Support NeoGAF

[OmegaSupreme]

They are so doomed

 

[Nautilus]

Switch is a hybrid portable, thats why it plays Wii U quality games in 2017-2022. Both versions can play games Away from the TV. Neither cannot be played on the go.

Regular home console games just don’t sell as much anymore in Japan, look at Wii U sales and its game sales, look at PS4, Gamecube, PS5 etc Wii games that weren’t included in console bundles etc. They sell nothing like 3DS or Switch.
The JRPG love isn’t the same as before, I don’t think there is a JRPG in the top 20 Switch Japan sales apart from Pokemon

Japan sales for Wii U games:

New Super Mario Bros. U – 1,252,654 copies
Mario Kart 8 – 1,183,372 copies
Splatoon – 1,154,192 copies
Wii Party U – 819,715 copies
Super Mario Maker – 773,116 copies

Compare it to 3DS and Switch

But like you said, the Switch is a hybrid CONSOLE. And there have been inumerous reports that people around the world use both modes, about 50/50.

So the problem is not it being a "tradicional console" and all that, is just that both the hardware and software, outside of Nintendo, has simply not being appealing. Both Sony and MS failed at ghose two points when it comes to japan, just like Nintendo failed at those at the 8th gen with the Wii U.

There's nothing more to it.

 

[Astral Dog]

God i hate how you really have to watch what you say in Switch threads or the mods come down hard. All my 9 warning points over the years have been in Switch threads.
I really want to say something about Switch software sales but i just know it will be taken the wrong way and i'll get in trouble lol.

That these are good sales?

Heh i remember around here people thought Splatoon was gonna be a The Wonderful 101 type launch after it was revealed

 

[Lasha]

Switch is a hybrid portable, thats why it plays Wii U quality games in 2017-2022. Both versions can play games Away from the TV. Neither cannot be played on the go.

Regular home console games just don’t sell as much anymore in Japan, look at Wii U sales and its game sales, look at PS4, Gamecube, PS5 etc Wii games that weren’t included in console bundles etc. They sell nothing like 3DS or Switch.
The JRPG love isn’t the same as before, I don’t think there is a JRPG in the top 20 Switch Japan sales apart from Pokemon

Japan sales for Wii U games:

New Super Mario Bros. U – 1,252,654 copies
Mario Kart 8 – 1,183,372 copies
Splatoon – 1,154,192 copies
Wii Party U – 819,715 copies
Super Mario Maker – 773,116 copies

Compare it to 3DS and Switch

Wii U only sold like 3 million consoles in Japan. Those sales are kind of insane if true.

 

[Robb]

I knew it’d do well over there but that’s just insane, never thought It’d be able to smash its way up the launch week list like that. That’s a tough number to beat.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Squid Kids for the win.

 

[Ogbert]

Absolutely no one comes close to Nintendo in terms of video game development.

 

[Kabelly]

Not Japanese but I was surprised at how many people were picking this up in person when I went friday. Some dad looking guy was buying two copies. hell maybe they were for himself.

Game is big and now with: a bigger install base, Smash representation, Mario Kart 8 representation, skip the god damn news, way better match making lobby for friends (which imo was splatoon's biggest stain for an online shooter).

Also helps that there's nothing like Splatoon in gaming.

 

[Bragr]

Imagine if the DLC has stages tied to other Nintendo franchises, like a map centered around Zelda or Mario.

That would be cool and make a lot of sense. And that's why Nintendo will never do it.

 

[poodaddy]

Absolutely no one comes close to Nintendo in terms of video game development.

A lot of their business decisions annoy me, but goddamn you are absolutely right. They make goddamn fun video games, not over the shoulder cinematic movie wanna be's, not phoned in multiplayer "engagement driven" micro transaction trash pits, they make fun video games. No matter how much of a dumpster fire this industry turns into, they'll probably always make fun video games, and as such they'll always find success.

 

[Punished Miku]

Imagine if the DLC has stages tied to other Nintendo franchises, like a map centered around Zelda or Mario.

That would be cool and make a lot of sense. And that's why Nintendo will never do it.

One of the best things about Splatoon is that it's got a pretty interesting lore and world that's all its own. Every brand of clothing, every location, all are fitting in the world. They have so much room to expand into spin-offs and other locations in game.

The Splatfests would be a good time for some cameo content though I suppose. They did Transformers and other things in the past.

 

[Alebrije]

Sony should learn from Nintendo that if you do not have COD you can create your own original shooter.

Great to see the grow of this franchise, played the original and was fresh and fun. It seems 3 is bigger that 1 and 2.

Just imagine if Nintendo was not doomed how many millions more copies could have sold...

 

[Ogbert]

A lot of their business decisions annoy me, but goddamn you are absolutely right. They make goddamn fun video games, not over the shoulder cinematic movie wanna be's, not phoned in multiplayer "engagement driven" micro transaction trash pits, they make fun video games. No matter how much of a dumpster fire this industry turns into, they'll probably always make fun video games, and as such they'll always find success.

Completely agree.

Their business decisions are endlessly baffling. And it’s not just standard corporate greed, also incompetence. Their online infrastructure, eShop setup, neglect of certain IPs. The list goes on.

But, in terms of video game mechanics, the actual nuts and bolts of designing an enjoyable gaming loop; they’re untouchable . I think vintage Blizzard came closest, but they’ve dissolved away.

There was a fascinating article on how Splatoon was pitched. Whereas a Western AAA title would have hundreds of pages of graphical images and lore, setting out the story and ‘world’, Splatoon was pitched on half a side of A4. A few blocks were drawn out, you move a character through the blocks to reload. The idea was to find a way to make every moment of shooter gameplay matter, rather than just the combat. It was approved and they went and made a game around that basic idea.

They’re brilliant at what they do.

 

[Elysion]

Out of fucking nowhere lol. The idea that Splatoon 3 of all things had the biggest game launch in Japanese history is kinda surreal.

 

[Belthazar]

That's actually insane

 

[Aldric]

But, in terms of video game mechanics, the actual nuts and bolts of designing an enjoyable gaming loop; they’re untouchable . I think vintage Blizzard came closest, but they’ve dissolved away.

I'd say Capcom are comparable, creating games with core mechanics in mind first and building around that.

 

[Ogbert]

I'd say Capcom are comparable, creating games with core mechanics in mind first and building around that.

That’s a good call.

It’s no coincidence that we’re naming Japanese developers.

I’ve never played as many Capcom games, simply because I’m not into beat em ups. And then there’s my love hate relationship with Monster Hunter.

But they certainly develop their games around core mechanics and also promote the idea of games that are both simple to learn but very complicated to master.

 

[Murdoch]

This is up there for me alongside Half-life (and the corresponding mods and the OG Halo trilogy as the very best that shooters have to offer. It boggles my mind that this was almost a 'first effort' for Nintendo to do a real shooter (an online one at that)

Sales figures deserved.

 

[Jaybe]

Well deserved. I throughly enjoyed Splatoon 1 on the WiiU. I only have a Switch Lite though, so curious if that’s detrimental for competitive online play.

 

[Woopah]

Switch is a hybrid portable, thats why it plays Wii U quality games in 2017-2022. Both versions can play games Away from the TV. Neither cannot be played on the go.

Regular home console games just don’t sell as much anymore in Japan, look at Wii U sales and its game sales, look at PS4, Gamecube, PS5 etc Wii games that weren’t included in console bundles etc. They sell nothing like 3DS or Switch.
The JRPG love isn’t the same as before, I don’t think there is a JRPG in the top 20 Switch Japan sales apart from Pokemon

Japan sales for Wii U games:

New Super Mario Bros. U – 1,252,654 copies
Mario Kart 8 – 1,183,372 copies
Splatoon – 1,154,192 copies
Wii Party U – 819,715 copies
Super Mario Maker – 773,116 copies

Compare it to 3DS and Switch

DQ XI might make it into the top 20 if you add all the SKUs together. and DQ XII will almost certainly be in the top 20 whenever it comes out.

 

[jonnyXx]

 

[blackjon24]

"But consoles are dead in Japan. I've been told that japanese only play on mobile these days!!!"

If all that is selling well/growing is splatoon. animal crossing and other casual nintendo games than consoles are indeed effectively dead in japan.

Splatoon 3 opening week was 30 times that of Xenoblade 3 that released this year to the same install base.... where the hell were the console/nintendo fans when that game released?

 

[Punished Miku]

Well deserved. I throughly enjoyed Splatoon 1 on the WiiU. I only have a Switch Lite though, so curious if that’s detrimental for competitive online play.

It would be pretty tough to play on a handheld.

 

[Bragr]

If all that is selling well/growing is splatoon. animal crossing and other casual nintendo games than consoles are indeed effectively dead in japan.

Splatoon 3 opening week was 30 times that of Xenoblade 3 that released this year to the same install base.... where the hell were the console/nintendo fans when that game released?

Xenoblade is an old-rusted RPG that looks like it was made for the ps3, Splatoon is a beautiful colorful garden that your girl wanna play co-op in. What do you think is gonna sell?

 

[Nautilus]

If all that is selling well/growing is splatoon. animal crossing and other casual nintendo games than consoles are indeed effectively dead in japan.

Splatoon 3 opening week was 30 times that of Xenoblade 3 that released this year to the same install base.... where the hell were the console/nintendo fans when that game released?

We were here lol.

Most Nintendo franchises are doing better than ever on japan(Zelda, Mario, AC, Splatoon, Pokemon, Kirby, Mario Party, etc) including Xenoblade.

Plus, other third party games are finding more success on Switch than anywhere else, like MH Sunbreak, Bomberman, that weird train game that Konami made, Atelier, Octopath, Triangle Strategy, etc.

 

[Walter Matthau]

My expectations going into Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, and BotW 2 is that all three would sell a bit less than their predecessors due to where we are in the lifecycle and rampant piracy.

Glad to see the hype is still heavy on Switch to overcome those factors.

 

[Aldric]

If all that is selling well/growing is splatoon. animal crossing and other casual nintendo games than consoles are indeed effectively dead in japan.

Splatoon 3 opening week was 30 times that of Xenoblade 3 that released this year to the same install base.... where the hell were the console/nintendo fans when that game released?

Splatoon has a higher skill ceiling than every Fromsoft game released this past decade.

 

[Punished Miku]

Splatoon has a higher skill ceiling than every Fromsoft game released this past decade.

Especially in Japan.

 

[El Pistolero]

Regardless of what you think of their output, Nintendo has proven how insanely competent they are at selling their games. Kudos!

 

[Aldric]

Especially in Japan.

I've watched a couple of videos of top level japanese players, shit's crazy man. And they haven't even begun to master the new Squid Roll/Surge mechanics either, probably due to the muscle memory from the previous games. I've only seen one instance where the guy Squid Rolled into a Trizooka Shot and tanked it, the potential is ridiculous in two years this game will look like some sort of acid trip.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

You mostly have to go back to a bygone era when console/ handheld gaming was a lot more dominant in Japan, to see sales like this. ACNH was the COVID-lockdown bump, but no question it would've done well regardless, just not to the same level Nintendo saw across the world.

Very impressive accomplishment in this era to see a console game do so well in Japan. Congrats to Nintendo! And yay for the future of premium AAA releases.

 

[kirby007]

so how many of these were the premium edition?

 

[Tiamat2san]

The fuck?

Impressîng

 

[Ogbert]

Where does the Switch sit in terms of volume of software sold?

Surely there can’t be many consoles that have sold more games?

 

[nordique]

Wow. This is genuinely surprising. I know splatoon is popular in Japan but this really reframes it as top tier in popularity

Edit:
Whoa. I just realized this is now confirmed as the largest software launch week for any Japanese game ever


Good. Lord. REALLY reframes it and puts it into perspective.

 

[Codes 208]

I bought a copy. My first Splatoon game and I'm really enjoying it. It actually reminds me a fair bit of Jet Grind Radio...

I played a bit of the original, i bought 2 when it came out and enjoyed it, ill be getting my copy of 3 today so im excited.

But the comparison is fairly spot on, it is like JSR in a way, but i like to think of it like a version of Mario Sunshine where youre the one throwing around all the paint

 

[Luminoth-4545]

Splatoon 3 places in 47th for the best selling game ever in Japan after just 3 days. Splatoon 2 is in 15th place.

Data by PillFencer from Famiboards

Top console games ranked on LTD unit sales in Japan (floor: 3 million units)

Systems
NSW - 13
NDS - 11
3DS - 8
GMB - 5
Wii - 5
FCM - 4
SFC - 4
PS1 - 3
PSP - 2
GBA - 2
PS2 - 2
PS4 - 1

 

[Banjo64]

I now suspect this game is a 15m plus seller. Ninty games have seriously long legs in Japan (and around the world).

 

[Ogbert]

Splatoon 3 places in 47th for the best selling games ever in Japan after just 3 days. Splatoon 2 is in 15th place.

Data by PillFencer from Famiboards

Top console games ranked on LTD unit sales in Japan (floor: 3 million units)

Systems
NSW - 13
NDS - 11
3DS - 8
GMB - 5
Wii - 5
FCM - 4
SFC - 4
PS1 - 3
PSP - 2
GBA - 2
PS2 - 2
PS4 - 1

That list is actually ridiculous.

Japan = Nintendo.

 

[Lognor]

Holy shit. That's insane, especially for such an iterative sequel.

 

[Aldric]

I now suspect this game is a 15m plus seller. Ninty games have seriously long legs in Japan (and around the world).

Easy 20 million seller I think if the Switch remains alive for more than two years, so basically they need the fabled new model and a substantive "cross gen" period.

 

[noshten]

can't say i find this suprising

You are forgetting the elephant in the room for Japan:

Splatoon 2 achieved over 5 million sales in the country despite being a launch game on a limited user-base with big update work stopping around 2018 when most of the team moved onto New Horizon.

Switch & Splatoon 2 shipments by end of September 2017:

Switch 2017 World Wide - 7.63 million
Splatoon 2 World Wide - 3.61 million

Switch 2017 Japan - 1.78 million
Splatoon 2 Japan - 1.44 million


At that point physical sales per Famtisu estimates were 1.19 million so not a huge digital share, this will change with Splatoon 3 as vouchers now push more an more people at launch towards digital adoption.
Splatoon 2 was basically bough by 80% of Switch owners and I would go a little further and say that it drove hardware momentum by a huge amount but without adequate supply. It's the only franchise that can rival Animal Crossing in Japan, it actually increase Wii U sales for more than an year, something that no other title managed to achieve on the system.

It was limited what you you sell at launch by the size of the user base. Potential user-base that Splatoon 3 is launching on is over 22 million in Japan. It will be by far the most important game launching in Japan next year, and could very well achieve over 3.5 million sales just launch day and over 5 million in it's first quarter on the market.

However the more important thing is the years that follow where it continues to receive on-going support, this will help its legs be far stronger than other franchises. After all it remained the best selling evergreen in 2018 in Japan when it was regularly in the news due to a new map, new mode, new gear, new updates to PvE etc. Once updates stopped other evergreens started to outsell it.

Famitsu Switch Top 5 2018:

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 2.360.655
2. Pokémon: Let's Go - 1.253.677
3. Splatoon 2 - 1.122.324
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 926.553
5. Super Mario Party - 764.853

Splatoon 2 launched at the start of the generation to drive hardware sales in Japan. However it only had 2 years of development time and a lot of core members moved onto making New Horizon an year after it launched. It had some fresh ideas but the creative team had to work on a tight deadline.

Splatoon 3 has had over 5 years for creative ideation, at least four of actual development in some capacity. There has been no rush to capitalize on it, but there is no doubt that it will be a greater investment for Nintendo as a whole into the franchise. Splatoon 2 confirmed how big it was by achieving some crazy things in Japan until its support faded. I expect this title to end up with over 2 years of support and major updates, & for it to continue to be relevant on the Switch successor or Pro.

There are many things we are likely to learn in the lead up to the release, as Nintendo's marketing ramp ups. There are likely two major franchises for Nintendo next year - Splatoon 3 and the Breath of the Wild sequel. The comparison of how much marketing is focused on Splatoon 3 compared to how much marketing they could allocate in 2017 when they had a bunch of titles launching and also had to build hype for 2018 games. After all in 2017 Nintendo had to also market Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Breath of the Wild & its expansion, Arms & Super Mario Odyssey, 2022 is likely to be focused on just two major games and a few mid-tier franchises like Kirby and maybe something like a new entry to Tomodachi, Rhythm Heaven or Xenoblade(rumored)

Splatoon is now among the Top 5 Franchises according to Nintendo themselves - so we are talking about a massive launch for a online-focused multiplayer game. Its a game that will also be a major opportunity for Nintendo in East Asia as Splatoon 2 never officially launched in China, and at the time it launched in places like Taiwan & South Korea Switch wasn't in a dominant position on those markets. As Nintendo expands their operations in other SEA markets it will likely lead to even greater investment in Splatoon long term. The region is famous for it's love for online focused mulitplayer games - League of Legends, PUBG, Garena Free Fire, Dota 2 are all huge there, the question is can Splatoon reach the same heights and become the major hardware seller for Nintendo in the region next year.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/famitsu-sales-10-11-10-17.1621699/page-2#post-264879943

 

[Walter Matthau]

Where does the Switch sit in terms of volume of software sold?

Surely there can’t be many consoles that have sold more games?

Q2 Switch results had total lifetime software sales (863.59m) just a touch below Wii (921.85m) and DS (948.76m) lifetime software sales. PS2 is still king with 1537m units.

That said, Switch has a few more years left and they've done all this while ruthlessly avoiding any significant sales on 1st party software (or hardware). It'll likely settle for 2nd place all time in software sales somewhere close to the PS2.

 

[Luminoth-4545]

My expectations going into Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, and BotW 2 is that all three would sell a bit less than their predecessors due to where we are in the lifecycle and rampant piracy.

Glad to see the hype is still heavy on Switch to overcome those factors.

After 5 1/2 years on the market many users had moved on from previous Nintendo console's but not Switch. The Switch userbase is still very active and actively buying the new releases, hardware may not be selling as well as the 2020 peak but software is. Nintendo forecast 210 million software this fiscal year (probably conservative), this is very unusual for a Nintendo console to sell so much software so late in it's lifecycle.

 

[Ogbert]

Q2 Switch results had total lifetime software sales (863.59m) just a touch below Wii (921.85m) and DS (948.76m) lifetime software sales. PS2 is still king with 1537m units.

That said, Switch has a few more years left and they've done all this while ruthlessly avoiding any significant sales on 1st party software (or hardware). It'll likely settle for 2nd place all time in software sales somewhere close to the PS2.

Thanks.

I imagine the PS2 will be impossible to catch due to the huge difference in 3rd party support.

 

[Bloobs]

Japanese love tentacles

 

[Syphon Filter]

wtf, since when is splatoon big in japan? how much did the other two sell?

 

[01011001]

God i hate how you really have to watch what you say in Switch threads or the mods come down hard. All my 9 warning points over the years have been in Switch threads.
I really want to say something about Switch software sales but i just know it will be taken the wrong way and i'll get in trouble lol.

the only games you can shit on almost unfiltered on here is Xbox games... I speak from experience which how hardcore I shit on Halo Infinite and all things 343i

 

[Luminoth-4545]

Where does the Switch sit in terms of volume of software sold?

Surely there can’t be many consoles that have sold more games?

This is the quarterly software data for Nintendo Switch including the regional split. Nintendo forecast 210 million for the current fiscal year which would put Switch over 1 billion by the fiscal years end (31st March 2023). This would make Switch the first Nintendo console to break the 1 billion barrier. At the moment Switch is still behind Wii (921m), DS (948m), PS1 (962m), PS3 (999m), PS4 (over 1.5b) and PS2 (1.537b). I think Switch will sell an absolute minimum of 1.25 billion software lifetime.

Switch software shipments.

 

[Woopah]

Where does the Switch sit in terms of volume of software sold?

Surely there can’t be many consoles that have sold more games?

Q2 Switch results had total lifetime software sales (863.59m) just a touch below Wii (921.85m) and DS (948.76m) lifetime software sales. PS2 is still king with 1537m units.

That said, Switch has a few more years left and they've done all this while ruthlessly avoiding any significant sales on 1st party software (or hardware). It'll likely settle for 2nd place all time in software sales somewhere close to the PS2.

Something that complicates things is that Nintendo doesn't include digital-only software in that count, so I don't think we'll ever know the full total of games bought on the platform.