Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu And Eevee Combined Launch Sales Give New Entries Strong Start In The UK

I still have no idea why a game like Pokémon needs to be more "friendly and accessible".
The series are literally about 10-12 year-old kids.
It cannot get any friendlier than that.
Pokémon games are the easiest RPGs.

I'm not sure if the comparison to Sun/Moon is really fair. When S/M launched, 3DS sales were/are a lot more than the Switch's userbase in the U.K.

But yeah, these are still strong numbers.

For the UK that doesn’t seem bad at all, I’m more curious about how it’ll do in the US and internationally personally though.

Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee the fastest-selling Switch game ever by a big margin. Super Mario Odyssey was held the previous record, with ~85,000 retail copies sold at launch. If digital sales were included for Let's Go, its total launch sales would be bigger than that of X/Y (and possibly Black/White as well).

Considering how Let's Go is a full-priced game on a fairly expensive console that was never positioned as a brand new mainline entry, this is a really good sales turnout.

Of course, its launch sales absolutely pale in comparison to Sun/Moon. That game was a sales monster; we likely won't ever see a Nintendo game launch that big until Pokemon Gen 9 in 2022 at the tail end of the Switch's lifespan.

@KryptoniteKrunch : I agree, it's not fair.
Since this is a remake, it should be compared to those, like HG/SS or OR/AS.
Let's Go beat both.

This is good to hear, the games deserve the strong sales! My fiance and I are having a blast with them! The forced motion controls are my only complaint, but not a big one because I like the PokeBall Plus so much.

The price is the problem especially when you add in the Pokeball controller. I suspect a lot of people will be getting the game from Santa instead of buying it themselves.

I just wish there was a "normal" mode, because the easy mode is a little boring at time.
But that's how it goes with modern games...

@westman98 one problem with your assessment is that you're giving Switch only 5 years as a platform, and Kimishima/Miyamoto both said it's expected to go beyond 6, so 2022 won't be late in Switch's life, it'd be closer to just over halfway, especially if they hold true to their statement- likely will given how this can function as a handheld, and we've all seen how Nintendo loves to constantly refine handhelds, giving this then a 10 year lifetime. Plus, keep in mind Sun/Moon came out in 2016 and that was when Go was tearing up the charts and dominating everything, so the 3DS got to be the beneficiary of that excitement, translating to Sun/Moon sales, well until Ultra Sun/Moon took that away in 2017, as if they don't come out, it's very likely that Sun/Moon would be the highest selling games on the platform.

Hard to believe people thought this game was "just a spin-off" that nobody would care about...

This game was the biggest surprise of the year for me. It's my favorite Pokémon game ever made, and the first one I actually got addicted to immediately.

A lot (if not most) of the concerns the fanbase had turned out to be unjustified. Take battling, for example. I spend roughly half my time battling and half my time catching. They put trainers everywhere so you catch a Pokémon or two, then do a battle or two, back and forth, back and forth.

And the catching mechanics are fun! Man they're fun. Just the right amount of depth and skill and risk/reward to be engaging. A circle expands and contracts over and over, and you have to aim within the circle. The smaller it becomes the easier it is to miss, but, the higher the chance of a catch. Plus the Pokémon are jumping and moving and all this factors in to your aiming, and you can throw berries to feed them to slow them down and calm them to make it easier to catch... its fantastic. Then there's the Pokémon in the overworld, which is fabulous. I love picking my battles, and seeing special ones that are rare or tiny or whatever. It's also tricky to avoid them sometimes because there's a few in the grass and not much room, and they're moving around unpredictably.

This game is doing crazy well, especially for being a new concept and on Switch with a much smaller install base than previous entries. With a larger share of digital sales, Lets Go probably exceeds X/Y sales, not to mention the disparity between install bases at the time of their respective releases. And at $60 rather than $40. So less people are buying twice. And X/Y was a new gen, whereas Let's Go is a new approach much of the core fanbase adamantly rejected (and are only now discovering the game is actually incredible). Then the stock issues also holding Let's Go back, and it's like... wow. On an even ground comparison with the same install base and no stock issues and full sales including digital this game would easily be the 2nd best launch in series history, even despite being more expensive and a new idea. And Sun/Moon had the Pokémon GO craze to its advantage where 1 in 6 people on the planet had the game on their phone. We'll likely never see a Pokémon game top Sun/Moon. That was a once in a lifetime performance.

Sneak peak of the top 10.

1 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
3 Fallout 76
4 Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu
5 FIFA 19
6 Pokémon Let's Go Eevee
7 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
8 Fortnite: Deep Freeze Bundle
9 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
10 Hitman 2

No mention of Civ6.

@Agramonte
Pokemon Let's Go would have comfortably topped the UK charts if its sales weren't split between the Pikachu and Eevee versions.

physical copies sold out very quickly here in ontario — i would've picked one up but due to the shortage i ended up buying a digital copy instead.

Strong numbers in the UK. The Switch has a fraction of the user base compared to the 3DS and DS systems. You also have to factor in the digital nature of the Switch and those numbers are soft.

I saw tons of copies on Friday here in South Korea but by Sunday afternoon only a few left.

@Agramonte
Spyro, RDR2 & Fallout are on top. Thanks for posting this.

@Agramonte Happy to see Spyro doing so well. FIFA ahead of Black Ops. You know you are looking at a European sales chart when you see that.

The extent of thought in the U.S. is: Gun + Shoot= Good. Go Buy.

@NotTelevision The extent of thought in the U.K. is: Ball + Kick= Good. Go Buy.

See, I can do something similar.

@Liam_Doolan thanks for the update. Edited

@NotTelevision I think I saw BlackOps pretty high in the Japan chats also

There are likely several reasons for the lower-than-usual numbers for the Let’s Go games. The simplicity and “dumbed down” nature of the games is off-putting to some, plus the previous entries in the series all came to the GB/GBA/DS/3DS when they had far larger install bases. I’m curious how the generation eight games will perform next year.

Personally, I’m enjoying the nostalgia and presentation, but the lack of features I’ve come to know, love and expect from Pokémon are making these titles a bit disappointing and rather dull. Pokémon certainly didn’t need to be made even more simple than it already was.

@thesilverbrick You didn't read the article, did you?

@Dog Haha. Touché.

Boy, that drop from SM to USUM. Maybe next time, bridge a bigger gap between your "3rd version" game......

@thesilverbrick
Let's Go had a comparable launch numbers to all other mainline Pokemon games outside of Sun/Moon, which is not only the fastest-selling Pokemon game ever by a country mile but also Nintendo's fastest-selling game period.

Unless Nintendo's expectations was that Pokemon Let's Go would be their fastest/2nd fastest-selling game ever, I'd say Let's Go had a strong launch.

These are some pretty good sales for a non-mainline game. It's unfair to compare it to Sun and Moon since that was released at a time when Pokemon hype was at the highest it'd been since the late 90's, and I doubt we'll ever see Pokemon reach that insane level of popularity again unless Game Freak somehow catches lightning in a bottle again and makes another Pokemon Go.

I'm most interested in seeing the Japanese numbers though. I know it'll do big sales-wise, but I'm interested in just how big it'll be. Will it exceed Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon?

Definitely a strong launch in the UK

@ilikeike Yeah it will be interesting to see closer to the holidays what happens with Let’s Go. I’d guess the majority of Switch owners who already picked up Diablo or Dark Souls are just going to wait for Smash. Not much about the game screams “I gotta drop what I’m playing and check this out!”

I’m also guessing since they have that bundle with the game installed there is an expectation of it being a system seller. Perhaps it is and that whole Switch and smartphone linking feature will entice Go players into investing their money on this experience.

I heard it is a solid experience and many people seem to be enjoying it. I’m just not sure if marketing and making the game essentially “baby’s first Pokémon” was the most ideal approach.

@construx : I've said it before and I'll say it yet again. My sister has a myriad of disabilities and poor hand-eye coordination, so she has always struggled with any game that uses analogue controls.

She also hasn't played a main series Pokémon game since Silver (which she played on PC anyway), and she's completed almost all of the trials without any assistance whatsoever. She got stuck in Lush Jungle for neglecting to pay attention to instructions, but that's pretty much it. Plus, she is not at all familiar with any Pokémon past Gen II. I cannot emphasise enough how big an accomplishment this for someone with as many handicaps as she has. I'm stunned. QoL improvements such as the use of field Pokémon as opposed to HMs has also helped quite a lot.

I would have bought her a Switch and Let's Go Pikachu if the game was compatible with the Pro Controller or a dual Joy-Con setup, but I am afraid that Let's Go will (ironically) be a touch too difficult for her to manage with just a single Joy-Con, especially if she's going to be forced to use motion controls (and she WILL hurl it).

So, there is NO reason for Pokémon to be made any more accessible in such a patronising way, except perhaps an audio-assisted mode that could enable blind people to play as well (which Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 1-2 Switch have almost nailed, but both games still require a person who can see in order to assist).

Strong numbers, glad its doing this well.

Assuming that it has the same momentum across all regions as PUM&S, by next year PLG P&E will have sold more than 9 million copies.

Still waiting on Pokemon Stars.

When will the charts ever be brought into this century and include digital sales?

Let's Go launched with a console bundle that would be bought buy people that were getting a Switch to get this game. Sure you could argue that this number is much smaller and lately irrelevant but come Christmas time that is a console bundle that will probably sell out.

@MARATXXX Nintendo make more profit from a Digital sale - /this helps Nintendo. And ultimately translates to more and better games! Yay ! Thank you for buying digital

@construx
They wanted it more friendly and accessible to snatch as many pokemon go users as possible. I saw people over 60 as well as kids barely 5yo playing pokemon Go, so it makes sense for Nintendo to try to surf on that madness around pokemon go. Once people buy a Switch, it's a win for Nintendo.

@Liam_Doolan fun fact you look exactly like Adam Brody

Doomed. They'll fall off a cliff next week.

Ouch, stock issues. I hope they have enough Smash Ultimate stock to fulfill preorders.

Those statistics aren't upweighted, by the way. GfK covers 95% of the market, so you need to add 5% on for full market coverage.

But a pretty solid start. The real judge of success will be in how it performs over time (and particularly in the Christmas run-in)

On a Civ VI didn't chart in the all-formats chart. It made No.18 in the Switch Top 20.

I read it is number one if you combine versions.

Great launch (considering the market and the install base) so far for great games indeed.
I was sceptical and untill last week I was sure about no getting them but I caved in after reviews and oh boy how I am happy about it. This is my second to favourite Pokémon game to date following yellow (that was my entry). I am a happy genoner that believes the series went downhill starting with second generation. And day/night cicles and getting worst every time since then.

It's Pokemon, it was going to sell. I never doubted that.

I get why a lot of players, especially older and experienced players aren't thrilled with the game. But I've been playing it all weekend and I've found I can look past my gripes (of which I have plenty) and say that, if I were an 8 year old kid, and this was my first Pokemon game, I'd have bloody loved it!

The game really does do its job well, as both a bridge from Pokemon Go, and as a very much entry level game for YOUNG children.

That said, I am not this game's target audience, and while I am enjoying it, it's mostly just whetting my appetite for the REAL game to come next year. Please Nintendo, bring back the real mechanics of the mainline games...

Starlink starter pack 39.99 rightnow amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DF43L23/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@Heavyarms55 great point also a lot of modern gamers just play to have fun and experience the game. my wife will love this she doesn't care about a challenge she just wants to be entertained. i will find a way to enjoy it by making it harder! no items or using the starter pokemon seems a good place to start!

@quinnyboy58 Not everyone wants a big challenge, I totally get that, I am one of those people. But Let's Go really does push it in the wrong direction. I made it through that cave on the way to Lavender town with only my Growlithe and Ivysaur. I wish the game would have had the option to disable a lot of the hand holding.

The ability to turn off the EXP-All effect would have made a huge difference.

@Heavyarms55 yeah i still think an easy normal and hard mode should be implemented and really don't get why it isn't!

@cfgk24 i usually prefer to buy physical in case i want to sell the game later, but in this case i didn't really mind.

The most important Switch release of the year? I don't think so. Smash is much more important.
Not is it only a much more interesting and fresh game overall in my opinion, but it's an awesome marketing tool for other games and franchises.

On the other hand, I'm a huge Pokémon fan, and I've bought every main series game (at least one version of each game)on release day since LeafGreen, and I didn't buy Let's Go. Sure, it's not really a main series entry, and I plan to get a used copy sometime in a few years, but I think it's saying something that it interests me less than even any of the "third" versions in the past (like Emerald, Platinum etc), because I bought those ones.

Shame there aren't any digital numbers available.

@Agramonte thanks!

@electrolite77 to be fair it is not uncommon for Ubisoft games to drop in price soon after release. Moving from that the truth is that in opposition to US where the game was in the charts for a while that never happened in UK and the only one faulty for that was Ubisoft with a outrageous price tag for the standard pack. I would have bought the game if not for that (now I have it at a decent cost)

@Silly_G Sorry to hear of your sister's struggles to enjoy games that many of us can access easily. Could she play the game in handheld mode as it doesn't require motion controls - you just need to press A to launch a Pokeball?

@JaxonH Great post. I agree that Gamefreak nicely balance catching sessions with battling trainers. The Ace trainers are particularly enjoyable.

What did you make of the Pokeball Plus? When it was first announced I thought it might just be a gimmick, but am pleasantly surprised to find it is my preferred way of catching.

@Yoshi87
I didnt get the Pokeball but I hear good things. Was thinking about picking one up actually

@electrolite77 Yeah, I skipped it for $60 but bought at $39 last night. Worth it now for me

I love the idea of CIV6 (Or ROME, HomeWorld) on Switch - but maybe down the road.

@JaxonH Thanks for replying to my comment. I would definitely recommend picking one up. It is a very satisfying feeling to catch a Pokémon after the ball has vibrated three times and you hear the sound of the Pokémon crying from inside the ball. It also honestly makes catching easier as the Joycon controller always seems a bit off by comparison.

@Liam_Doolan it's a good thing

Our Australian sale will never be tracked, as it was a digital sale. Games like this are ideal for digital purchases, and the double credit just topped it off.

@Yoshi87 I'm loving the Pokeball. I agree that it's more immersive than I expected. That 'thunk' when a ball finally locks down, so satisfying. And I get more use out of PoGo now, as well.

@HobbitGamer Great to hear. Me too - I spent the summer collecting Pokemon in Pokemon Go and I've just transferred the lot over to Let's Go Pikachu. Really enjoying the grinding in the game - in order to battle the Master Trainers you have to level up quite a few Pokemon.

I think it is brilliant that Pokemon from Go are classified as 'traded' Pokemon so they level up quicker, which makes the grinding really fun. I have honestly not had as much fun and enjoyment from a Pokemon game in a long time.