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[Htown]

That Black and White number is kind of insane considering that the cutoff date for the numbers is the same month the game came out in NA and Europe.

 

[Franchuzas87]

I only played SoulSilver. Was great.

 

[Wichu]

Which came out first and last? i don't follow the series...Are sales in decline or not?

The list is in chronological order. The first DS releases were Diamond and Pearl, and the latest are Black and White. Considering B/W were out for less than a month outside of Japan, I'd say they have a very good chance of having sold more than D/P by now. So no, sales aren't in decline (at least not in a huge way).

 

[The_Endgamer]

Smart people wait and buy only the 3rd versions.

Well, except for the remakes since those don't get 3rd versions. Shame that.

Indeed, though the real smart pokemon trainers buy all of them... just sayin'

Just missing a Pearl out of the DS games, then the DS collection shall be complete...

 

[pramath]

I'm pretty sure Black/White have crossed 12 million units sold by now.
I'm pretty sure around this time next year, they'll have sold in excess of 16 million.

Now I'm just waiting for a Pokemon 3D. Please let it be a remake of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. I mean, I'll still buy it if it's Pokemon Gray, though I have to admit I will feel marginally betrayed.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

B&W is doing very well so far, but it was more frontloaded than D/P in Japan so we'll have to wait and see if it has the same legs as its predecessor.

BTW: The franchise is not in decline at all. It hit its lowest point in sales with R/S on GBA (Which still sold a ridiculous amount) and bounced back up with D/P.

Just for comparison's sake (missing figures courtesy of VG Sales Wikia)

Mainline Series

Pokemon Red/Blue/Green: 20.08 million

Pokemon Gold/Silver: 14.51 million

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire: 13 million

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl: 17.57 million

Pokemon Black/White (after 6 months, tracking ahead of Diamond/Pearl): 11.51 million

Enhanced Versions

Pokemon Yellow: 8.26 million

Pokemon Crystal: 3.75 million

Pokemon Emerald: 6.32 million

Pokemon Platinum: 7.43 million

Remakes

Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green: 11.82 million

Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver: 11.90 million

So not only is the franchise not in decline, it's actually in growth. If Black and White continue to track ahead of Diamond/Pearl and we eventually get Pokemon Grey, we could actually finally get a Pokemon game that surpasses the sales of generation one!

 

[Htown]

also I should probably actually play a Pokemon game at some point. I do have Platinum sitting around here somewhere.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Smart people wait and buy only the 3rd versions.

Well, except for the remakes since those don't get 3rd versions. Shame that.

Crystal stuff was built into HG/SS, no shame there.

 

[pramath]

B&W is doing very well so far, but it was more frontloaded than D/P in Japan so we'll have to wait and see if it has the same legs as its predecessor.

BTW: The franchise is not in decline at all. It hit its lowest point in sales with R/S on GBA (Which still sold a ridiculous amount) and bounced back up with D/P.

Ruby and Sapphire sold what, 14 million, right?
So if we consider the remakes, it is arguable that the lowest points of the series were FR/LG with 10 million, or HG/SS with 11 million.

If we only consider the mainline games, Ruby/Sapphire was the lowest selling though.
Kind of makes me nervous about the prospects of a remake for the Hoenn games anytime soon.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Ruby and Sapphire sold what, 14 million, right?
So if we consider the remakes, it is arguable that the lowest points of the series were FR/LG with 10 million, or HG/SS with 11 million.

If we only consider the mainline games, Ruby/Sapphire was the lowest selling though.
Kind of makes me nervous about the prospects of a remake for the Hoenn games anytime soon.

Remakes don't really count. They appeal mainly to people who played the original games (hence why Nintendo focused on people's memories of the original Gold/Silver games for the original GB/GBC in their commercials)

To expect a remake to sell as well as a new mainline game is a bit asinine really.

The fact that the remakes sell so well also proves that there is a strong older fanbase that continues to buy and play these games (As does Nintendo's recent charts about the demographical change with the series in Japan - with 21-25 yolds now making up the majority of players)

 

[pramath]

Remakes don't really count. They appeal mainly to people who played the original games (hence why Nintendo focused on people's memories of the original Gold/Silver games for the original GB/GBC in their commercials)

To expect a remake to sell as well as a new mainline game is a bit asinine really.

The fact that the remakes sell so well also proves that there is a strong older fanbase that continues to buy and play these games.

Yeah, I thought so too. Although it is ironic how the Gold/Silver remakes were probably the best entries in the series till Black and White hit.

I have a question about the chart you posted above. You show Gold and Silver as having sold 14 million, but if I remember correctly, when Nintendo announced HG/SS, their press release said that Gold and Silver had sold 25 million copies worldwide, right? So are those numbers not updated?

Also, didn't the latest quarterly earnings report from Nintendo confirm Black and White to be at 11.9 million?

And damn, look at how low Crystal sold. What happened there?

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Yeah, I thought so too. Although it is ironic how the Gold/Silver remakes were probably the best entries in the series till Black and White hit.

I have a question about the chart you posted above. You show Gold and Silver as having sold 14 million, but if I remember correctly, when Nintendo announced HG/SS, their press release said that Gold and Silver had sold 25 million copies worldwide, right? So are those numbers not updated?

Also, didn't the latest quarterly earnings report from Nintendo confirm Black and White to be at 11.9 million?

And damn, look at how low Crystal sold. What happened there?

Impossible, R/B/Y didn't even sell that much. They probably combined the original G/S/C sales with HG/SS to get 25 million.

As for Crystal, it's kind of obvious really. It was a GBC only game, released at a time when the GBA was just about to launch.

 

[The Technomancer]

Yup, dedicated gaming handhelds are dying alright. No-one buys in depth handheld games for $40 anymore when they can play Angry Birds

...


BAHAHAHAHA

 

[pramath]

Impossible, R/B/Y didn't even sell that much. They probably combined the original G/S/C sales with HG/SS to get 25 million.

As for Crystal, it's kind of obvious really. It was a GBC only game, released at a time when the GBA was just about to launch.

Can't have done that. This was the press release that announced the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Anyway, I found the original article. I was apparently wrong, they are supposed to have sold 23 million, not 25 million.

As for Crystal, I daresay it was also a victim of franchise fatigue- which is also supported by the fact that Ruby and Sapphire sold so (relatively) low.
There's also the fact that it probably had the least and most meaningless enhancements for any third game in the series (outside of Japan, at least).

 

[Wiseblade]

Wow, Pokémon really brings in some serious bank. I'd like to say I added to one of those B/W day one sales, but I didn't

 

[Saiyar]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110729e.pdf
For those asking for updated Black & White numbers it has sold 12.87 million as of June 2011 and is still selling over 1 million copies a quarter.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

There's also the fact that it probably had the least and most meaningless enhancements for any third game in the series (outside of Japan, at least).

Competitive GSC is a total bore compared to competitive RSE, though.

Defense all day erryday.

 

[pramath]

Competitive GSC is a total bore compared to competitive RSE, though.

Defense all day erryday.

Eh, I never battled competitively in G/S/C, so I wouldn't know. All I know is, I used to battle with my brother and my friend a lot. A lot of our arguments were settled that way

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110729e.pdf
For those asking for updated Black & White numbers it has sold 12.87 million as of June 2011 and is still selling over 1 million copies a quarter.

Like I said, I fully expect Black and White to have sold in excess of 16 million same time next year.

 

[Justin Timberlake]

B/W will probably end somewhere between 18 and 19 million. Damn impressive.

Competitive GSC is a total bore compared to competitive RSE, though.

Defense all day erryday.

Yeah, Gen 3 is still my favorite competitive format.

Though GSC blows RSE out of the water in terms of single-player gameplay.

 

[TheSeks]

Competitive GSC is a total bore compared to competitive RSE, though.

Defense all day erryday.

As opposed to walls all day erryday. :/

They're both terrible for that. D/P/Pt/HG/SS was better balanced, IMO. No more walls, less defensive.

 

[DonMigs85]

As opposed to walls all day erryday. :/

They're both terrible for that. D/P/Pt/HG/SS was better balanced, IMO. No more walls, less defensive.

Thank goodness for the physical/special attributes getting mixed around. Made my Hitmonchan less useless.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Thank goodness for the physical/special attributes getting mixed around. Made my Hitmonchan less useless.

Agreed. Such a good decision.

<3 Gamefreak.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Love pokemon, hope it never ends. Still waiting for that perfect one, but they're all so fantastic.

 

[grandjedi6]

So the moral of the story is that instead of the "fad" dying off, the popularity of the DS has rebounded the series back to the even more ludicrous highs of the originals.

 

[dakkumauji]

That's good news for Nintendo/Pokemon company. Keep chugging them out!

 

[Poyunch]

Bummer. Black and White should be at the top. They deserve it.

 

[Busaiku]

That Black and White number is kind of insane considering that the cutoff date for the numbers is the same month the game came out in NA and Europe.

That's cause these are Nintendo's shipment numbers.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

So the moral of the story is that instead of the "fad" dying off, the popularity of the DS has rebounded the series back to the even more ludicrous highs of the originals.

And where the heck have you been?

 

[Anth0ny]

Awesome numbers. I will never get tired of Pokemon.

 

[Gravijah]

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: 17.57 million
Pokémon Platinum: 7.43 million
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver: 11.90 million
Pokémon Black and White: 11.51 million


WTF happened here?

Amusingly, I took this post as him asking how Platinum sold so fucking much. It's kind of crazy.

 

[Piercedveil]

I can't wait for them to start on the 3DS.

 

[DR2K]

Yup, dedicated gaming handhelds are dying alright. No-one buys in depth handheld games for $40 anymore when they can play Angry Birds

...


BAHAHAHAHA

What about $40 software that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

 

[Electivirus]

Gotta cash 'em all!

 

[qq more]

What about $40 software that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

How many of those even exist on the 3DS? At least the ones worth buying?

(Also, SSF43D despite being a port of a recent console game sold a million if I'm not mistaken.)

 

[jman2050]

What about $40 software that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

The 3DS absolutely can prosper simply on the backs of Pokemon and Mario.

As for anything else on the system, it remains to be seen.

 

[Syph Medwes]

Bububu second gen is best!

Sinnoh > Johto confirmed.

Woah woah woah

 

[Gravijah]

Woah woah woah

You can't argue with facts.

 

[antonz]

The 3DS absolutely can prosper simply on the backs of Pokemon and Mario.

As for anything else on the system, it remains to be seen.

I think the other software can do fine once the Marios and Pokemons of the system come out and spur the craze.

 

[Nix]

You can't argue with facts.

Facts that are the proponents of Slander and LIES!!!!

B/W is really beasting out though in world sales. I wonder how much it would have accrued by next year?

Silver is still king though.

 

[Gospel]

Woah woah woah

I know, right?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

You can't argue with facts.

 

[Sadist]

Still need to buy White. I love me some Pokémon

 

[fernoca]

Fad's dying finally!!

EDIT:
Oh, just noticed that it's until March 2011.

 

[Oni Link 666]

B/W is a monster.

HG/SS is still my favorite.

I can't wait for the series to come to 3DS.

 

[watershed]

I owned almost every Nintendo handheld since the gameboy yet I've never played a single pokemon game. I think I'll break that streak when the first made for 3ds main line pokemon game comes out. I'll finally see for myself what this pokemon is all about.

 

[Piercedveil]

I owned almost every Nintendo handheld since the gameboy yet I've never played a single pokemon game. I think I'll break that streak when the first made for 3ds main line pokemon game comes out. I'll finally see for myself what this pokemon is all about.

You'll understand what you have been missing out on for so long. Lol.

 

[MatthewB92]

I owned almost every Nintendo handheld since the gameboy yet I've never played a single pokemon game. I think I'll break that streak when the first made for 3ds main line pokemon game comes out. I'll finally see for myself what this pokemon is all about.

Break it when the 3rd version of B/W comes out. I hope to god it's a 3DS game.

Or maybe the R/S remakes..... aren't we getting some pokemon news soon? I remember reading something about a DS/3DS game or something?

 

[The Technomancer]

What about $40 software that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

I think that theres a lot of room at the 20-40 dollar range, and that handheld games don't need to race down to the <$5 point.

 

[grandjedi6]

And where the heck have you been?

Catching live Pokemon, obviously.

 

[daffy]

What about $40 software that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

They can succeed as well, like Professor Layton.