[Hobby]

Iwata went directly to Twitter to talk about Animal Crossing: New Leaf selling out nationwide across Japan, along with its upcoming scheduled shipment for this week. Nintendo shipped roughly 600k copies last week including an additional shipment. Another shipment of 100k copies is due in the first half of this week, and the second half of this week will see an additional 200k copies shipped. Iwata also announced that over 200k digital purchases of Animal Crossing: New Leaf have been made and download cards have also been selling out.

https://twitter.com/Nintendo/statuse...02237785849856
https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...02430245687296
https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...02600484114432
https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...03848767700992

[ranmafan]

Not surprised at the download numbers. been to many 7/11s in my area. All carry the Animal Crossing download cards, and most have been sold at the stores. I think a few sold out of them too. Never seen that with any download cards at the conbinis here.

[ElTopo]

Less than a million ? Nintendo doomed.

[vareon]

This will introduce many people to downloadable retail games at eShop. Everything according to plan.

[grimshawish]

200k extra to be shipped this week and download cards OUT OF STOCK

Fucking hell.

This will introduce many people to downloadable retail games at eShop. Everything according to plan.

They didn't plan for DD cards to go out of stock though :p

[ffdgh]

woo media create in 2 days. Expecting another 3ds bump

[Electivirus]

Glad people are jumping on the download train for AC3DS. It's the perfect game for it.

[cw_sasuke]

So its 600K first shipment is sold out and it sold additional 200K on/via the eShop ? Impressive.

[Thoraxes]

I was just reading their twitter during the downtime lol

[nickcv]

1/3 of the initial shipment? not bad nintendo, not bad...

[Mpl90]

...Wait.
So, 600k shipped and basically sold out + 200k downloads = 800k sold in the first week?
WHAT?!?

[@MUWANdo]

Were the digital cards any cheaper than physical copies this time around?

[Terrell]

Iwata went directly to Twitter to talk about Animal Crossing: New Leaf selling out nationwide across Japan, along with its upcoming scheduled shipment for this week. Nintendo shipped roughly 600k copies last week including an additional shipment. Another shipment of 100k copies is due in the first half of this week, and the second half of this week will see an additional 200k copies shipped. Iwata also announced that over 200k digital purchases of Animal Crossing: New Leaf have been made and download cards have also been selling out. https://twitter.com/Nintendo/statuse...02237785849856 https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...02430245687296 https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...02600484114432 https://twitter.com/doubutsuno_mori/...03848767700992

Wait wait wait... 200K worth of downloads and that DOESN'T include the retail download cards? Am I reading this right? If so, that's basically 1/4th of all copies sold being downloads. I was of the (obviously mistaken) impression that the Japanese were not big on download purchasing...

[Exterminieren]

Well.

That's rather impressive.

[grimshawish]

Were the digital cards any cheaper than physical copies this time around?

Up to shops.

[@MUWANdo]

...Wait. So, 600k shipped and basically sold out + 200k downloads = 800k sold in the first week? WHAT?!?

Animal Crossing is massive in Japan, I think the DS game sold around 6m over there.

[nickcv]

Wait wait wait... 200K worth of downloads and that DOESN'T include the retail download cards? Am I reading this right? If so, that's basically 1/4th of all copies sold being digital. I was of the (obviously mistaken) impression that the Japanese were not big on download purchasing...

that's how i read it too

[@MUWANdo]

Up to shops.

People keep saying this but I've never seen/heard reports of a single store discounting the digital cards ever.

[Mpl90]

Animal Crossing is massive in Japan, I think the DS game sold around 6m over there.

Yeah, but it's the 200k copies downloaded that scares me, if additional and not including download cards bought from retail shops.

[cw_sasuke]

Up to shops.

So no.

[ranmafan]

Wait wait wait... 200K worth of downloads and that DOESN'T include the retail download cards? Am I reading this right? If so, that's basically 1/4th of all copies sold being downloads. I was of the (obviously mistaken) impression that the Japanese were not big on download purchasing...

While not as popular as it is in the West, download purchasing is getting bigger. Mainly I think due to the fact you see more download cards for all services here, nintendo, playstation store, gree, itunes, etc at all connivence stores and such. People are more willing to buy those than use credit cards here. And Nintendo really seems to be very active in getting those cards out. Lots of them for many games at every store Ive been to.

[Exterminieren]

Well.

That's rather impressive.

[@MUWANdo]

Yeah, but it's the 200k copies downloaded that scares me, if additional and not including download cards bought from retail shops.

I don't think it's saying the download cards aren't included as part of that figure.

[grimshawish]

People keep saying this but I've never seen/heard reports of a single store discounting the digital cards ever.

No but its just the way Nintendo is doing it so 'up to shops' is the right way to put it.
Its cheap to stock the cards so I suppose whilst the margins might be better (allowing for some sort of discount) its also less costly to not sell all your stock in a short time period.

So no.

Pretty much. Especially not in this case!

[vareon]

I find the image of Iwata hijacking Animal Crossing's twitter account to say "Guys we made lots of monies" funny.

[Regulus Tera]

what the fucking fuck at that download number

that's insane

[enishi]

People keep saying this but I've never seen/heard reports of a single store discounting the digital cards ever.

I bought Animal Crossing from Joshin web (only online store that accepts foreign credit card). It was 4533 yen instead of 4800 yen.

[nhlducks35]

People keep saying this but I've never seen/heard reports of a single store discounting the digital cards ever.

Pretty sure Japan stores discount.

[qq more]

How much did the other Animal Crossing games sold in Japan first week?

[Mpl90]

How much did the other Animal Crossing games sold in Japan first week?

About 350k.
But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459
Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

[ranmafan]

Pretty sure Japan stores discount.

They do, lots of them do. Particularly web based stores and electronics chains. But many of these cards are in convenience stores, and they don't always discount. I cant remember seeing the price when I was in one yesterday, but it didn't seem to be discounted at all. Usually there would be something there saying it would but there wasn't. So I wouldnt be surprised if some of the cards are full price at some stores.

[qq more]

About 350k. But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459 Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

Holy shit :O

[moulels]

I guess it's a pretty big accomplishment if Iwata is giving this info on Twitter. It's quite... unusual.

[markot]

The wii one was bleh though >.<

[Jonnyram]

That's nuts!

About 350k. But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459 Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

Yeah, but the DS game sold 5m+ copies LTD!

[ElTopo]

About 350k. But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459 Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

Almost unbelievable numbers. Did anyone see such a huge success coming (at Sales-GAF) ?

[Man God]

About 350k. But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459 Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

and it's the first week of a series with considerable portable legs and its not even holiday time yet. This game could be the best selling 3DS game in Japan eventually and up with the big three in a fairly short time span.

[Mpl90]

That's nuts! Yeah, but the DS game sold 5m+ copies LTD!

True, but it's still impressive this massive beginning, no? Especially on the download side.

[Man God]

That's nuts! Yeah, but the DS game sold 5m+ copies LTD!

AHEM.

[NDS] Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo) - 335.425 / 5.157.481 / 6,50% 23/11/05

[MasterSheen]

About 350k. But consider this: Animal Crossing City Folk LTD: 1.221.459 Animal Crossing New Leaf first week: 600k + 200k downloads = 800k

Should hit a million next week then, quite impressive for a casual game.

[XaosWolf]

That's some great download numbers there.
And yeah, Animal Crossing is one I'd rather download considering the nature of the game. =)

[Regulus Tera]

Did they ever come out and say what numbers did NSMB2 do over downloads?

[cacildo]

Where´s the western release date, nintendo?

You´re killing me here!

[Rhod]

Especially on the download side.

Worth noting this is the first Nintendo game where the standard TV advertising features promotion of the download version ('always together, never lost - download version available' at the end of each ad). Appears to have been a big success.

[Mpl90]

Did they ever come out and say what numbers did NSMB2 do over downloads?

Iwata said something about the % of digital purchases on the total (5%) compared to 20% for Brain Training, and that was back in August, before NSMB2's Western release. More recently, they said it sold digitally more in USA than in Japan.

[@MUWANdo]

True, but it's still impressive this massive beginning, no? Especially on the download side.

They were pushing the digital angle pretty hard in the advertising; there were specific commercials just to plug the advantages of a digital download, how to buy a digital copy, etc.

Did they ever come out and say what numbers did NSMB2 do over downloads?

No numbers, I don't think, but from what I recall it's sold over 3.5m overall, with the worldwide percentage of digital sales being around 3% (higher in US/JP, lower in EU/AU).

[Tenki]

So probably Animal Crossing digital > all Vita games sold on PSN combined, isn't it?

[Tiktaalik]

Nintendo has been pushing the download version pretty hard. Do you think they intentionally under shipped the boxed copy of the game to further nudge the market toward the idea of downloading the title?

[Jackano]

I didn't see that coming. Animal Crossing is a powerfull franchise but after the not so successfull/acclaimed Wii game, it's true the DS game is 7 years old now... I believe Japanese people missed AC so bam... Profit!

Edit: There is no plan/undershipment thing to favoritise the digital downloads. Regular AC opening are 300k, right? We have the double + the cards in stores... Hard to think about a volunteer undershipment here.

[Boss Doggie]

The wii one was bleh though >.<

The Wii game was pretty bland and didn't add much.

AC fits a handheld environment, especially as a downloaded one (no need to carry its cartridge, and the game works well when played in bursts)