[BishopLamont]

Were nintendo this aggressive with the DS v PSP? It just seems to me that since nintendo knew vita was coming they have put a real strategy in place to make sure it couldnt eat into there marketshare. They targeted those PSP gamers and through releases and announcements are making sure the 3DS maintains momentum and will not let the vita even get off the ground.

The PSP continued to sell despite the DS' domination, never dipping to the lows that the Vita is experiencing and even had a semi revival in terms of market leadership and third party support. Nintendo is much more aggressive this time to prevent this from happening. They're basically GC-ing the Vita.

[MrCunningham]

Nope. April 29th and the third, fourth and fifth of May. Eight 3DS games, one DS game.

Whoops... Detective Conan. You're right. Well, I'm sure a lot of 3DS owners bought that one too.

[Krev]

Were nintendo this aggressive with the DS v PSP? It just seems to me that since nintendo knew vita was coming they have put a real strategy in place to make sure it couldnt eat into there marketshare. They targeted those PSP gamers and through releases and announcements are making sure the 3DS maintains momentum and will not let the vita even get off the ground.

Remember last year when Nintendo executives were calling the 3DS strategy 'DS Plus'? That is to say, taking the DS audience plus the PSP audience?
They're pulling it off.

[Salvadora]

There will be a redesign at e3.

I don't think so, Maybe in the fall but not E3.

[thestopsign]

I've been thinking that Nintendo might be releasing the redesign with NSMB2 in August. It would be the best title to go with it, and would mimic what they did with DSL and the original NSMB.

Fire Emblem is impressive, and I expect it to have better legs than most in the series due to Golden Week. It might be just below 100k next week if all goes well.

[7threst]

That is a VAST gulf between #1 vs. everything else. Did FE sell more than the entire top 20 combined? EDIT: Yes it did, 2-20 = 166,214

Damn... pretty impressive!

[Kinvara]

There will be a redesign at e3.

I'll be looking forward to seeing it then.

[pulga]

Oh, wow! Huge numbers for FE! Massive when you compare it to previous entries' first week sales. Very good news for the franchise.


oh and the requisite Vita loooooooooooool

[Skiesofwonder]

Very interesting point, will NSMB2 eat SML3D's pie, or can they co-exist?

I think they can over time, but I believe it will surely hamper SML3D's legs the second part of the year and especially the Holidays.

SM3DL is bundled, Mario Kart 7 is not. If Nintendo keeps the bundle around after NSMB2 launches the game will keep selling.

Good point, but SML3D was still a part of the holy-trinity and sitting at around 10k per week before the bundle was released. Which would suggest that it was going to have evergreen-like legs, bundle or not.

NSMB3DS will most likely have a huge effect on those single SKU sales.

yeah i'm kinda surprised kid icarus was not a worldwide bomb. considering it had been two decades since the last installment, i thought it would have done about 100k-150k per region, and now it looks like it could possibly sell 1 million worldwide, over time.

It's pretty much a lock at 1 million worldwide now. It is already >500k worldwide in it's first month, and the title should show legs in Asia and especially in NA where handheld titles are always slow burners.

[matmanx1]

Great opening for Fire Emblem. I wonder how high it can eventually go? Surely Fire Emblem bundles were not counted in that 3DS HW number? 80k seems a little soft.

Code of Princess has an ok start. I like the art but I've yet to start playing my copy that came in the mail yesterday.

Vita is not healthy but stil too early to call dead.

[Krev]

There will be a redesign at e3.

I wish I could be so optimistic.

I don't think so, Maybe in the fall but not E3.

Not a chance. They won't want to distract from Wii U.

I've been thinking that Nintendo might be releasing the redesign with NSMB2 in August. It would be the best title to go with it, and would mimic what they did with DSL and the original NSMB.

A bundle could be massive.
I've been thinking since they announced NSMB2 that an August revision makes a hell of a lot of sense...but will they do it? I have my doubts.

[BishopLamont]

Great opening for Fire Emblem. I wonder how high it can eventually go? Surely Fire Emblem bundles were not counted in that 3DS HW number? 80k seems a little soft. Code of Princess has an ok start. I like the art but I've yet to start playing my copy that came in the mail yesterday. Vita is not healthy but stil too early to call dead.

Yeah its just gonna be in a long coma and will show spikes of life now and then.

[Kinvara]

A bundle could be massive. I've been thinking since they announced NSMB2 that an August revision makes a hell of a lot of sense...but will they do it? I have my doubts.

Maybe they'll just release a new color.

[grimshawish]

and i hope nintendo follows it up with an announcement of advance wars 3d.

With The World Ends With You rumoured, if Advance Wars is announced I think its safe for me to call the 3DS my favourite system of all time, just based on its current line up of great games. Advance Wars is my favourite games of the DS, 3DS could be fantastic.

Am certainly only planning to get Fire Emblem now I know they are similar types of games, something I never realised before (and the 3ds game looks spectacular)

Very interesting point, will NSMB2 eat SML3D's pie, or can they co-exist?

Other way around I think. I think SML3D is the big new franchise, certainly SML3D2 will be out on the system at some point in its life span!

I think NSMB2 will do okay. You can see Nintendo's logic, they'll have a Mario AND Luigi game on the 3ds, and this brings the two together.

yeah i'm kinda surprised kid icarus was not a worldwide bomb. considering it had been two decades since the last installment, i thought it would have done about 100k-150k per region, and now it looks like it could possibly sell 1 million worldwide, over time.

Its basically like they have launched an entirely new franchise. By acting like a continuation (even within the game) I think it just adds to the characters and creates backstory where other games would struggle with a long introduction to the world - Kid Icarus is in there quick and fast and that must help sell it.

So am not too surprised. This is the first instalment, just borrowing an old name.

[Bruno MB]

I was looking for these numbers. Source?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost...&postcount=153

[frankie_baby]

Maybe they'll just release a new color.

Far more likely

[walking fiend]

are 'core' games generally selling better on 3DS than last gen Nintendo hardwares?

[Father_Brain]

It's getting harder and harder to see how they can turn it around. Crucially, PS3, PSP and 3DS had a lot of early pledged third party support going for them, so there was always light at the end of the tunnel. Vita has an utterly barren line-up, and the longer hardware fails to pick up, the less likely it's going to secure any future support. It's a vicious cycle. No sales, no games. No games, no sales, and so it keeps dropping lower, and lower... Sony had better hope Soul Sacrifice the bee's knees.

That's not quite true for PSP, at least as far as Japan is concerned - the only big title announced for it before launch (or by a few months after, IIRC) was Crisis Core. But Vita doesn't even have anything remotely comparable to that, and of course, PSP had the benefit of launching at a time when a new Sony platform seemed far more deserving of benefit of the doubt.

[Cygnus X-1]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost...&postcount=153

Thanks. This answer my question.

[Road]

If Nintendo really sold 30k of the bundle through their online store there's like no way MC was tracking them seeing how the rise is only 20k.

The 3DS having sold 64k the week before does not imply it would have sold 64k this week and that the FE bundle is only responsible for adding 21k units.

Anyway, we'll probably hear from Media Create tomorrow night.

[Krev]

That's not quite true for PSP, at least as far as Japan is concerned - the only big title announced for it before launch (or by a few months after, IIRC) was Crisis Core. But Vita doesn't even have anything remotely comparable to that, and of course, PSP had the benefit of launching at a time when a new Sony platform seemed far more deserving of benefit of the doubt.

I was thinking of Crisis Core as I typed that, but thinking back...uh, I guess you're right. Still, as Sony know, it's all about momentum, and as you say, PSP was tied in with the brand of the overwhelmingly dominant force in console gaming. Vita is just in a tremendously worse position.

[LayLa]

andriasang saying "It should be noted that Nintendo released a 3DS hardware bundle for the game. However, this was sold exclusively through Nintendo's own e-Shop and does not appear to be included in Media Create's sales."

is this correct?

[slaughterking]

Fire Emblem doing so good really makes my day. :3 The franchise seemed slightly troubled over the last generation mostly due to Nintendo's questionable way of handling it. Seeing a proper sequel having such a solid opening is really great news.

[thestopsign]

The 3DS having sold 64k the week before does not imply it would have sold 64k this week and that the FE bundle is only responsible for adding 21k units. Anyway, we'll probably hear from Media Create tomorrow night.

And if you assume that 64k is the baseline for whatever reason, maybe some of that 64k that would have bought it regardless bought the bundle.

[ShinUltramanJ]

NICE Fire Emblem sales! I wonder if in the end this will be one of the highest selling FE titles?

[BishopLamont]

That's not quite true for PSP, at least as far as Japan is concerned - the only big title announced for it before launch (or by a few months after, IIRC) was Crisis Core. But Vita doesn't even have anything remotely comparable to that, and of course, PSP had the benefit of launching at a time when a new Sony platform seemed far more deserving of benefit of the doubt.

The PSP still had third party support through out its life, not mega sellers, but alot of mid tier games, the Vita doesn't even have PES2013.

andriasang saying "It should be noted that Nintendo released a 3DS hardware bundle for the game. However, this was sold exclusively through Nintendo's own e-Shop and does not appear to be included in Media Create's sales." is this correct?

Makes sense, otherwise we'd see the 3DS boost larger than at least 20k.

The 3DS having sold 64k the week before does not imply it would have sold 64k this week and that the FE bundle is only responsible for adding 21k units. Anyway, we'll probably hear from Media Create tomorrow night.

The 3DS hasn't dropped below 60k this year, the last week the 3DS had no new releases it still sold 67k, and the week before that with no new releases it sold 75k and even on weeks where there was small debuts like Harvest Moon or M&S it still sold over 60k. Its safe to say the 3DS' minimum baseline is 60k.

Actually the last two weeks had no new releases and the 3DS is above 60k also.

[Zeer0id]

andriasang saying "It should be noted that Nintendo released a 3DS hardware bundle for the game. However, this was sold exclusively through Nintendo's own e-Shop and does not appear to be included in Media Create's sales." is this correct?

there have been conflicting reports, but it's increasingly looking like this was the case.

[Fabrik]

3DS: one step closer to Japan domination.

[AndrewDean84xX]

What can save the Vita?

[Salvadora]

the Vita doesn't even have PES2013.

This is still shocking.

[frankie_baby]

there have been conflicting reports, but it's increasingly looking like this was the case.

But then why would fire emblem have the multiple versions # next to it on the chart?

Hmm very curious

[liger05]

What can save the Vita?

Waits for the inevitable response which is Monster Hunter.

[slaughterking]

And if you assume that 64k is the baseline for whatever reason, maybe some of that 64k that would have bought it regardless bought the bundle.

Clearly, but at the same time there are surely a lot of people that have no interest in buying through Nintendo's online outlet and bought a new 3DS in a regular store.

[chickdigger802]

Is code of princess that brawler with the hentai chick?

What were famitsu scores of fire emblem?

[MrCunningham]

The PSP still had third party support through out its life, not mega sellers, but alot of mid tier games, the Vita doesn't even have PES2013.

I'm probably wrong, but weren't The Monster Hunter series mega sellers? Which is why Nintendo scooped it up for the 3DS.

What can save the Vita?

Probably RPG's and software that the Japanese public gives a damn about?

[frankie_baby]

Waits for the inevitable response which is Monster Hunter.

Monster hunter puzzle fighter thing for psp will obviously save vita

[Father_Brain]

What can save the Vita?

Same thing that keeps any platform selling decently - a steady stream of software. For a second-place handheld in Japan, that means support would have to improve to the point where Vita is getting at least one potential 400-500k+ seller every six months or so, with one or two potential 200K+ sellers every month (six weeks?) in between.

Note that I didn't say this was likely, mind you.

[darkwing]

What can save the Vita?

E3, if not TGS

[KillGore]

There will be a redesign at e3.

I would've believed it IF the 3DS were still selling poorly. Nintendo doesn't see the Vita as a threat anymore and the consumer has now fallen in love with the 3DS. There really is no need for a redesign. Probably in a year or two. Even then, I doubt the new 3DS will have dual analogs, since by that time there will be a pretty big install base, meaning you would fragment your customers, and the larger chunk being left out of newer games that use dual analogs.

[slaughterking]

E3, if not TGS

if not E3 again.

[BishopLamont]

I'm probably wrong, but weren't The Monster Hunter series mega sellers? Which is why Nintendo scooped it up for the 3DS. Probably RPG's and software that the Japanese public gives a damn about?

Well yeah that came alot later, but the point is that PSP always had decent third party support, certainly not the dry spells to the extent Vita is experiencing.

I would've believed it IF the 3DS were still selling poorly. Nintendo doesn't see the Vita as a threat anymore and the consumer has now fallen in love with the 3DS. There really is no need for a redesign. Probably in a year or two. Even then, I doubt the new 3DS will have dual analogs, since by that time there will be a pretty big install base, meaning you would fragment your customers, and the larger chunk being left out of newer games that use dual analogs.

Yeah, Wii-U will get all the attention hardware-wise this year, 3DS revision can come next year.

[liger05]

I'm probably wrong, but weren't The Monster Hunter series mega sellers? Which is why Nintendo scooped it up for the 3DS

Once Nintendo released a handheld which could run MH (The DS couldnt) it was always going to be released on a nintendo platform.

[frankie_baby]

if not E3 again.

And if not firesale

[Spiegel]

What can save the Vita?

[grimshawish]

Waits for the inevitable response which is Monster Hunter.

Well it is inevitable.
The Japanese are not rational consumers like the rest of the world, they are in fact irrational and insane human beings. Put Monster Hunter 4 on Vita and we will see them tearing down shopping centres just to get it first, there will be assaults against staff and other customers, but the Police will only punish the offenders by confiscating their Monster Hunter 4. Unfortunatly there will be no trial as the Monster Hunter 4 evidence will likely go missing on transit, whilst for purely coincidental reasons, emergency response rates will be non-existant as the emergency services appear to be 'doing something else'.

Even if MH4 is launched on 3DS, it won't matter as customers will want the best graphical version and even if its not very superior - they will buy BOTH versions due to the fact Japan has an endless supply of money (they likely steal this of North Korea who are actually a very nice country secretly) and so can afford it.


And this is just for anyone who asks why its not okay to say Monster Hunter will save Vita, and why they tend to be looking down on Japan when they claim Japan will somehow take all its clothes off and whore itself out for one single copy of a game that to Japanese customers is supposedly like a drug.

And I haven't even mentioned the business sense of Capcom even making MH4 for Vita, so am not saying it won't happen (but I would say that ;)), but that even if it did - it would not have the affect some seem to expect.

[donny2112]

Yay for Fire Emblem!

This. YES!

[KaizorPenguin]

Great FE numbers, and woah at the gap between first and second, massive.

[liger05]

So did sony just expect PSP gamers to make the jump to vita regardless of software?

[chickdigger802]

A monster hunting dating sim could save vita.

[Stumpokapow]

RE: What kind of games could "save" the Vita? Presumably we're operating on the assumption that the kind of games that did well on PSP would do on Vita, and that to have PSP-like success, the Vita should have a PSP-like library. In reality there could be a new trend, one which couldn't simply be predicted by looking at what did well on the PSP. But assuming the PSP->Vita link and isolating for games selling above 200k on PSP, here's what we get

Monster Hunter (+ similar games like God Eater)
Final Fantasy (+ spinoffs like Dissidia, Tactics)
Kingdom Hearts
Metal Gear Solid
Phantasy Star
Tales
Gundam / Super Robot Wars
Musou

Other:
Sports (Baseball, Soccer, Hot Shots Golf)
Games related to Idols (AKB48 games, Hatsune Miku)
Racing Games (GTP, Ridge Racer)
One-offs or misc: Little Battlers, Yakuza, Taiko Drum Master, The Third Birthday, Persona 3 Portable, Star Ocean remake