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Nintendo Switch Was the Best-Selling Video Game System in April; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Thread starter ggx2ac
- Start date
CaviarMeths
Member
Generally speaking, it's more dangerous to produce too many consoles than too few, as storage costs for millions of unsold units ain't cheap. That happened with the Wii U, where they infamously had negative shipments in Q1 2013 in Europe because they massively overshipped the console and actually had retailers sending them back. In order to cut down on the unsold stock, Nintendo started selling brand new units as "refurbished" units for $200 from their online store. Better to take the loss on the sale than have them sitting around in a warehouse collecting dust.
And you could probably imagine why Nintendo would be inclined to be a little conservative with their estimates after the Wii U. If reports are to be believed though, they're already ramping up production to meet the demand. It takes time and we won't see them catching up for months, maybe even a whole year, but it'll get better for them.
I don't recall Xbox ever having such struggle keeping up with demand, but Sony did back in the PS2 days. There were "artificial scarcity" conspiracies floated back then too.
Production lines aren't something that just magically hokus pocus grow in an instant with heightened demand. It takes time.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
TBF though neither were shipping to Japan then so it's not like for like. Though the XB1 was shipping much to Japan regardless.
SinCityAssassin
Member
Probably 280,004.
What's wrong with you, dude?
LFMartins86
Member
Sony and Microsoft didn't do a simultaneous worldwide launch, specially Microsoft who only launched the X1 in a few countries on it's first year.
Interfectum
Member
No one should rag on you as it's true. Their stock is shit and they need to get this sorted ASAP.
AquaWateria
Member
Holy fuck at that Mario Kart sales.
In a few days wut?
In a few days wut?
RavageDark
Member
People still believe Artificial Scarcity is a thing?
hanspampel
Banned
Sony launched in more regions than Nintendo Switch
Ans Sony had supply issues in Q1 2014
Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
Why are people (who visit a GAF on a daily basis no less) pretending like they don't know switch only sold 280k because it is still supply constrained?
Interfectum
Member
Poimandres
Member
How many days?
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
It's kind of astonishing to me how many people still believe Nintendo is somehow masterminding artificial scarcity in some sort of attempt to drive up sales.
Wii U launched during the holiday season, which
SinCityAssassin
Member
Two days. The cutoff point was the 29th.
Damn, supply is still completely fucked. Hopefully they are able to increase production by the time Splatoon 2 comes out. I have a feeling that game is going to outsell Mario Kart, at least in Japan.
(Anecdotal evidence) Anytime I go to any local store (Bloomington IL) that sells the Switch, I'll always investigate to see if they have any systems. I've yet to see one in person ever since launch day.
(Anecdotal evidence) Anytime I go to any local store (Bloomington IL) that sells the Switch, I'll always investigate to see if they have any systems. I've yet to see one in person ever since launch day.
Two (28th-29th).
AquaWateria
Member
I think two days.
Bits N Pieces
Member
Nintendo seem to have a winning formula on their hands with the Switch, I wonder how long the momentum can carry on and when the PS4 will beat it for the tops sales of the month?
CaviarMeths
Member
What were the Wii U's version of MK8 at after 2 days? I'm finding a figure of 1.2m, but that's worldwide.
Skittzo0413
Member
Two days of tracking. Includes digital sales.
KillerMan91
Member
Switch also (at least temporarily) falls behind GBA as fastest selling Nintendo system in US.
After two months:
Switch 1.186 million
GBA: 1.246 million
GBA launched in June 2001.
After two months:
Switch 1.186 million
GBA: 1.246 million
GBA launched in June 2001.
Poimandres
Member
2 days?! Hot damn. I knew Mario Kart would be big.
How does that compare historically for the series?
OrbitalBeard
Member
I disagree. MS and Sony have the capability to increase production at a quicker pace than Nintendo.
And I never said Sony and MS have never dealt with shortages, so I'm not sure where that came from.
breakfuss
Member
I mean...we understand. But did anyone imagine it was this bad? Those numbers are distressing.
SinCityAssassin
Member
If they have nothing megaton-esque by the end of summer, I can see them getting overtaken for the fall season before Mario Odyssey.
That dorsnt make sense, gaf told me artificial scarcity is gow you make more sales! Imagine how much less they would sell without it
I predicted 410K, I was so wrong...
SinCityAssassin
Member
About 4 less.
hanspampel
Banned
March 906k
April 280k (69% decline)
If trend continues
May 87k units
And that is even possible, if the stock situation is worse than April
Skittzo0413
Member
Anecdotally we've heard the stock situation is a good deal better in May, so that's unlikely. But you never know.
Also two data points does not make a trend.
True, Third place doesn't tell us much in that regard: we know BOTW Switch+Wii U physical sales must have been less than 460k (below MK8D), so I will wager a guess it wasn't over 100% again this month (since it also will be a bit under since it's third, and Switch is not 100% of total BOTW sales either).
Graphics Horse
Member
Probably evened off to 100% now 😅
Booker.DeWitt
Member
terrible numbers? They have sold everything they have in stock, the only reason why it is not higher is due to stock issues
Blackleg-sanji1
Banned
They couldn't possibly be that bad with stock..could they?
Skittzo0413
Member
That's very true but it doesn't change the fact that it's a huge dropoff in it's second month. If they're having problems increasing production then that's a very worrying issue.
CaviarMeths
Member
Why would that happen? April may have had MK8D, but there was also the air shipping thing going on in March, which seems likely to have taken away from the April shipments.
Jaded Alyx
Member
Where's that one guy who insisted that just because Zelda had comparatively low digital sales, that all Switch games would, and Nintendo's digital to physical ratio would never improve on the Switch due to lack of storage space?
It's absolutely scarce. We're getting minimal shipments, with virtually none held in distribution centers.
There's no way to place hold requests or ask for restock like we can with most product. Nintendo simply doesn't have enough in the channel for us to work with standard process for these requests.
We got a solid buffer shipment around mk8, but that was the first real push of units solve the launch. Besides that they are a drip feed across the districts.
There's no way to place hold requests or ask for restock like we can with most product. Nintendo simply doesn't have enough in the channel for us to work with standard process for these requests.
We got a solid buffer shipment around mk8, but that was the first real push of units solve the launch. Besides that they are a drip feed across the districts.
SinCityAssassin
Member
It would not, this would be under the assumption that Nintendo actually stopped shipping out switches for May to stockpile for June. A more likely scenario is that we'll see a repeat of April before we see whatever manufacturing changes they prepared for June.
Consider me absolutely baffled that they shared such dire 3DS numbers, after so many months without updates of any kind, and consider me even more baffled that the reason is probably to highlight how Nintendo represented almost half of the hardware market in April :lol