Nintendo Switch is fastest selling home console in US history
How the tides of fortune change. A couple years back Nintendo couldn't give Wii U away if they papered it in $100 bills and launched it from a cannon into consumers' living rooms. Now the Nintendo Switch, according to sales figures, is the fastest selling home video game system in US history.
This is a bit ironic considering Switch is half home console, half portable but in any case the hardware has hit on something the American public was hankering for. The Switch has sold 4.8 million units in its first 10 months on shelves, surpassing even the original Wii which moved 4 million units in that same timeframe.
I think the takeaway here is that the system's versatility, but more importantly its incredibly strong software lineup, gave the console momentum out of the gate and delivered a very profitable holiday season. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's all about the games, a stubborn fact that any game hardware maker ignores to their own peril. I was worried that launching in March 2017 of all times was a bad move, but it let Nintendo build a strong catalog over 10 months and deliver some holiday heavy-hitters like Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Here's hoping Switch Year 2 is even better. When Gaming Nexus stalwart and EIC Charles Husemann buys one, you know Nintendo is doing something right.
Nintendo Switch Becomes the Fastest-Selling Home Video Game System of All Time in the U.S.
Acclaimed Mario and Legend of Zelda Titles Lead Strong Game Lineup, Fuel Continued Momentum
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo Switch has become the fastest-selling home video game system in U.S. history. The home console that players can take wherever they go launched March 3, 2017, and in 10 months has sold more than 4.8 million units in the United States, according to Nintendo’s internal sales figures. That’s the highest total for the first 10 months of any home video game system in U.S. history, surpassing Nintendo’s own Wii system, which was the previous record holder with more than 4 million units sold during the same timeframe.
A strong library of games continues to fuel momentum for Nintendo Switch. In the U.S., more than 60 percent of Nintendo Switch owners have Super Mario Odyssey, and over 55 percent own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Not only are these games system-sellers, but they’re also two of the highest-rated games in history. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Fans across the country have experienced the joy of playing their favorite games at home or on the go,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond.”
A strong library of games continues to fuel momentum for Nintendo Switch. In the U.S., more than 60 percent of Nintendo Switch owners have Super Mario Odyssey, and over 55 percent own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Not only are these games system-sellers, but they’re also two of the highest-rated games in history. Nintendo Switch owners also possess the fun, competitive games Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2 at rates of more than 50 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
More than 300 games created by third-party developers have already launched for Nintendo Switch. These include big-name brands like FIFA 18 from Electronic Arts, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Just Dance 2018 from Ubisoft, Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition from Mojang, L.A. Noire from Rockstar Games, NBA 2K18 from 2K Games, Sonic Mania from SEGA, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers from Capcom, Rocket League from Psyonix and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and DOOM from Bethesda. Nintendo Switch has also received strong support from indie developers, with a steady stream of favorites like SteamWorld Dig 2 from Image & Form, Golf Storyfrom Sidebar Games, Overcooked Special Edition from Team17 Digital Ltd and Stardew Valley from Chucklefish LTD.
This year, Nintendo Switch owners can look forward to Nintendo-published games like Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta,Bayonetta 2 and a new game starring Yoshi. Fans can also expect continued support from major publishers such as EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, SEGA, Take 2 and Bethesda, plus a growing catalog of quality content from indie developers.
Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.5 billion video games and more than 710 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
