Japanese Charts: Mario Kart World Speeds Past 1 Million Physical Sales

As someone who is loving Mario Kart World, it's very frustrating seeing all of the backlash against the game, especially after the recent update.

I'm not saying people aren't allowed to feel how they want to, but it doesn't help in making me feel a little alone in being overall really satisfied with the game.

I wonder if the Switch 2 version of RAIDOU has sold fewer copies than the Switch 1 version due to it being a Game-Key Card?

That's really a great start for the Switch 2 but I have an impression that on the Nintendo side of games, things are a bit obscure at the moment.
I might have missed some games but I can only think of 2 from Nintendo on the horizon (DK and MP4).
I wonder what they will offer on the second half of the year to keep the sales going.

Are you saying 1 million in Japan, physical?

I would never have thought!
Are they paying $80 too?

Wait, Is it so that they do not have the bundle in Japan? So every one is buying the super cheap Japan only system, and then have to buy MKW separate?

(Personally I'm not a fan of this game, almost regretting the bundle even.)

@SuperBro64 eh, I've been loving it regardless. There will always be controversy in life. Enjoy what you like and don't pay attention to the noise.

@SuperBro64 As someone who is very upset about the new update, there's two things I want to say. Firstly, don't let us ruin it for you. I'm glad you enjoy the game, even if I can't right now. But secondly, I'm going to keep complaining about it, because the only way this gets fixed is if Nintendo sees us being vocal about it. Trust me, I understand your sentiment, I felt the same way with Zelda totk when that released. But you just enjoy what you enjoy, don't let negativity ruin your fun

@SuperBro64 You are not alone, I love the game too, and free roam is awesome too imo.
It was worth to buy the physical release.

@SuperBro64 your not the only 1 I enjoy the game, though I think the backlash is quite over blown.

@SuperBro64 Definitely not alone for sure. I am still in love with it and played it for 4 hours straight last night. That time just flew by!

It's an incredible game and I'm about to start playing it on my lunch break here in a few minutes at work!

@SuperBro64 As someone who went through something similar with Risk of Rain 2’s Seeker of the Storm I wouldn’t worry about it. If you enjoy the game then that’s all that matters.

PlayStation is on life support! And I can’t believe Japan is sleeping on Cynerpunk.

@tourjeff How could you forget about the system-seller Kirby's Air Ride 2?

@PepperMintRex @MTMike87 @traceman @TAttila @Bigmanfan @IronMan30 I appreciate all of the nice responses from everyone here. Definitely makes me feel better now. Thanks, everyone! 👍

@SuperBro64 I mean, the game does have serious flaws, but I still love it in spite of them. I'm allowed to. Let's not forget that it's still early and there'll be many more updates for years to come, some of which will hopefully add new content. Today's outrage will be long forgotten.

Mario Kart World will keep selling and I won't be shocked at all if it stays at or near the top of the charts for a long time, especially with long-term support.

@Dev-N Yeah, for sure, you are definitely allowed to have your opinion. And I don't have zero problems with the game, either (the lack of completion indicators in Free Roam comes to mind for me, especially). My initial post was a bit of an immediate gut reaction, I'm guessing.

I think the Sony Days of play sale was what had the PS5 above Switch.

I unironically think in Japan the Switch 2 may have reduced demand for both Switch and PS5. The killer blow would be if the Switch 2 gets all 3 entries of FF7Remake.

@BenAV Oh believe me, I'm looking forward to it too (especially after the disappointment of MKW). But it's not really a title anyone had been asking for, and I can't see it doing mega numbers.

@SuperBro64 I'm with you (super)bro. Mario Kart World is fantastic. If people expected it to be some sort of Horizon clone then that's on them as Nintendo never said it would be anything of the sort. The new courses are excellent, elimination mode is incredible and the racing is better than ever. I'm not saying I would be adverse to a 'classic GP Mode' but is that really what we all want? To go back to the exact same set-up of every other Mario Kart before it? I love Nintendo for doing things differently and this is no exception.

@TrogdorTheBurninator The sales numbers listed include physical copies and the bundle I'm pretty sure.

@Jack_Goetz hmm not sure if you are being sarcastic 😜
In any case, Kirby is not my thing 😝

@SuperBro64 you’re never alone, but backlash and negativity will always be loudest, even here unfortunately. You are never alone and if you’re having fun, that’s all that matters my friend, keep it up.

Negativity and backlash aren't bad things. People are allowed to dislike the game lol

Millions of players will never know any better about it, while thousands of some of the most dedicated players will always favor 3-lap courses over the intermission + 1 lap races. Nintendo made a decision about a working feature of the game. They decided against more access and so that’s not likely to return. For thousands of people a very redeeming aspect of the game has been changed for good. Maybe a blip in grand view of the player base, but a really unfortunate one.

@Bigmanfan I'm planning on checking out the Mario Kart Discord server. I think people there host rooms all the time. I'm also planning to look into competitive MKW and possibly join some of those events.

@SuperBro64 I'm also loving the game but especially the tracks and even in single player mode I've started getting bored of the intermissions so to see Nintendo essentially removing the tracks from online is an absolute gut punch

@Quarbit Yeah the worst thing that could happen to a game is no one caring about it.

I don't think this is much different than the Ocarina of Time fans criticising BOTW Shrines and Divine Beasts for not being typical dungeons.

@Ooccoo_Jr you have summed up my thoughts on MKW perfectly. Great game! Fingers crossed it'll get added to over the coming years to keep us hungry. What I really don't understand is if people want it to be like MK8D - well people just go play MK8D instead. MKW is different and I love it for that! A Classic GP mode down the line would be welcome but right now and for the foreseeable future I'm enjoying the absolute carnage of Knockout Tour and battle.

@superbro64 I'm with you SuperBro!! The WaveRace Supporters Club (me and @tourjeff at least) have got your back!!!

140k console sales with 122k Mario Kart sales is an absolutely INSANE attachment rate.

Really great to see Raidou occupying 4 spots on the top 10 AND selling more units on Switch. Come on home to Nintendo Atlus!

Go go Rune Factory! Seriously, it is so good!

@tourjeff They have Pokémon Legends Z-A, new Hyrule Warriors and a new Professor Layton listed for 2025 also. I also think Splatoon Raiders will launch this year but other than that I don't think we will see anything else this year. I hope I'm wrong and a direct is around the corner that reveals something else for 2025.

@Ryu_Niiyama Agreed, best Rune Factory by far.

@SuperBro64 Mario Kart World is the evolution the series needed, especially for me to get interested in Mario Kart again. I hope there's plenty of updates/DLC to come.

Wow! Not only in the UK was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the top 10, but also in Japan, almost same placements for that matter.

I wonder if the same scenario would happen in the US.

I imagine that once Donkey Kong Bananza comes out it will be a top seller as well.

BUT BUT BUT it's not worth 80 dollars!!! It's not as fast as MK8!!! I just want races!!! Memes aside, I like the game and nice milestone even though it's the only "Switch2" Nintendo game at launch.

@tourjeff First-party Switch2 offerings for the future so far include Donkey Kong Bananza, Drag x Drive, Kirby Air Riders, and Splatoon Raiders plus the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions (which include major additions or enhancements over their switch 1 versions) of Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Metroid and Pokémon pending release on Switch 1 as well.

I'd include Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, but that one's not strictly 100% first-party, since Koei Tecmo will publish the game in Japan and Nintendo in the west, making it susceptible to the usual KT shenanigans. Still up in the air if it will be a full physical release or Game-Key Card.
Meanwhile, The Duskbloods will apparently be published by Nintendo in the west while FromSoftware will handle it in Japan.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of physical MK World sales are the download codes included with the hardware bundle.

@SuperBro64
I’m very satisfied with the game, totally awesome.

Yes I think an option to select three lap racing when playing online should be added.
They can do this easy and it would be great to have.

Waaahoooo.
I’m enjoying the game. Haven’t played much online. 3 star all gran prix is always a fun time.
Struggling with knock out rally. 3 star 3 cups but I promise I will do it. Mario has faith in me.
Free roam is a good time waster. You do learn a lot of good tips from the p switches.

Do they have availability issues in Japan or does 140k seem like it’s run out of steam.

@SuperBro64

To me its the best mario kart to date. Enjoy it alot.

@SuperBro64 Ignore "all the backlash". It's a storm in a teacup and just seems worse because it's always in the comments sections.

I for one am LOVING this game, despite the price hike. They obviously have big plans for updates to this over the lifespan of the Switch 2--not sure how people aren't seeing that.

People just love to whine. Pay it no heed.

It's good, worth the bundle price, not the "you'll understand why when you see the direct - price". But I'm also certain this will be updated many times, until the higher price is actually worth it.

@SuperBro64 its mostly riding the hate loving algorithm

Glad to see that SEGA/Atlus' Raidou is doing pretty well given its multiple spots on the list.

@Lord more a case of if there’s no consoles available there’s no point in buying games just yet. I can’t get hold of a Switch 2 here in the UK, I’m highly unlikely to buy software for something I don’t own.

Also - it’s sold almost 1/6 of the Japanese total for MK8 Deluxe in 3 weeks…

@SuperBro64 You do you, if you’re happy that’s all that matters.

How about an update on the UK sales?

@SuperBro64 I have been loving it, but still I think Nintendo’s decision to point blank ignore the community on something that’s been a day one complaint sucks. In fact they’re not even ignoring them- they have the data and will know just how many people on average are choosing random to get around the intermissions and instead chose to actively push back to force how they think it should be played. Plus they aren’t blind to social media discourse and they’re doing their own surveys (I had one last week about the Switch 2 in general which included a ton of questions about MK specifically).

I think it’s just frustrating because there is so much to enjoy about it but there’s a few things holding it back from what it should be. I was hopeful that such things would be addressed over time but seeing how they’ve gone about things with today’s update I’m not so sure.

Definitely my favorite Mario Kart so far.
Though I still have a soft spot for the N64 game.

RAIDOU selling better on Switch definitely proves that not many customers wanted to deal with those scams that are game key cards. The Japanese customers if they bought a physical copy of a game just wants to pop that game into their console and play. They don't want to have to deal with all those online digital download nonsense.

@GrailUK I think Japan realises Cyberpunk isn't any good.

@TruestoryYep Then they must think MK World and Switch 2 is the best thing ever! So maybe you are right!

Mario Kart doing great numbers. Man, even with its successor out, Switch 1 is still outperforming the PS5, crazy.

@GrailUK I think it’s a typical case of when it comes to big western games, they never connect with people in Japan. I can’t really remember the last time a big budget western game dominated in Japan ever.

@Jack_Goetz Possible, although at the same time the Switch 1 market is a heck of a lot bigger.

It’ll take a few months at least before we find out if Game Key Carts have flopped.

@SuperBro64 hi can you say what the new update has added please? I love the game, haven't played it for a week or so

@DonkeyKongBigBoy Basically, the biggest change in the new update is that when selecting the "Random" option for the next course in an online wireless VS race, the chances of that next random race being an "intermission" race between two different tracks as opposed to a standard three-lap race on one track has increased.

Some people aren't happy about this change because they prefer the three-lap races over the intermission races.

I personally don't mind it much as I like the intermission races and rarely play online anyway, and doing VS mode locally lets you select on your own whether it'll be a three-lap race or an intermission race.

@SuperBro64 you aren't alone! MKW is an amazing game and I'm loving it too!

PS5 sales are laughably bad in Japan.

@SuperBro64 I haven't played online yet

@larryisaman "...they have the data and will know just how many people on average are choosing random to get around the intermissions and instead chose to actively push back to force how they think it should be played..." I'm afraid product analytics does not work this way. They might know how many are choosing random (if that data point gets recorded - and it seems perfectly reasonable to record it) but they won't know WHY without asking directly. That kind of data collection and analysis takes time, especially on this scale.

They might have a partnership with other PR companies in different countries to track social media sentiment, social engagement, and things like key talking points - I doubt intermission races would be a direct talking point. It's more likely to be about the commentary around the number of straight tracks.

@Anti-Matter Stay survive, PS5. I'm counting on you, no matter how many Switch 2 have been sold.

Sony said they aren't competitor so what are you so afraid of here?

@TruestoryYep I think Japan realises Cyberpunk isn't any good.
Totally different market crowd and gamer crowd. This is what happens to misinformed comments have lack of understanding how different regions buying habits are.

@Anti-Matter No need to worry, PS5 has sold 7 million in Japan so far and will not be missing out on any games going forward on consoles, so there's no need for you to concern yourself over the weekly sales, you are still going to continue to get the games you usually play.

I just wonder is PS4 machine still being manufactured in Japan or the shop just try to clear all the remaining PS4 machine stock for clearance ?
It looks like every week Japanese people still purchased PS4 machine despite with very low number. I wonder which PS4 model that still selling in Japan in its twilight age.

@jsty3105 I think that data and a fleeting glance at commentary online would have been enough for them to put 2 and 2 together

I think it’s less availability issues with the game and more availability issues with the console.

As @GetontheStiix has pointed out, the MK8 already has an incredibly high attach rate (a minimum of 1,044,044/1,241,162 ≈ 84% which I assume includes bundles though I’m not sure about separate digital downloads). And like @WiltonRoots says, you’re unlikely to purchase a game for a console you don’t own.

In general it hasn’t been possible to pick up a Switch 2 in Japan without going through some sort of lottery system, either at a retailer or through Nintendo’s online store.

Currently, the online store is ‘between lotteries’ which means that it’s impossible to even register that you’d like to have the chance to purchase a console, even if you meet all the conditions (over a year’s NSO membership as primary account holder + 50 hours of gameplay logged + resident of Japan).

I can’t get my hands on a console (I'm part of a family plan), and I’m sure there are plenty of people in the same boat. And almost none of us have Mario Kart.

@larryisaman Only if you're a small company. Even then, any reasonable company will check further to see if the feedback were genuine concerns that would measurably improve gameplay or whether they were just online rants and storms in teacups. Acting without further data just because a section of your userbase has a complaint is a recipe for bad decisions.

@TrogdorTheBurninator They have the bundle in Japan. The bundle is sold everywhere.

That’s insane! The MSRP here is JYP 9,980! Forget whatever today’s conversation rate is, if you live and work in the Japanese economy, that feels like a USD 99.99 purchase!

You can buy it physical from Amazon for roughly JPY 500 less, but I have to imagine most “brick and mortar” stores sell it at full price. Considering the digital is JPY 1,000 less than the physical, I have to imagine most consumers who couldn’t secure the bundle would opt for the digital. Still, it’s crazy how the Japanese market tolerates higher prices despite the average consumer having less purchasing power.

@SuperBro64 While I wish they would allow people to choose repeated tracks instead of the intermission ones (so unlike the new patch), I feel the reaction is overblown. Don't worry that you are never alone but rather disliking is always more vocal than liking something.

What else is there to buy for Switch 2?

@SuperBro64 you are not the only one alone

I'm so happy for Map Kart World.

@Anti-Matter PS4 Pro is still impressive from a hardware POV and has benefited from a number of cross gen releases and support.

I might be tempted at some point on a cheap Pro for a few franchises. Not many for me with PlayStation and why I never jump in on their current gen.

This is the only site that ive see not calling the switch 2 and Mario Kart world a mediocre mess... The fanboyism is strong for Nintendo.