Comparing the initial Japanese sales of Yoshi’s New Island to Yoshi’s Island DS
Yoshi’s New World sold 58,285 copies in its first week, based on data from Media Create. The game also sold through 57.59 percent of its initial shipment.
The last mainline Yoshi game, Yoshi’s Island DS, moved 303,114 copies at launch with a sell-through rate of 84.82 percent. There’s definitely a big difference between the two, though there are important factors to consider.
Perhaps biggest of all is that Yoshi’s New Island is included in Nintendo’s “Monthly Recommended Software Campaign”. New 3DS owners are able to download one game for free (or choose from other titles) through the end of August.
Media Create reports that Yoshi’s Island DS sold to younger and older Mario fans. Yoshi’s New Island, however, was mainly purchased by a younger audience.
Yoshi’s New Island could end up selling quite a bit more down the line. Yoshi’s Island DS eventually went on to move one million copies in Japan, so something similar could happen with the new 3DS title.
