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Switch sales top 280,000 in the U.S. in April, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tops 550,000 (US)

isn't looking like Wii numbers

(not sure why as I'm not in the US to see how things are staying in stock etc but I'd assume they should be out there in April unless they just had issues getting them out there two months later and have bigger shipments coming)

With that said, I assume reading this thread will inform me some
 

Welfare

Member
isn't looking like Wii numbers

(not sure why as I'm not in the US to see how things are staying in stock etc but I'd assume they should be out there in April unless they just had issues getting them out there two months later and have bigger shipments coming)

With that said, I assume reading this thread will inform me some

Already posted this in the other thread but

Switch First Two Months: 1186K
March: 906K
April: 280K

3DS First Two months: 592K
March: 398K
April: 194K

3DS First 6 months: 1175K

Wii U First 2 Months: 885K
Wii U First 6 Months: 1187K

Wii First 2 Months: 1080K
DS First 2 Months: 1225K
 
isn't looking like Wii numbers

(not sure why as I'm not in the US to see how things are staying in stock etc but I'd assume they should be out there in April unless they just had issues getting them out there two months later and have bigger shipments coming)

With that said, I assume reading this thread will inform me some

1. Pretty sure it's ahead of the Wii after 2 months despite launching in March. The Wii was supply constrained as well.

2. Lol don't you think you should read first and then comment?
 

Canucked

Member
Glad it's selling well, and I still haven't seen one in person.

I'm ready when I do though. I have two games for it now.
 
Well deserved, this system has been a breath of fresh air for me, and has two of the greatest games of all time on it already. I love mine.
 
Already posted this in the other thread but

Switch First Two Months: 1186K
March: 906K
April: 280K

3DS First Two months: 592K
March: 398K
April: 194K

3DS First 6 months: 1175K

Wii U First 2 Months: 885K
Wii U First 6 Months: 1187K

Wii First 2 Months: 1080K
DS First 2 Months: 1225K

Doing quite well for Nintendo systems I see. It's too bad that their production can't meet demand.
 
Already posted this in the other thread but

Switch First Two Months: 1186K
March: 906K
April: 280K

3DS First Two months: 592K
March: 398K
April: 194K

3DS First 6 months: 1175K

Wii U First 2 Months: 885K
Wii U First 6 Months: 1187K

Wii First 2 Months: 1080K
DS First 2 Months: 1225K

wow, that really puts things in perspective
 

The Hermit

Member
Already posted this in the other thread but

Switch First Two Months: 1186K
March: 906K
April: 280K

3DS First Two months: 592K
March: 398K
April: 194K

3DS First 6 months: 1175K

Wii U First 2 Months: 885K
Wii U First 6 Months: 1187K

Wii First 2 Months: 1080K
DS First 2 Months: 1225K

This is really good info and in perspective the Switch is a success.

I doubt even the most optimistic Nintendo exec expected the Switch to sell as much as the Wii before launch, especially after the ressounding failure that was the WiiU
 

Zedark

Member
I think the headline here is that MK8 sold half a million units in 4 days.

2 days even (NPD only tracked April 28th and 29th for April NPD).

Seems like Nintendo should have overproduced the Switch and underproduced the Wii U.
True, but hindsight 20/20 and all that. A lot of people expected the Switch to be a failure or a moderate success at best, nothing quite like what the current demand indicates. Still, they should really be getting onto increasing production asap, otherwise we'll stay in this supply constraint rut.
 

jorgejjvr

Member
This is really good info and in perspective the Switch is a success.

I doubt even the most optimistic Nintendo exec expected the Switch to sell as much as the Wii before launch, especially after the ressounding failure that was the WiiU
Let's not forget it's a march release, not a holiday release
 
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.
 

Maxinas

Member
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.

You can't play BotW and Mario Kart on a phone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.
Online isn't paid yet. It's also good hardware that makes it more attractive to potential consumers while Wii U the wasnt
 

Celine

Member
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.
Switch brings convenience on where, when and how you can play a videogame.
One of the main target audience are those who have a work and a family and have an hard time to dedicate time for long gaming sessions or to organize local multiplayer sessions (many in such audience are lapsed gamers therefore Nintendo focus on multiplayer classic IPs like Bomberman, Street Fighter 2 and Secret of Mana).
Even in this age of smartphone gaming you can't play a game like BotW on the go unless you have a Switch and we are talking about one of the most critically acclaimed game for console available.
Nintendo also planned the software release schedule much better this time around compared to WiiU.
 
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.

Having an actual system seller out at launch is probably a big reason. And actually having not just marketing, but clever and coherent marketing.


Also can we get these threads merged?
 

PSFan

Member
Pretty much.

And to add even more data, Wii and DS (Nintendo's best selling systems) both released in holidays.

Switch released in March.

But the DS Lite, which was the model that made the DS a best selling system, released in March of 2006. The original DS wasn't much of a success.
 

RionaaM

Unconfirmed Member
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.
It's a much prettier piece of hardware, it will (hopefully) run many Wii U games, it's a true hybrid console instead of a wireless screen tethered to a home system. To me it's way more appealing as a console, and the library is very promising too. I skipped the Wii U because I didn't care for its hardware, despite it having several great titles, but I found the Switch so attractive that I ordered one from Amazon UK a few days ago.

The lack of a browser and media apps is still bad, but whatever, I can live without them.
 
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.

It had Breath of the Wild at launch and an incredibly packed Mario Kart less than two months in, with two more online multiplayer games due in 2017 (Wii U didn't get its first first-party online game until 1.5 years in!), a bold new 3D Mario (vs. the iterative 3D World), and a Xenoblade sequel on the roadmap. At this point in Wii U's life it wasn't yet clear when any of these things would show up.
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I still don't quite understand why the Switch has done so well. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I loved my Wii U as well.

As far as I can tell the Switch has most of the same problems the Wii U had (third party support, technical limitations) plus a number of new concerns as well (paid online, very expensive accessories). I guess being a portable system helps, but I'm surprised at how many people care about that in the age of cell phones.

Unlike the WiiU, its an attractive and powerful piece of hardware plus its modularity is revolutionary.
 
I wouldn't really look at it as being higher than wiis 2nd or april month etc

I look at it as if the demand is there in the same way. We will obviously need to wait it out a bit to see how it really looks holiday and especially next year on a monthly basis is all.

I don't take a vast interest in it doing overall amazing or badly as many allude to here with that little battle.

If going by my own want and logic I wouldn't want it to be wii like numbers as I wouldn't want Nintendo to go off on wii music and other casual gameplay situations is all. That is why I hope it does well enough but maybe not that well. Isn't my company, isn't my money after all.
 
But the DS Lite, which was the model that made the DS a best selling system, released in March of 2006. The original DS wasn't much of a success.

That's not all that relevant. The DS Lite is a revision which has the benefit of sharing a huge library with the original hardware. We're comparing new systems' second months and first Aprils.
 
But the DS Lite, which was the model that made the DS a best selling system, released in March of 2006. The original DS wasn't much of a success.

Good thing that was about 1.5 years after DS launched and Switch has only been out for a couple months.
 

Elandyll

Banned
Already posted this in the other thread but

Switch First Two Months: 1186K
March: 906K
April: 280K

3DS First Two months: 592K
March: 398K
April: 194K

3DS First 6 months: 1175K

Wii U First 2 Months: 885K
Wii U First 6 Months: 1187K

Wii First 2 Months: 1080K
DS First 2 Months: 1225K
For a better picture, could you please add in comparison the sales in JP on first 2 months for same systems?
 
Got to be honest and say this has been going way better for Nintendo than I was anticipating. All software sales comparisons are hard to make 1:1, though, when there are so few notable retail titles available. More specifically, this is just the 2nd substantive Nintendo IP retail product. Nintendo is betting the bank on selling the Switch almost entirely on first party stuff for now, and, frankly, I don't know if this will ever change all that much. This isn't even a criticism, as it's clearly working.

Will be interesting to see NPD numbers or corporate data on total software sales per user. Are they actually buying more games, or is the stacking of heavy hitter IPs skewing things?
 

ThisGuy

Member
Nintendo just can't be stopped right now. They got money falling out their pockets. Their suits are just bursting at the seams with success.
 
So all those people claiming close to 1 mil in the US alone in that other thread were crazy after all. Looks like I don't have to eat crow today.
 

Vena

Member
For a better picture, could you please add in comparison the sales in JP on first 2 months for same systems?

We have some useful plots from the MC threads courtesy of Hiska and Chris:
switch_zpsu3wgf6hr.jpg
 

rockyt

Member
A lot of manufacturing discussion going on by some people who do not know much about the manufacturing world. Increasing production is not as easy as it sounds. Currently the switch 280k us plus 24 to 25k a week in japan and not sure what the number in europe so if roughly the same as us wee are looking at roughly 600k production a month atleast minimum. I conservatively guess they are pumping out arouns 700k to 1 mil a month in production and spreading out around the world. Logistic and manufacturing with increased production in electronics not a quick an easy thing with an unproven tech enterinf the market. I can say this since i do work in the manufacturing world on the logistic and processing level.
 
No wonder switch was sold out for so long. Way to soon to call the switch a success, sales could fall off cliff once demand is met in a few months.
 

ksamedi

Member
No wonder switch was sold out for so long. Way to soon to call the switch a success, sales could fall off cliff once demand is met in a few months.
Thats not how it works. Demand doesnt fall off a cliff. In fact, in the case if Switch, it could accelerate significantly because of word of mouth.
 

DigtialT

Member
The Switch is in the same position that the NES Classic was for me, I have never actually seen one in stores so I'm not even sure they really exist.
 

AmFreak

Member
Disappointed to see these numbers. I never understood why companies don't produce massive # of units at launch for their consoles.
Because setting up production capacity costs money.
You have to make contracts with your suppliers/manufacturer over a certain amount of units over a certain amount of time.
(Grossly) overestimating demand for your product will obviously lead to problems then, because you (your suppliers) have build up production capacity that will never be used and you will be the one paying for it.
While (grossly) underestimating demand might only loose you some sales.
The problem before launch is that you a) often don't exactly know how big demand is and b) that launch creates a situation of huge demand that won't ever happen again.
That's why console production starts months before launch and manufacturers shoot for stable output numbers.
 
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