Japanese Charts: Pokémon Sword And Shield Break 2 Million Sales, Switch Sales Rise

Almost 10 million of the original Switch sold. No doubt that Nintendo is doing well in Japan.

Well, it's Pokémon, this is to be expected.

Ring fit is doing so well!!!!

Impressive!

The install base next year will be very large, which means more awesome games for me to play!

I love that the Switch Lite is complimenting the Switch and not cannibalising its sales. Genius move by Nintendo.

Let's hope Vanillaware won't get hurt too much by the 13 Sentinels flop.

Sword/Shield sold more retail copies in its 3rd week than Sun/Moon or X/Y, despite the much lower retail sales during its first 2 weeks, so it's legs are pretty remarkable. It should be at close to 3 million copies sold once digital sales are factored in.

Switch hardware sales continue to be insanely strong. PS4 hardware sales continue to be Wii U-esque.

@westman98

I think it is a tad unfair to label PS4 sales Wii U-esque as it is the expected sales of a system at the natural end of its life cycle, whereas the Wii U was just a disaster.

@SBandy
Selling <10,000 units weekly at this point in the year is awful. The Wii U was at least selling >10,000 units weekly at this time of the year back when it was still somewhat relevant.

@BenAV I'm sure you know how bad they are, having not played them

@BenAV Oh look, someone that probably hasn't even touched the games and has solely relied on hearsay on the internet to make a decision about their quality. I get it. I got wrapped up in the negative press and I will humbly admit I was wrong, especially because I actually played them. This is the most fun I've had with a Pokémon game since I was a kid, Dexit notwithstanding.

@BenAV possibly the biggest exaggeration ever, I’d be amazed if you’ve played them.

@westman98

So calling the sales Wii U-esque is actually insulting to the Wii U!

@bahooney I dunno, I'm 10 hours in and I've seen nothing to change my mind that these are terribly cut down games. Not saying there aren't improvements, but it feels like the game was made for a toddler, rather than for anyone, just like SuMo. The Wild Area is so unbelievably boring, and it's annoyingly long to get through. At least they let you skip the tutorials finally...

@Galenmereth

Do you often spend 30 hours on a "mediocre" game?

@link3710 It's totally valid for you to feel that way. I understand that as longtime fans age, they may start yearning for an experience from Pokémon that shows the series has grown up as much as the individual has. I hope SwSh offers you something to change your mind, but thank you for trying it out anyway.

It prints money!

Calling it now. Pokemon Sword and Shield will dethrone Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to be the #1 game on the system.

Everyone is talking about Pokemon Sword and Shield while I'm here admiring the 26 legends who bought a Playstation Vita in 2019.

While Pokemon Sword isn't the worst game in the series as @BenAV suggested it's also not the best as @HammerKirby @bahooney @Rodan2000 may be suggesting. I rate it about a 7/10 it's another mediocre entry in the series that could have been great if they hadn't been so lazy in certain design decisions for the game. It definitely had a lot of quality of life changes I liked, and I enjoyed the Wild Area, but I feel the graphics were not done well for the system it's running on and cutting of the dex did not feel neccesary based on that. Additionally I think the game really could have used voice work at this point (personal opinion there), and the last couple of gyms especially felt like they rushed them as they were not as good as the others. Of course this is just my opinion, and while it stinks it will sell well either way I do hope they consider some of the complaints when they go to make the next game in the series. It is definitely a great thing for the system though as I want to continue to see more and more support as the install base continues to grow.

@bahooney Its still bad there using old models lying to us about new ones except for the fewest moves. The only way to make me happy to want to try this game is... make a new double kick animation.

Sales are going to continue to be nuts worldwide going into the holiday season.

It's going to be pretty funny if SwSh end up outselling the 3DS generations. I guess a few people on the internet riling each-other up isn't the existential threat to the brand that some people might have hoped it would be.

@westman98 now compare how many households have a ps4(s) already in it compared to how many would have a wii u in it. Everyone that wants a ps4 has already got one bar the odd few. Doesnt matter if its Christmas time or not. If someones already got one then they wont be buying another. The 2 consoles cant even be compared

@HammerKirby I played Pokemon Sword, great game, until you finish the story.

Max raids in the wild area were supposed to be for the casual player, and until you get 8 badges they pretty much are, but between the crappy AI characters and the horrible matchmaking system (Worsened by rampant exploiting because it's so horrible), they become a frustrating (In some cases nigh impossible) slog, going from the best feature of the games (Which BTW show obvious signs of rushing) to the very worst.

@Galenmereth

Fair enough.

@Galenmereth As a general point to you or anyone else, I'm amazed people buy digital for games they are unsure about. Why not buy physical, and resell for most of your money back if you don't like it. I have things like MK8 and NSMBU on digital, but recently bought FE3H on physical. I'll give it a go, and if I don't like it I'll get my money back, then use that money to get my next game. You can't lose!

Ha Shenmue III and Death Stranding are both gone from the top ten. Guess a game about delivering goods through weird places and a game which is essentially a worst version of the first two Shenmue games (Shenmue 1 & 2, you travel near and far to find the guy who beat Ryo's dad, in Shenmue 3 you travel through 2 places to find the guy who beat Shenhua's dad) doesn't attract Japanese gamers as much.

@Galenmereth,

Why because you do not like them personally?, by that token all games are rubbish and deserve to sell poorly, that I myself do not personally like.

@SquareOneMJ,

The main reason they removed the T.V connection, was not to stifle the original Switch models sales.

@bahooney I don't think it's about wanting the series to grow up. I think it's about differing markets. Sw/Sh is a fine game if you're in it for the usual trek through the gyms, and it has some great QoL improvements. Most of the people who are looking for that experience are thinking of it as an 8 or higher, which is totally fine. However, I usually spend small amounts of time in campaign mode and hundreds of hours in post game. Sw/Sh have an abysmal post game, by far the worst in the series to date. Since that's a huge draw for me personally, I think of the games as more of a 6/10 and not really worth their +$20 price point over previous entries in the series. What's frustrating is that Pokemon used to satisfy both camps. This is why I played a copy borrowed from the library rather than actually pay money for it.

@BenAV I've never hated any of the entries, I'd say the Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon games are probably my least favorite since it really didn't add much and was even more lazy.

@BenAV Sounds like a you problem. Sell it back if you hate it so much!

The ratio is now over 30:1 for Switch models vs. PS4 models?

MAID! PLEASE!! MY FOREHEAD CLOTH!! I CRAVE DEMOISTURIZING!

@Kidfunkadelic83
Market saturation is definitely a thing, but it definitely shouldn't be resulting in numbers this bad during the holidays.

I think everyone needs to leave @BenAV alone, he's expressing his opinion just like everyone else.

What was Shenmue 3 sales I must of missed it?

@westman98 if anything I think it's the lack of or late advertisement over the BF week. I see switch and xbox adverts a long time before I started seeing any for the ps4. Also Microsoft were knocking their disk less S model out at 109 so that would have sold very well (I wouldnt touch an xbox with an extremely long stick) I havnt seen a ps4 deal for under 199 ish here in the UK.

@Galenmereth,

It's not subjective when the games have good reviews and are selling well, I know it's your personal opinion, but the line people who do not like the games always seems to suggest the people who do like and buy these games are somehow wrong.

Nice to see another chart thread hijacked. I still can't believe the lifetime sales for the XBone are under 40k. Wow.

Sony better be prepared for terrible PS4 sales next year, although you get the feeling they don't care much about Japan anymore. At least the PS4 outsold the XBone in Japan by 99%

Give game freak a year to polish up Sword and Shield, as they were clearly pushed for time - the ultra versions for next Xmas should be much improved titles.

Going to very interesting to see if Nintendo can keep this momentum going ... Can switch do 20m units lifetime in Japan? What did the PS2 do?

@BenAV “Undeniably” means ‘impossible to deny’. That is, what you’re stating is objectively true, cannot be refuted, and therefore doesn’t happen to be ‘just your opinion’.

I mean, I haven’t even played the games. I’m in no position to speak on their quality.

But if you’re wondering why people are rounding on you for what is apparently ‘just your opinion’, it’s because you’ve literally stayed it to be irrefutable in your opening sentence.

You have every right to state your opinion, and people have every right to state theirs, which may well differ. But when you conflate opinion with fact; when you literally claim your opinions to be “undeniable”, you’re very openly inviting them to be, well... ‘denied’ by those who don’t share them.

'Undeniable' can still just be in his opinion, you're not obliged to interpret this as absolute fact. Undeniable to him.

@Galenmereth

81% average is hardly mediocre as you put it, the games are not perfect but far form the train wreck some are stating, there will be lots of people enjoying these games, sorry you are not one of them but it's not for you or anyone else to state these games should not sell well, just because a small vocal minority on the internet does not like them.

@Majora101,

My view is the same as yours, if people do not like these games fair enough, but to harass the people who have no issues is wrong, and to do it in a sort of high and mighty manner is also unfair, these games do have issues but also have good things too, of course the way Game Freak have trimmed the games was never going to sit well with the core fans, but the majority of pokemon fans who this game is made for will welcome the changes.

@Majora101,

Same here my reply was not aimed at that poster in general, just an observation of other posters on here, in fact up to the games release Galenmereth was one of the new games defenders, and stated people should wait until it's release before judging.

I can't agree with you on the large negative reactions to this game, it was only ever the vocal internet minorities that were up in arms.

@Galenmereth,

I can read, I do realize these are your own personal opinions, which is why I stated I was sorry you did not like these games, as you did want to enjoy them, but I still feel you are wasting your time warning people, let them judge by themselves.

@Majora101,

If my daughter want's this game or any other child for that reason, they will end up getting it, as for the delusion that somehow the internet minorities are going to prevent people from buying this or future games is just ludicrous, the game is aimed at a younger mass audience that when they grow out of it more younger fans come in, and all the core minorities fans moaning and exposing issues to other minorities on the internet will not make one tiny bit of difference.

Two observations

1.) Ring Fit is doing a lot better than I thought. Seems to have a better future than Labo

2.) I'm a bit disappointed in Luigi's Mansion 3 sales. Ring Fit is out selling it! I have really enjoyed playing that game with my son. I hope Nintendo doesn't view those numbers as low. I want #4! haha

@Majora101,

You and others keep stating the missing features plus a better overall graphic look is what the fans crave, when in reality it's only a small number of vocal internet posting Pokemon players actually want, the rest of the mass buying Pokemon fans have no issues, or are even aware any of these issues exist and are being discussed on the internet, so your suggestion this will harm future generations Pokemon games sales is totally without credibility, and I do tend to wonder why you or others would ever think any different.

Another issue is with the games reviews from both the critics and user reviews, the people that do not like the game only trust the negative critic reviews, this seems to stem from the point that the positive ones do not mention the negatives, but the whole basis of a review is it's a personal opinion at the end of the day, so if a reviewer does not mind the dex cut for instance, then he or she is not going to make a massive deal out of it, we can't only trust the negative or positive because it does not sit well with us personally.

On the user reviews things get a little more complicated as this will tend to be the more vocal internet players bothering to post a critique of the game, now even with this it's not black and white as out of 4500 reviews 2700 do not like it and 400 players have mixed feelings, now of course to the people who do not like this game this would seem like a victory, a statement to Game Freak to change their ways as the fans are not happy, until you stand back and realize it's only around 3500 people on the internet moaning, out of a potential 15 million or so sales, once again the core minorities also overlook the fact that even within their own ranks as it were 1500 people still love the game.

As for the evolution of Zelda only existing because of complaints that Skyward sword received is pure vanity at best, the games evolution is down to improved hardware technology as the developers would have always dreamed of a open world Zelda game, but would have not had the resources before the Wii U and Switch to make this dream a reality, the fact you are suggesting that the core internet minority of what amounts to a few complaints on internet forums made the Zelda development team make Breath of the wild is delusional.

@Majora101,

I can't debate with you if you continue to think that the people that have issues with the new Pokemon game are in the majority, they are not, and as you only real basis of the negative reactions the game received are from the internet, listen I don't want to be the one that breaks this to you, but people that post on internet forums about video games are in the minority, we as core hobby gamers that devote lots of time to our passion are a rare breed, the mass Pokemon buying fans simply do not care about all the tech stuff, they just buy the game because it's Pokemon and they will have fun with it, I fail to see why this is so hard for people like you to understand.

@Majora101,

Let's just agree to disagree fella. we do not have to have the same view on this matter, as you are clearly to upset over this game than you should be, move on don't buy it, complain if you need to, If this results in a major change for the next Pokemon game, then well done.

By the way for the last two posts you have thrown various comments as insults, or suggestions as you call them, I do not really care all that much, may I suggest you find something better to spend your time doing, as your posts seem too long, for what amounts to complaining about a kids game.

@Majora101
Twitter hashtags dont dictate actual consumer reception.

@Majora101
Twitter trends (and social media trends in general) don't indicate consumer reception. Neither do Metacritic user reviews.

Sales do.

@Majora101
There is no denying that Sword/Shield had less than stellar reception, but Twitter hashtags and Metacritic user reviews aren't indicative of that.

I find the Skyward Sword comparison a bit disingenuous. Sure, it sold quite well at launch, but sales collapsed very quickly and it ended up selling below 4 million copies lifetime. This means Skyward Sword sold 45% less than Twilight Princess on Wii. I'm sure Nintendo realized that another 45% sales decline from Skyward Sword to the next Zelda game would be disastrous, so changes to the Zelda formula needed to happen. In that sense, Breath of the Wild did a phenomenal job revitalizing a seriously declining brand.

On the other hand, Sword/Shield stands alongside Sun/Moon as Nintendo's fastest-selling game ever, and its legs have been strong. In fact, as I indicated in an earlier comment, Sword/Shield had higher 3rd week retail sales than X/Y and Sun/Moon in Japan despite the massive rise in digital consumption, which implies good word-of-mouth.

@TheLightSpirit,

It was getting old way before the game was released, people need to move on now.