US NPD August 2020: Nintendo Switch set the highest ever dollar sales record in the history of August US NPD, top 20 August sellers, and BOTW feats.

Celine said:
Sony shouldn't copy the Nintendo's strategy, they would be soundly beaten by Nintendo.
Vice versa Nintendo shouldn't copy the Sony's strategy, they would be soundly beaten by Sony.
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Both giants in their own respective arenas, this is a very good point.
 
Mozza said:
Which is way nobody should listen to your or others views on here when it comes to understanding the wider mass markets buying motives, as all you and others do is look for reasons why you and other similar people buy video game consoles, people in bubbles speaking to other people in similar bubbles.

Which is also why the thread below is such comedy gold. ;)

www.neogaf.com

Betting time: Do you think the Switch will be a success?

asked this in another thread but got no reply, how is the switch doing in terms of how fast the ps4 reached those levels of sales vs time
www.neogaf.com www.neogaf.com
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane lol.
 
thismeinteil said:
And Nintendo fans couldn't see the Wii train stopping, either. Thought it was going to pass PS2. Stopped 55M+ short.
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A little bit different though, after the casuals had got bored there was little market left for the Wii U, which was a major reason why the Wii U bombed, Nintendo just expected all those casual gamers to still be there and rush out and buy a Wii U, when in reality they had already jumped ship to smart devices and tablet devices.

Nintendo pretty much admitted to making a mistake by courting the casual gamers too much, just look at the sales of the two Mario Galaxy games, the first game sold around 12 million copies while the second title only manages 7 million or so, this indicates the more casual Wii user thought the first game was an easy motion controlled affair, when in reality it was as core as any previous 3-D Mario game, second time around the casuals were not going to get burned, also outside of the more motion orientated games the more traditional titles did not sell massive numbers, with the exception of the all mighty Mario kart, despite the Wii having a big 100 million or so install base.

Compare this to the Switch and the more traditional core games like Mario and Zelda are performing much better despite having a much smaller install base, Nintendo seem to have a much better balance with the Switch, so this time I do not predict a sudden decline in sales, but only time will tell.
 
Explosive Zombie said:
Nintendo's attach rates have to do with a dearth of content for their platform. Most people buying a new Switch are buying the same games as each other, or you could say from the same shallow pool. It's not something anyone should aspire to, in my view.
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And most games people buy on PS/MS are GTA, Sports garbage, and COD so what's your point?
 
FALCON_KICK said:
Do you think it has anything to do with Sony moving their Playstation headquarters to California?
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Probably quite a bit, since they are more influenced by western ideals that are now changing quickly particularly in very liberal enclaves. The civic values may not necessarily be the best ones for business.
 
Sub Boss said:
NegligibleWeeklyIbis-size_restricted.gif

I can't stop being amazed at the success of the Switch, even when this year has been weak for releases (except Animal Crossing) its still breaking records
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But we are looking at this from the wrong angle, for an early adopter like myself this has been a tough year, but for the potential Switch owner there is a cool console with tonnes of games for it, and also do not underestimate the rafts of indie games on the e-Shop coming out all the time, as for most Switch owners these will be brand new great value games, we have to look outside our own ideas of console success to understand the Switches more mass market appeal.
 
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Mozza said:
Exactly, it's only a few of the internet minorities that seem to want a war between these companies, when in reality both Nintendo and Sony will be happy for each others success, diversity always makes for a stronger market.
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i think its just videogames during a launch year, and everyone is just having some fun ;)
 
Mozza said:
I think even the most optimistic of Nintendo fans could not have thought the Switch would be such a success, even more so directly after the Wii U's less than stellar sales performance.
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Nah.
Switch is similar to Wii in that it showed from the beginning a very well defined and easy to understand plan and the whole console was laser focus designed around it.
Basically if you believe that the flexibility of the modular design would, in conjunction with Nintendo software, create a successful momentum that would snowfall in even more momentum with time then you would have bet on the console with closed eyes.
In truth every Nintendo console* since early '00s, both successes (DS, Wii, NSW) and failures(WiiU), follow the strategy to introduce unique hardware features that in conjunction with suitable software serve a (hopefully desirable) purpose.

* 3DS being the sole partial exception.
It had a unique selling point but its sole purpose was to differentiate the console from the smartphones at the beginning of the smartphone revolution.
It didn't provide value to the consumer outside of the initial novelty.
 
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Celine said:
Nah.
Switch is similar to Wii in that it showed from the beginning a very well defined and easy to understand plan and the whole console was laser focus designed around it.
Basically if you believe that the flexibility of the modular design would, in conjunction with Nintendo software, create a successful momentum that would snowfall in even more momentum with time then you would have bet on the console with close eyes.
In truth every Nintendo console* since early '00s, both successes (DS, Wii, NSW) and failures(WiiU), follow the strategy to introduce unique hardware features that in conjuction with suitable software serve a (hopefully desirable) purpose.

* 3DS being the sole partial exception.
It had a unique selling point but its sole purpose was to differentiate the console from the smartphones at the beginning of the smartphone revolution.
It didn't provide value to the consumer outside of the initial novelty.
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Yes I agree the message and Switch marketing played a massive part, but let's be honest here, Nintendo got lazy with the Wii U as they just assumed the Wii owners would upgrade automatically to their new console, they did not realize most of the market had already left.

I think also as much as we hate to admit it there is also a lot of luck involved, releasing a product at the right place and time in the marketplace is also very important, the Wii U may have fared better if Nintendo had have released it a few years earlier when tablets and smart devices were not as readily available and inexpensive.
 
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PrimetimeKnight said:
Ditto, only reason I have one is cause my 9 and 7 year olds wanted a new toy. Nintendo has done little for me since the N64.
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Good job on missing out on countless incredible games then.

Ah good ol' "I buy Nintendo for little kids while I play toys made for adults" posts. Love those. They never get old.
 
Yes, luck plays definitely a part (as in everywhere in business).
However it should be noted that some concepts/executions show more promise than others even before the commercial release.
With WiiU Nintendo could not prove through software why the GamePad would enhance the social interaction in the living room which was the true purpose of the WiiU (to be a social console).
Nintendo Land was a good game and fun but it failed to generate buzz and all it remained was a cumbersome and costly GamePad that couldn't really generate meaningful value for the consumers.
 
carlosrox said:
Good job on missing out on countless incredible games then.

Ah good ol' "I buy Nintendo for little kids while I play toys made for adults" posts. Love those. They never get old.
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Always like a nice barely disguised backhanded compliment comment, yes I fail to see the Switch's success myself and can't imagine who is buying the console, however I do have a few Switch consoles in my house, it's only my kids who play with them. as they obviously do not know any better.

Yup always love these balanced arguments. ;)
 
Celine said:
Yes, luck plays definitely a part (as in everywhere in business).
However it should be noted that some concepts/executions show more promise than others even before the commercial release.
With WiiU Nintendo could not prove through software why the GamePad would enhance the social interaction in the living room which was the true purpose of the WiiU (to be a social console).
Nintendo Land was a good game and fun but it failed to generate buzz and all it remained was a cumbersome and costly GamePad that couldn't really generate meaningful value for the consumers.
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When you consider both concepts of the Wii U and Switch you will see they are very similar, the main difference with the Switch being the tablet is the console, and therefore has none of the Wii U's tablet tethering issues.

"Tablet tethering", I think I may patent this and take it on dragons den. ;)
 
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carlosrox said:
Good job on missing out on countless incredible games then.

Ah good ol' "I buy Nintendo for little kids while I play toys made for adults" posts. Love those. They never get old.
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Looks like the Nintendo hit squad starting to show up in force. Mario Odyssey was a great game and Zelda was good but both feel like relics compared to other AAA titles. Let me know when/if Metroid Prime 4 comes out and i'll dust off the Switch. Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon is becoming the Halo, Gears, and Forza of Nintendo.
 
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Mozza said:
When you consider both concepts of the Wii U and Switch you will see they are very similar, the main difference with the Switch being the tablet is the console, and therefore has none of the Wii U's tablet tethering issues.

"Tablet tethering", I think I may patent this and take it on dragons den. ;)
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The main purposes were different.
The off-tv feature was a secondary feature compared to the interaction between the small screen of the GamePad and the big screen of the TV (which in Ninteddo's mind should have create interaction within a group of people with the right software) and the integrated social features of the OS.
It became the more appreciated feature though despite being half assed.

I always recommend watching this video in which Iwata explain the WiiU (it's a pretty interesting video because despite WiiU becoming a failure it actually gives glimpse of Nintendo thought process):
 
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PrimetimeKnight said:
Looks like the Nintendo hit squad starting to show up in force. Mario Odyssey was a great game and Zelda was good but both feel like relics compared to other AAA titles. Let me know when/if Metroid Prime 4 comes out and i'll dust off the Switch. Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon is becoming the Halo, Gears, and Forza of Nintendo.
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Funny how the "Good" Zelda game gets amazing reviews and all those amazing AAA games that make the game look like a relic don't, but I suppose all those reviewers must be in Nintendo's pockets. ;)
 
Celine said:
The main purposes were different.
The off-tv feature was a secondary feature compared to the interaction between the small screen of the GamePad and the big screen of the TV (which in Ninteddo's mind should have create interaction within a group of people with the right software) and the integrated social features of the OS.
It became the more appreciated feature though despite being half assed.

I always recommend watching this video in which Iwata explain the WiiU (it's a pretty interesting video because despite WiiU becoming a failure it actually gives glimpse of Nintendo thought process):
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Without a doubt, the Wii U made the Switch and it's success possible, and Nintendo would not have seen the Wii U as a failure, they would have simply seen it as a stepping stone to their next consoles success.
 
Mozza said:
Funny how the "Good" Zelda game gets amazing reviews and all those amazing AAA games that make the game look like a relic don't, but I suppose all those reviewers must be in Nintendo's pockets. ;)
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I guess I value good battle systems, voice acting, and actual narrative over things like climbing mountains, cooking, and repetitive shrine filler. I mean seriously, I like Mario and Zelda but how many times we need to fight Bowser and Gannon.
 
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Mozza said:
Funny how the "Good" Zelda game gets amazing reviews and all those amazing AAA games that make the game look like a relic don't, but I suppose all those reviewers must be in Nintendo's pockets. ;)
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With all due respect dude, but if you play games based on reviews I have bad news for you. Even Nintendo have great games with medium review scores.
 
~Fake said:
With all due respect dude, but if you play games based on reviews I have bad news for you. Even Nintendo have great games with medium review scores.
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Not with games that get pretty much universal praise backed by very good sales, so with all due respect "Love that phrase", tends to justify showing somebody no respect, you are a a little off base with this one, and trust me I am a tough crowd to please as I do not class myself as a Zelda fan, but I was hooked from the minute I first started playing.
 
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PrimetimeKnight said:
I guess I value good battle systems, voice acting, and actual narrative over things like climbing mountains, cooking, and repetitive shrine filler. I mean seriously, I like Mario and Zelda but how many times we need to fight Bowser and Gannon.
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Each to their own fella, but this only states a personal opinion.
 
Great for Nintendo. This has been a reality for a while. Switch will continue selling a lot. It's different enough to the other offerings. It was a big bet after the Wii U. They deserve to be enjoying the benefits of their work.

I don't know if you have noticed but a lot of people in GAF list Switch as a secondary console. In "what will you buy next gen" threads many answers are in the vein of "PC+Switch", "Xbox + Switch", etc. It's only natural. If you want to play next gen experiences, you get PC or one of the next gen consoles. If you want to have the Switch experience you need to get one of those. There is no way around that.

And then we have the casual market that loves Nintendo and their IP's. Is it really surprising considering even their mobile games are successful? Everyone loves Pokemon and Mario in any of their presentations.

IMO these are the only situation where Switch would siphon sales from traditional consoles:

- Someone wants to buy a PS5 or an Xbox for someone but there aren't any because of launch scarcity
- Someone can't afford to buy a PS5 or an Xbox right now so they go with the cheaper option

In any other case where a customer goes for a Switch instead of a PS5 or an Xbox it's because they are interested in what Switch offers and not what Sony or Microsoft are offering.

Personally Nintendo consoles are not for my (and haven't been since N64) but I can see the appeal. Anyone who denies Nintendo has many fans both core and casual is not really being objective.

BTW this is how it should be. We need a rich market with many different offerings so everyone can enjoy gaming. Diversity is not a bad thing for anyone involved.
 
Eevee86 said:
People acting like the PS2 sold ridiculously well because of it being a gaming system and not a DVD player.
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Lol. PS2 had a great attach ratio. Better than quite a few systems. Buying a PS2 for DVDs would have been a stupid and needlessly expensive thing to do when there were players half the cost at PS2's launch and ones for $50 not too long after.

The DVD myth has been put to rest long ago. Only those who wish to downplay it's success because their fave console won't pass it bring it back up again.
 
Jaybe said:
[NSW] 504k
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"Listen, and understand! The Nintendo Switch is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!"

kSiT3wt.jpg
 
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thismeinteil said:
Lol. PS2 had a great attach ratio. Better than quite a few systems. Buying a PS2 for DVDs would have been a stupid and needlessly expensive thing to do when there were players half the cost at PS2's launch and ones for $50 not too long after.

The DVD myth has been put to rest long ago. Only those who wish to downplay it's success because their fave console won't pass it bring it back up again.
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DVD players were still absurdly expensive when the PS2 launched. They were almost the same price.
 
PrimetimeKnight said:
Looks like the Nintendo hit squad starting to show up in force. Mario Odyssey was a great game and Zelda was good but both feel like relics compared to other AAA titles. Let me know when/if Metroid Prime 4 comes out and i'll dust off the Switch. Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon is becoming the Halo, Gears, and Forza of Nintendo.
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Do you play Halo, Gears and Forza on your Xbox toy?
 
Bryank75 said:
This highlights why Sony should be looking to Nintendo as example of what to do with their games.....

Not chasing Xbox and the current short-term trends.
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I think Sony is best taking risks with their franchises and giving us many new franchises each gen. I'd rather play ten great games, than buy and play the same Zelda and Mario games over and over again.... Say what you want about Nintendo, but their fans will go out and buy 10 versions of Zelda 1 on each new succeeding hardware.......That's not something I think Sony can replicate....Sony fans are about evolving with technology, visuals and IP's...
 
Eevee86 said:
DVD players were still absurdly expensive when the PS2 launched. They were almost the same price.
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Nope. Players were available for $100-$150 when PS2 launched. By 2003, when the PS2 was still $200, you could get one for $50. There's a reason the attach rate for PS2 remained high, even with 158M consoles in people's homes. People were buying them for games. Playing DVDs was just an added bonus.
 
thelastword said:
I think Sony is best taking risks with their franchises and giving us many new franchises each gen. I'd rather play ten great games, than buy and play the same Zelda and Mario games over and over again.... Say what you want about Nintendo, but their fans will go out and buy 10 versions of Zelda 1 on each new succeeding hardware.......That's not something I think Sony can replicate....Sony fans are about evolving with technology, visuals and IP's...
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Oh yes, sorry.... I meant in terms of how they manage the games. I don't want them on PC and I think they should sell them full price for a few months and then vault them. Re-releasing them a year or two later with new content for NG+.

Making it an event every time each one is sold and waves of people playing the games on Twitch etc.

They devalue their games too fast and making them less exclusive, makes them less special.
 
thelastword said:
I'd rather play ten great games, than buy and play the same Zelda and Mario games over and over again.... Say what you want about Nintendo, but their fans will go out and buy 10 versions of Zelda 1 on each new succeeding hardware.......That's not something I think Sony can replicate....Sony fans are about evolving with technology, visuals and IP's...
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I generally like you when you're pumping up Sony games TLW and I do the same for Nintendo so I realize we're in contrasting places, but let's not get retarded. Mario and Zelda are the absolute gold standard of quality in the industry and they have been so for 35 years. It wouldn't be this way if it was the same games over and over again.
 
PS4 sells more games, period. There's a lot of Switch owners who buy Zelda, Mario and a few others and then stop. Even if you counter with "a lot of PS4 owners just get FIFA/COD" you're still talking a game per year at least.
 
Explosive Zombie said:
PS4 sells more games, period. There's a lot of Switch owners who buy Zelda, Mario and a few others and then stop. Even if you counter with "a lot of PS4 owners just get FIFA/COD" you're still talking a game per year at least.
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I suppose games from the many indie devs who've found success on the Switch will turn out not to qualify as real games in your book. Triple-A third party or bust, is that about it?
 
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