive, all pre launch chat was about Star Fox anyway and let's be honest there are many more and better games available right now for the other 2

@Silly_G
The servers being taken down in a far away future is not a real issue : there will be a way (legal or not) to get the game working.
Or you could get the data on a micro SD, then onto your hard drive so 20 years from now when you wanna go through a tedious game you already completed, you can reinstall Starlink.

Next week is where RDR2 takes over the charts, I'm surprised Super Mario Party has lasted this long in the top 10.

PS4 owners have bigger and better games to choose from. Plus it doesn't have the exclusive Star Fox content that no doubt attributed to its sales on Switch. Regardless, it still sold poorly on Switch as well.

@luke88 Ya, but this site gave it 9/10. What a surprise.

There's no way of spinning this. Both Starlink and Dark Souls sold poorly.

If it wasn't for the mandatory 6Gb Download to play the game, I'd get it ASAP but I'll wait...

Start using larger carts, devs and distribs!

Is it possible to set up a US account on Switch, download the game cheaply from the US eshop, and then just play it on your regular UK account?

If toys werent needed I whould have bought it.

@DenDen They’re not. I have no interest in physical components, and thus bought the Digital Deluxe bundle.

Whatever factors contributed to the sales numbers (marketing, confusion/hesitation about the physical requirements), it wasn’t the quality of the game itself.

The game is excellent.

Furthermore, I seriously question the integrity and competence of any reviewer who gave Starlink less than 8/10.

No surprise there, considering that Europeans like FIFA so much. The death of video games is nigh.

I am glad I read through all 100+ comments for this post. It confirms to me what I needed to know about Starlink which I could not even find on Google. You know its bad when Google cant help me answer questions about something. What I took away from the comments:

-Digital is the way to go!

-You cannot get Starlink game as a standalone physical copy.

-Get physical only if you are interested in the toys.

-Wait until this game goes on sale because Ubisoft games usually do.
[which is what I plan to do].
Look at Mario & Rabbids kingdom battle for example.

-It is a really fun game.

-Should have been Switch exclusive because of Star Fox and not even waste time releasing on xbox1 and ps4.

Thank you to everyone that comment on here! I am not being sarcastic either. I legitimately thank you all. Starlink and the information about it was so confusing and you all cleared up everything for me. Thanks again!

I doubt that everybody was put off by the concept of toys to life, because there are people active in the Starlink thread who bought every one of the starship packs. I also know that I bought a physical starter pack, even though I knew by then that digital was a more efficient way to go, because TOY SPACESHIPS PEW PEW PEW!!!!

And yes, I will probably buy one more ship to go with my Arwing, not only because the game encourages it by using the toys as lives but because TOY SPACESHIPS PEW PEW PEW.

Seriously, it's a good game and the starfighter models are not half bad. I refuse to start collecting all of them, and I'll probably be done with Starlink altogether by this time next year, but I have no regrets.

Preordered and bought starter pack, digital pack information was very late and close to release. Love the game but wish I had gone digital for the full content. Yes you can complete it but not 100% it.

Great news, these toy cash-ins are rubbish. Just sell me games, with no nonsense addons, lootboxes or stupid upgrades.

I bought the physical starter pack because it was the cheapest option ($79 compared to $80 for digital). I don't have all the extra ships and weapons but I didn't care about them anyway. I only wanted it for Star Fox, so the base game is fine and I got an Arwing to put on the shelf.

Interested in the game, but not at all interested in buying physical chunks of plastic to play it (and lose the ability to play the full game if I travel without them).

Also not interested in paying substantially more for a “standard” digital edition than any first party Nintendo game, or any other game on Switch for that matter. It’s not a matter of choosing between this and another game, it’s choosing between this and 3-4 other more worthy games.

The reviews make it clear that the content included in the game is what you’d expect from a game at the £40 level, maybe £50 at a stretch. But with all the Ubisoft grinding mechanics, I’d struggle to pay more than £30.

@jmap if you buy the physical add ons, you're also able to use them digitally! I already tried it and used my Pro Controller when the battery of one of my Joy Con was depleted. And I also played in handheld. Both times all items I purchased were available digitally after I used them once.

Too bad the game didn't perform better. The game is fun to play and tinker around with. Especially when you play it with the physical ships and weapons. But there are actually 2 interesting bits of information to take away here: 1. The huge chunk of Switch sales of course 2. Xbox sales not being too far behind Playstation sales. That is the biggest surprise in this news story for me.

@In_Ex_Fan Thank you for the info, but unfortunately it’s been reported they’ll only for work seven days, then you need to activate again with the models. So no good for travelling.

@jmap According to the official Ubisoft FAQ, the base ships and weapons that you get in a Starter Pack are unlocked permanently. It's only the add-on weapons that you have to relink every seven days. So if you're travelling for longer than a week you could still play, just not with all the add-ons.

Top 20 for Switch version in the U.K. is decent. I imagine it'll do quite a bit better here in the States. I'm hoping the Switch version does well enough to warrant a sequel. Starlink along with Mario+Rabbids have been Ubisoft 's more interesting games in recent memory. Nothing against the likes of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry or Rainbow 6, but it's nice to have some variety to shake things up.

Look at the monster big names that are on this list and tell me you are actually surprised that a new IP like Starlink( Fox is just a guest character ) didn't do great. You have Mario, Forza, Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, Lego-DC, Spiderman, and Assassin's Creed!

Nothing surprising here!

I'm currently addicted to Starlink on Switch, it is definitely worth the digital download version if you don't like/want the toys. you get plenty for the price of a regular game that way and the co-op is perfection. I'm actually surprised 4 out of 5 games sold were on switch, I thought it'd be more like 9 out of every 10 copies sold were on Switch.

I mean, technically this is Star Fox 2 HD. What else could you ask for?

These comments. 👍😂🤣

I played this over the weekend. It is actually a very good game thats hindered by a mandatory download because the devs are too cheap to use a 16GB card instead of an 8 requiring a mandatory download, it's slightly over priced and comes with toys that are required to get access to other features in the game itself.

Unfortunately these are too many concessions.

They knew how to sell this mediocre title to Switch owners. Include some minor Nintendo related characters, then Switch owners buy it day one. Switch owners are on autopilot when it comes to any Nintendo releted things.
Switch owners=zombies
Any Nintendo related characters and content= raw meat.

@moonymarauder yeah but look at it this way.

The devs used an 8GB cart instead of a 16GB cart meaning the whole game could have fit on the 16GB cart. Then to add to that they actually decided to charge more for this game than the going rate.

All this while actually knowing the Switch doesn't have 1TB of storage like both Xbox and PS4 have.

It's kind of a shot in their own foot really... To do all that while also knowing other devs will be releasing heavy hitters this month.

Ubisoft either didn't think this out or never expected good sales on this.

I'm on the the exceptions. Despite the Switch being my main gaming platform I bought the PS4 version for better graphics and to avoid the forced contamination by Nintendo's worst franchise. I can already see why thing game is selling great for the Switch but not so well on other platforms. Starlink is a classic case of the "Ubisoft formula." If you don't know what that means, Ubisoft basically uses the same set up for all their open world games. The characters, story and weapons change, but the way you take on missions and interact with the world is the same. The first time I played Starlink, I thought "This is Far Cry in space." They're good games but you can also get burned out on them. So this is Switch's first "Ubisoft formula" game and something new for Nintendo only players. But for PS/XB, it's just another Ubisoft game and "Ooh look! Assassins Creed Odyssey!"

@Axlroselm
Yeah, the amount of comments I saw after the StarFox reveal along the lines of "I had no interest in this game, but now it's a must-buy!" It's like; yeah thanks, you're really doing wonders for the old Nintendo fan/third-party games stereotype there... Plus Ubisoft also knew that, like with Mario + Rabbids, they were guaranteed 9/10s from Nintendo sites (that would've been 7s or 8s without the crowbarred Nintendo characters).