Topic: Switch First Month Sales For United States Announced: Fastest Selling System In Nintendo History

[Shaymin]

And a 1.02 attach rate for Breath of the Wild.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/44494/switch-first-month-sales-for-united-states-announced-fastest-selling-system-in-nintendo-history

An early release from the NPD Group has cemented the Switch as the fastest selling hardware for Nintendo in the United States in company history.

The public report will be available next week, but Nintendo has confirmed that in its first 30 days of sale in the US (March 3 to April 1) the Switch sold 906,000 units. A full worldwide accounting of the Switch's sales will be available April 27 with Nintendo's year end financials.

Amazingly, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has sold more than 925,000 copies on Switch in the same time period, plus an additional 460,000+ units on Wii U. Nintendo attributes the 102% attach rate to the game's limited editions and people purchasing a second copy to play.

[Khushrenada]

Or maybe the Switch was sold out so people just bought Zelda to have it for when the Switch restocks...

[Soren]

Or maybe the Switch was sold out so people just bought Zelda to have it for when the Switch restocks...

That's probably the case for some people.

[Mythtendo]

Yep, Pat Contri (aka Pat the NES Punk) mentioned on his podcast that he did that, saying he couldn't find a Switch in stock but bought Zelda because he knew he would play it once he did find a Switch.

[Kairon]

I'm doing my best to bring that Zelda attach rate down. My brother and I both own a Switch but we're sharing only one copy of Zelda between us.

... But I AM tempted to rebuy it digitally for myself since it's just SO GOOD and if I'm playing it a year from now then it's earned a purchase of a personal copy...

[Khushrenada]

I've been thinking that I'll probably buy Zelda for the Switch if I get that console and probably buy the DLC for it on Switch and replay the title then at that point. Buy the time I get around to buying it on the Switch my hope would be that it will be discounted in price like a Player's Choice type game if I do the double dip. At least that way I can play it in Hard Mode and with the extra dungeon to make it a bit of a different experience as well but that's just how good this game has been.

[Kairon]

I'm thinking that if I'm gonna buy a personal digital copy and just let my brother have the cartridge then I should at least wait until Nintendo tries to put some sort of MyNintendo 30% off digital reward on it... but that'll probably be YEARS away, huh?

[Triforce Hermit]

Or maybe the Switch was sold out so people just bought Zelda to have it for when the Switch restocks...

I bought both versions and that is essentially my reason

[TOPHATANT123]

That's encouraging, 102% attach rate!

[Mythtendo]

Buy the time I get around to buying it on the Switch my hope would be that it will be discounted in price like a Player's Choice type game if I do the double dip.

IF it ever drops in price, it'll probably be at least a few years.

[Ian Sane]

So there needs to be some sort of roll call of Switch owners that do NOT own Breath of the Wild.  I want to know how many of them there are (is it even 100?  I'll bet it isn't) and I want to know what their rationale is for not owning it.  Seriously if you're not interested in Zelda, what the hell are you doing with your Switch?

What are 1-2 Switch's sales in comparison?  Zelda and 1-2 Switch are like polar opposites of game design.  1-2 Switch is very much the sort of thing Nintendo has been into since the Wii - gimmicky controls and casual appeal.  Breath of the Wild is, frankly, the first Nintendo game aside from the Xenoblade titles that actually feels modern since the Gamecube era.  Nintendo has been sticking motion controls into game templates from the GC/PS2/XB era and passing that off as "innovation" for ten years.  Breath of the Wild is more the direction that the rest of the industry went, though with the Nintendo touch that makes it unique and, frankly, better.  It's where I wanted Nintendo to go in 2006 but they didn't.

Arms is due to come out soon.  It's very much the Wii/Wii U template as its hook is a non-traditional control scheme.  Meanwhile the Switch's big hit doesn't follow that approach.  Super Mario Odyssey looks to be more the Breath of the Wild route of using the improved technology to make the game bigger and better rather than just making it control in a unique way.  We know Zelda's approach won out over 1-2 Switch's but I wonder how much.  What will Nintendo learn from that and how will their strategy change based on it, if it changes at all.  Because eventually everyone that bought a Switch for Zelda is going to need something else to play and they'll want something more of the same game design philosophy.  They're not going to be as enthusiastic for Wii style titles.

Nintendo has their fastest selling console ever and it's killer app is nothing like the typical games they pushed for the last two console generations.  The worst thing they can do now is fall into the Wii U template.  They have to see Breath of the Wild's success as the start of a new direction.

[Order.RSS]

Breath of the Wild is, frankly, the first Nintendo game aside from the Xenoblade titles that actually feels modern since the Gamecube era.  Nintendo has been sticking motion controls into game templates from the GC/PS2/XB era and passing that off as "innovation" for ten years.  Breath of the Wild is more the direction that the rest of the industry went, though with the Nintendo touch that makes it unique and, frankly, better.  It's where I wanted Nintendo to go in 2006 but they didn't.

This seems a bit harsh to me? Splatoon really fits with the whole Team Fortress/Overwatch thing that's popular, and I'm not sure the motion controls there are shoehorned into an early 2000s concept. With Star Fox Zero I could see that comparison perhaps... But I mean, Nintendo have been bankrolling pretty complex HD games: Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, and none of those sold well. The motion controls in Metroid Prime 3 were hailed as great for immersion, and maligned in DKC Returns (not a "gimmicky/casual" title either), and those are from the same studio.

If I was a business and I see triple-A game production sales down across the board, then chasing other crowds seems more logical right? And you could argue Nintendo's recent best-sellers were titles with broader, more casual appeal (Yoshi Woolly World cracked a million sales) - the hardcore gamers aren't there in terms of sales it seems.

Idk, I'm not saying you're wrong, but just because Nintendo aren't showing the type of innovation that many gamers want (more titles like BotW), doesn't mean there's just zero innovation happening. For what it's worth, I don't really wanna see Nintendo follow the whole Dark Souls/Monster Hunter trends or whatever too much, so I hope Zelda's success lessons will mostly stay within the Zelda and Xenoblade franchises. Bad example, but I don't really want Mario Odyssey to suddenly ramp up the difficulty because "it worked for Zelda".

[Luigi Dude]

Arms is due to come out soon.  It's very much the Wii/Wii U template as its hook is a non-traditional control scheme.  Meanwhile the Switch's big hit doesn't follow that approach.

Once again the motion controls are optional in Arms, it can be played with traditional buttons just fine.  Nintendo even stated when they first revealed Arms that it was for the core audience while 1-2 Switch was for casuals, which is why they showed both games back to back to show how the Switch can offer both kinds of experiences.  Plus did you even watch the most recent Nintendo Direct?

The hook isn't this is a motion controlled fighter, the hook is here's an insane looking fighting game with a huge amount of customization and depth to the combat.  It's Nintendo's take on 3D fighters the same way Steefosaurus just posted Splatoon was their take on team based shooters.

[Shaymin]

So there needs to be some sort of roll call of Switch owners that do NOT own Breath of the Wild.  I want to know how many of them there are (is it even 100?  I'll bet it isn't) and I want to know what their rationale is for not owning it.  Seriously if you're not interested in Zelda, what the hell are you doing with your Switch?

Using it for review stuff until Puyo Puyo Tetris comes out. I got Breath of the Wild on Wii U because it was $50 after tax for me as opposed to $90 for the Switch version (and I haven't played it in about three weeks between review stuff and a little thing called Persona 5 taking over my life).

[nickmitch]

That's really good for the Switch to be selling so quickly.  And they're still having trouble keeping the thing in stores.  I'm hopeful the momentum keeps up and this isn't just a result of Nintendo's increased manufacturing capacities.

Arms is due to come out soon.  It's very much the Wii/Wii U template as its hook is a non-traditional control scheme.

I think the hook for ARMS is the gameplay, not the controls.  It seems to be filling that void left by Power Stone, while adding customizability for depth in the roster. 

Between this and the new colors for the Joy Con, I might be broke going into the summer.

[nickmitch]

Breath of the Wild is, frankly, the first Nintendo game aside from the Xenoblade titles that actually feels modern since the Gamecube era.  Nintendo has been sticking motion controls into game templates from the GC/PS2/XB era and passing that off as "innovation" for ten years.  Breath of the Wild is more the direction that the rest of the industry went, though with the Nintendo touch that makes it unique and, frankly, better.  It's where I wanted Nintendo to go in 2006 but they didn't.

This seems a bit harsh to me? Splatoon really fits with the whole Team Fortress/Overwatch thing that's popular, and I'm not sure the motion controls there are shoehorned into an early 2000s concept.

Splatoon is much like what Ian's describing with BotW.  It's the direction that the rest of the industry went (team based shooter with online focus), though with the Nintendo touch (the objective isn't to kill your opponents) that makes it unique (fresh) and, frankly, better (game award for best shooter).

[Enner]

Looks like the Switch might hit Nintendo's target of 2 million.

[KDR_11k]

Well, I had to buy BOTW digitally because it was sold out everywhere shortly after I got my Switch... That attach rate certainly explains that. OTOH I wonder what their projected attach rate for 1-2-Switch was since shelves are full of that game. Was Nintendo really foolish enough to think that was the next Wii Sports?

[Order.RSS]

Splatoon is much like what Ian's describing with BotW.  It's the direction that the rest of the industry went (team based shooter with online focus), though with the Nintendo touch (the objective isn't to kill your opponents) that makes it unique (fresh) and, frankly, better (game award for best shooter).

Yeah that was the point I was trying to make, but just worded very poorly haha. I got the impression Ian was saying Nintendo hasn't been innovating and keeping up with the rest of the industry. Personally I would point to Splatoon jumping on the teamshooter bandwagon and Mario Maker as their answer to Minecraft/Terraria as good examples of Ninty following popular concepts and putting their own twists on it.

Which I'm glad they do, because I'm not really interested in direct clones of Assassin's Creed or Splinter Cell and stuff. So while I do hope they keep pushing themselves with new interesting concepts (I like the potential of ARMS a lot as a mashup of those Pokken Tournament esque fighters and Wii Boxing), I'd rather they don't copy the other big companies too much. It'll be interesting to see how Ever Oasis compares to other popular RPG series for example.

[Oedo]

Over 1.4 million in the United States and Japan alone. I'm very eager to see how well Switch does once Nintendo can start meeting demand for it.

[Soren]

The hook isn't this is a motion controlled fighter...

I think the hook for ARMS is the gameplay, not the controls.

I think you guys are greatly downplaying the role motion controls play into ARMS. There's a new set of Joy-Cons launching the same day this game comes out, and that's not a coincidence. Also Nintendo hasn't really made non Joy-Con gameplay a focus in their ARMS demos either. If Ian Sane is leaning way too much in one direction, you guys are going way to the other side.

[nickmitch]

The hook isn't this is a motion controlled fighter...

I think the hook for ARMS is the gameplay, not the controls.

I think you guys are greatly downplaying the role motion controls play into ARMS. There's a new set of Joy-Cons launching the same day this game comes out, and that's not a coincidence. Also Nintendo hasn't really made non Joy-Con gameplay a focus in their ARMS demos either. If Ian Sane is leaning way too much in one direction, you guys are going way to the other side.

Fair point.  I think I might be confusing what appeals to me and how Nintendo is pitching the title.  Still, the video seemed to emphasize the characters and customization, no?

Splatoon is much like what Ian's describing with BotW.  It's the direction that the rest of the industry went (team based shooter with online focus), though with the Nintendo touch (the objective isn't to kill your opponents) that makes it unique (fresh) and, frankly, better (game award for best shooter).

Yeah that was the point I was trying to make, but just worded very poorly haha. I got the impression Ian was saying Nintendo hasn't been innovating and keeping up with the rest of the industry. Personally I would point to Splatoon jumping on the teamshooter bandwagon and Mario Maker as their answer to Minecraft/Terraria as good examples of Ninty following popular concepts and putting their own twists on it.

Which I'm glad they do, because I'm not really interested in direct clones of Assassin's Creed or Splinter Cell and stuff. So while I do hope they keep pushing themselves with new interesting concepts (I like the potential of ARMS a lot as a mashup of those Pokken Tournament esque fighters and Wii Boxing), I'd rather they don't copy the other big companies too much. It'll be interesting to see how Ever Oasis compares to other popular RPG series for example.

Open world is a direction the industry has been going in for a long time now, so I can understand his frustrations with Nintendo dragging their feet and showing everyone how it's done.  They've now dipped their toes in the team-based shooters and user-generated content genres, but those may not be his style.  So then BotW might be the first "modern" Nintendo game that appeals to Ian. 

[Oedo]

The hook isn't this is a motion controlled fighter...

I think the hook for ARMS is the gameplay, not the controls.

I think you guys are greatly downplaying the role motion controls play into ARMS. There's a new set of Joy-Cons launching the same day this game comes out, and that's not a coincidence. Also Nintendo hasn't really made non Joy-Con gameplay a focus in their ARMS demos either. If Ian Sane is leaning way too much in one direction, you guys are going way to the other side.

Fair point.  I think I might be confusing what appeals to me and how Nintendo is pitching the title.  Still, the video seemed to emphasize the characters and customization, no?

I was watching that part of the Direct again earlier today and you're right. It seemed like they made very little reference to the motion controls during the seven minute gameplay segment. I'm sure Nintendo will still say it's the best way to play the game (and maybe it truly is), but I wouldn't be surprised if they pushed the motion controls so hard in the early going because ARMS is a great demo for the Joy-Con.

Alternatively, I guess Nintendo could have assumed that they've done such a good job selling the Joy-Con and motion controls in this game that it wasn't worth stressing.

[RPG_FAN128]

Fastest selling system in Nintendo history in the US?  Hmm... Maybe because they ACTUALLY ADVERTISED it?


In the past 4-5ish years I never saw a single Wii U commercial, period.  And thanks to NWR I knew that the big N was going to have a 4th-quarter superbowl commercial.  So before the system is even released I see a commercial for the Switch during the biggest sporting event in the US. 


Why do companies spend millions of dollars advertising?  Because it works.  In my opinion it seems as though Nintendo's current president is capable of making intelligent business decisions. 

[nickmitch]

The hook isn't this is a motion controlled fighter...

I think the hook for ARMS is the gameplay, not the controls.

I think you guys are greatly downplaying the role motion controls play into ARMS. There's a new set of Joy-Cons launching the same day this game comes out, and that's not a coincidence. Also Nintendo hasn't really made non Joy-Con gameplay a focus in their ARMS demos either. If Ian Sane is leaning way too much in one direction, you guys are going way to the other side.

Fair point.  I think I might be confusing what appeals to me and how Nintendo is pitching the title.  Still, the video seemed to emphasize the characters and customization, no?

I was watching that part of the Direct again earlier today and you're right. It seemed like they made very little reference to the motion controls during the seven minute gameplay segment. I'm sure Nintendo will still say it's the best way to play the game (and maybe it truly is), but I wouldn't be surprised if they pushed the motion controls so hard in the early going because ARMS is a great demo for the Joy-Con.

Alternatively, I guess Nintendo could have assumed that they've done such a good job selling the Joy-Con and motion controls in this game that it wasn't worth stressing.

Well, that was a big part of the demos that Nintendo was doing before launch, right? That would be at least some emphasis.