Nintendo has just confirmed what we already knew: the Nintendo Switch, its latest release, which consists of a hybrid video game - part mobile, part home console, is a huge success. There have been more than 10 million units sold since its launch on March 3, 2017, that is, 9 months and 1 week ago.
Do the math: There are more than 1 million consoles per month; or more than 33 thousand units per day; or 1400 per hour; or yet. about 25 consoles per minute around the world.
By comparison, Sony's PlayStation 4 took approximately ten months to reach 10 million units sold in 2014, and the Switch's predecessor Wii U has sold a total of 13 million units since its launch. launch in 2012 until its discontinuation, earlier this year.
"The fact that we've sold 10 million units worldwide and we haven't even hit the Christmas season boom yet is unprecedented for Nintendo," Reggie Fils-Aime, president and operations manager, Nintendo America, told CNN Tech.
It seems that the success of the console really took Nintendo by surprise: In October, the brand had made an excited announcement where it said that it expected Switch sales to exceed sales of the Wii U within a year, but soon after. they made it public that production of Switches would have to be increased to keep up with demand starting in April 2018.
Fils-Aime attributed the success of the Nintendo Switch to its portability as well as its game offerings. And as for games, again good old Mario reigns supreme: Super Mario Odyssey has sold over two million copies in just three days (and the great video game Oscar winner of 2017 was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, also on Switch).
In addition to these other brand classics are coming to Switch, including games from the Kirby franchise, Yoshi, Mario Kart, Bayonetta 3 (exclusive to the console), among others.
The director of the brand in america had already told CNN Tech that it was important for the console to have a consistent flow of new games, as the limited offers made available for the Wii U was one of the reasons the console failed (as well as not have a clear proposition whether it was a tablet, a video game, or what).
According to the most fearful fans, this was the biggest fear in relation to the Switch, which since its initial announcement made it very clear that it was not the most traditional of consoles either: To play it you can choose to use the "tablet part" with the controls attached one on each side or pull the tablet out of the Switch and connect it to a base, the "Switch Dock", which will make playback on a TV, just like any other conventional console.
According to PJ McNealy, Executive Director of Digital World Research, the gaming industry was more than ready to absorb the Switch. "The Switch is in a position to become the second console in households [...] The PS4 and Xbox One are in their 4th year, while the Switch is a new console that has excellent first-tier titles. Nintendo's strategy of betting on games like Mario and Zelda help boost sales over the holiday season. Nintendo hit the nail on the head this year."
Nintendo expects that with all this success its operating profit for the year will reach $1,06 billion, almost double its initial projection of $572 million made before the success of the console that sells, on average, for approximately $300. The fiscal year ends March 31, 2018 and the initial projection of 10 million units sold is now 14 million.
"The pace is one of the fastest in our own history and in the history of the game," said Fils-Aime.
And anyone who thinks that only the Switch has accelerated sales is wrong: The retro console Super NES Classic Edition was sold out as soon as it appeared on the American market. Nintendo is now racing against time to put a new batch of the console on the market before Christmas. Super NES Classic Edition sales will enter 2018.
