Board 8 > Switch has now outsold PS1 & Wii

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html

i for one welcome our new ring fit overlords

Yep, best selling Nintendo home console ever now. I really wonder if it can top the PS2 before it's all over with how many years it likely has to go. Going to be fun to watch.

Kinda crazy looking at that list just how crap the Wii U sold. PS5 has already overtaken it and it has next to nothing worth playing yet.

Passing the PS2 is a tall order. I don't expect it to happen unless it ends up with a 10-year lifespan. I'd say it has less than three years before its genuine successor is released.

shane15 posted...

Kinda crazy looking at that list just how crap the Wii U sold. PS5 has already overtaken it and it has next to nothing worth playing yet.

It would have more sales too if not for the shortage. PS5 has a lot of hype coming to it, but even just playing PS4 games WAY better than the PS4 ever could is also a huge plus to having one. It slashes load times so much it makes the PS4 terrible.

I never had a PS4 (although I borrowed my brother's for a few games) so now I'm cranking out a lot of the games I missed over the past decade.

swordz9 posted...

It would have more sales too if not for the shortage. PS5 has a lot of hype coming to it, but even just playing PS4 games WAY better than the PS4 ever could is also a huge plus to having one. It slashes load times so much it makes the PS4 terrible.

That does sound great tbh. I quickly ran through Lost Judgment the other day to get the platinum trophy and i was sitting there looking at loading screens for the most part.

Switch Sales
2017 - 15m
2018 - 17m
2019 - 20m
2020 - 28m
2021 - 24m

If Switch gets another two full years to stand on its own (a seven year cycle is unheard of for a Nintendo console, but so is this sustained level of success, and covid has slowed production and R&D anyway), I'd say it has a shot to overtake the PS2. Averaging 20m per year over the next two years is lofty but achievable, and by then, it'd be about 10m behind PS2. At that point, if Nintendo is really interested in reclaiming the "best selling console" mantle after three decades, they can finally cut the price to get Switch over the hump.

I feel like if Nintendo wasn't planning on the Switch being a big deal for the next 3 years then they wouldn't be developing Breath of the Wild 2 for it.

The Switch isn't going anywhere any time soon. It'll probably pass PS2 with room to spare.

The Wii U sold poorly because everyone who regretted getting the Wii (includes myself) skipped over it without second thought.

If only it had a music theme for the eshop, the Switch would already be well past the PS2!

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

I feel like if Nintendo wasn't planning on the Switch being a big deal for the next 3 years then they wouldn't be developing Breath of the Wild 2 for it.

I agree with you about the Switch staying around, but both TP and BotW1 were designed for one console and released on the next as well so I don't think Zelda is the best thing to look at here >_>

It seems like a distinctly opposite situation from what they faced with the Wii - that one started red hot but couldn't sustain it very well, to the extent that it almost felt like they rushed the Wii U out the door. Now, Nintendo has the option to milk Switch longer than they probably planned for, and the fact that PS5/Xbox production shortages are expected to last at least another year gives them even more room to stretch. I really doubt they want to release a brand new console after seeing how Sony and Microsoft are struggling to get their new machines produced.

For fun, here are the Wii's annual numbers:

Wii Sales (101m)
2006 - 3m
2007 - 17m
2008 - 25m
2009 - 23m
2010 - 17m
2011 - 10m
2012 - 5m

The Switch is such a unique console. With it's hybrid home/portable ability, it still feels good after all these years. Doesn't feel dated at all to me. I'd be happy with continued support for it for many more years tbh.

andylt posted...

I agree with you about the Switch staying around, but both TP and BotW1 were designed for one console and released on the next as well so I don't think Zelda is the best thing to look at here >_>

In fact, every Nintendo console beginning with N64 has gotten a Zelda game at or near the end of its life (maybe you could argue Skyward Sword was far enough out from the end of the Wii but it was still deep into its life).

StartTheMachine posted...

I really wonder if it can top the PS2 before it's all over with how many years it likely has to go.

I dunno, it's taken 5 years to get to about 2/3 the sales of DS and PS2. Sales are likely to be slower now than they were in earlier years since so many people already have one. If there were a significant hardware refresh that made upgrading more enticing it might happen, but if the OLED is all we ever get then probably not.

Beating PS4 and Game Boy is pretty easily done this year, but it's gonna be a long time to move up from that #3 spot.

The real shocker is PSP outselling 3DS

WTF? How?

PSP actually did quite well, it was just eclipsed by the incredible success of the DS.

As for handhelds in general, I think everyone - even Nintendo - sees the writing on the wall. Consumers are ok having multiple dedicated gaming devices under their TVs, but no one wants another gizmo in their pockets aside from their phones. Doesn't Nintendo have quite a few mobile games now?

Nintendo has a bunch of mobile games, but all of them flopped other than Pokemon Go and Fire Emblem Heroes. IIRC, 80% of their mobile revenues have come from FEH, not including Pokemon Go.

Mario Kart Tour and Pocket Camp are also making a fair amount of money. Dragalia Lost used to be okay but I've heard the game has had problems in recent months. Possibly to the point where it might not be around much longer.

tbh i thought stuff like dragalia and mk tour (and pokemoba) had done pretty well but i guess not

Oh I wasn't including Pokemon Unite in that whoops. For some reason Nintendo doesn't list it with their other mobile games (they don't list Pokemon Go with them either).

Nintendo's mobile stuff made around ~$400M according to this report, which is a bit under 3% of the revenue Nintendo made in the last 9 months. They said licensed mobile game revenue is up (Pokemon Unite + Go) while other mobile game revenue is down (the rest of their games). I'd guess that Go and Unite are around 75% of that $400M (Go makes around $1B a year, and Nintendo probably gets something like 20-30% of that?), while FEH is around 70% of the remaining $100M?

https://imgur.com/ypOI288

That's mostly in 2020 but gives a rough idea on how the games breakdown. FEH should be around MKT plus Pocket Camp. All three combined should easily clear 100 million.

Team Rocket Elite posted...

https://imgur.com/ypOI288

Pokmon Go not even making top 5, such a disappointment

CaptainOfCrush posted...

PSP actually did quite well, it was just eclipsed by the incredible success of the DS.

As for handhelds in general, I think everyone - even Nintendo - sees the writing on the wall. Consumers are ok having multiple dedicated gaming devices under their TVs, but no one wants another gizmo in their pockets aside from their phones. Doesn't Nintendo have quite a few mobile games now?

That said, the Switch Lite is sort of a portable, but I think moreso it functions as an in-home handheld console. Sort of what the Wii U tried to advertise itself as. I'm having trouble explaining but it feels like the Switch Lite belongs in the space that tablets/phones carved out more so than previous handheld systems. Not sure what my point is but anyway the Switch is terrific

Mac Arrowny posted...

Oh I wasn't including Pokemon Unite in that whoops. For some reason Nintendo doesn't list it with their other mobile games (they don't list Pokemon Go with them either).

Probably because it's technically The Pokemon Company's game, not NIntendo's

neonreaper posted...

That said, the Switch Lite is sort of a portable, but I think moreso it functions as an in-home handheld console. Sort of what the Wii U tried to advertise itself as. I'm having trouble explaining but it feels like the Switch Lite belongs in the space that tablets/phones carved out more so than previous handheld systems. Not sure what my point is but anyway the Switch is terrific

Oh I've never seen the Switch/Lite as a portable in the same vein as the GB/GBA/DS/3DS/even PSP/Vita. And it's a shame that branch of gaming is functionally dead because I really loved it.

CaptainOfCrush posted...

Switch Sales
2017 - 15m
2018 - 17m
2019 - 20m
2020 - 28m
2021 - 24m

If Switch gets another two full years to stand on its own (a seven year cycle is unheard of for a Nintendo console, but so is this sustained level of success, and covid has slowed production and R&D anyway), I'd say it has a shot to overtake the PS2. Averaging 20m per year over the next two years is lofty but achievable, and by then, it'd be about 10m behind PS2. At that point, if Nintendo is really interested in reclaiming the "best selling console" mantle after three decades, they can finally cut the price to get Switch over the hump.

Yeah this is bonkers that the Switch has been selling hotter than ever before recently. I definitely think the case for it becoming the best selling console of all time is plausible. Next gen remains hard to get, price cut could give a big boost, and of course another iteration of the Switch could (but I don't see them doing that). It just depends on how many people are left that don't have a Switch and are still interested. The market is probably there.

Man, I wish Iwata was around to see his vision fully realized. He had a lot to do with the development of the Switch :(

Underleveled posted...

Oh I've never seen the Switch/Lite as a portable in the same vein as the GB/GBA/DS/3DS/even PSP/Vita. And it's a shame that branch of gaming is functionally dead because I really loved it.

I don't consider any version of the Switch a true portable console.

If I'm gaming on the go, I'm taking my 3DS every time.

It's still hilarious that a Wii U game was remastered for Switch and is now above 50 million copies sold being among the very best selling games ever.

The Wii U might wind up being the most "erased" console ever. Switch is one or two re-releases away from evaporating the last trace of uniqueness that system has.

Pretty much, not much left that hasn't at least been given a sequel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wii_U-only_games

They even ported Maiden of Black Water over.

Dreamcast has to be up there, right? Xbox One also had a tiny number of exclusives.

The HD Zeldas have gotta be re-released sometime... Skyward Sword just sold 4 million for Nintendo in a year. Move it already!

I think Xenoblade Chronicles X will be the last holdout that people actually care about.

XBX being stuck in Wii U is unfortunate. Not sure it ever gets ported over, either - the interface used the Wii U tablet extensively and it didn't sell particularly well.

As for the Switch, Nintendo's smart play would be to let the Switch ride out this momentum for a few years then release a Switch 2 (that is actually advertised as a Switch 2 instead of whatever they tried with the Wii U) that's backwards compatible.

If Tokyo Mirage Sessions can get a port, anything can. Also, I don't recall the tablet stuff being all that necessary to be on a second screen. Maybe I'm forgetting something but everything I can think of can just be moved into a menu.

IIRC the only major tablet interface was the map, which could definitely be moved to a menu.

I think Tokyo Mirage Sessions got a port because they figured it may ride the wave of interest from FE in general. XCX is a tougher sell since that game sold horribly and had much more negative reaction than XC1 and 2.

charmander6000 posted...

Pretty much, not much left that hasn't at least been given a sequel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wii_U-only_games

The exclusive home of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is an amazing legacy

StealThisSheen posted...

I think Tokyo Mirage Sessions got a port because they figured it may ride the wave of interest from FE in general. XCX is a tougher sell since that game sold horribly and had much more negative reaction than XC1 and 2.

Wait, since when is X's response worse than 2"s?

Mac Arrowny posted...

Wait, since when is X's response worse than 2"s?

2 had a mixed reception among the hardcore fanbase but was very popular among casuals and newcomers. Mostly because of the fanservice and more 'anime' feel.

I feel like 2's greater popularity is entirely because it was a Switch game... Swap its release with X and X is at least as popular

I feel like XCX had a worse reputation but it's been a while so I don't recall very clearly. Like Tatsu has a worse reputation than anything in Xenoblade 2. Also people got really, really mad about not being able to Lin in a skimpy swimsuit in the English version. There was also the whole breast slider thing as well as other changes.

I think that ended up being worse than people complaining about Mythra being tsundere, Rex being Rex and out of nowhere gacha.

Mac Arrowny posted...

I feel like 2's greater popularity is entirely because it was a Switch game... Swap its release with X and X is at least as popular

The Switch aspect is definitely also a big factor too, although I don't think X reaches 2's popularity if it got released on the Switch. People interested in mecha sci-fi games very much in general.

Team Rocket Elite posted...

Mythra being tsundere

Mythra and Pyra are the most popular characters in the series. For a lot of people, 'tsundere' isn't a bug, it's a feature.

charmander6000 posted...

Pretty much, not much left that hasn't at least been given a sequel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wii_U-only_games

If this doesn't prove how horrible Star Fox Zero was I don't know what does!

Wii U still has a great VC though, so it's got that going for it

I spent a good bit of time on the Donkey Kong game in Nintendo Land. That's probably the biggest thing missing for me lol.

Smash 4 is obviously by far the best game not ported, it's just not needed.

Also Color Splash was fine, not too much more than that.

StartTheMachine posted...

Yeah this is bonkers that the Switch has been selling hotter than ever before recently.

I think it largely has to do with the hot new systems being incredibly hard to find right now, so people are forced to settle for it more.

X always had a good reception, just not up to the original. It also sold similarly to the original on a much less popular platform so if it was originally released on the Switch, it likely would have blown up in popularity like 2 did. I dont think it sold horribly at all. More than sales I think the issue is the franchise going in a different direction after the success of 2 and DE but well see.

I wouldnt compare the original XBC sales to anything