This information comes from Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima…
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released simultaneously with the Nintendo Switch launch, and has helped to drive system sales. It has gotten outstanding reviews not only from the consumers who purchased this title but also dedicated game magazines and all kinds of review sites.
Together with the Wii U version, sell-through topped three million units worldwide as of the end of March. By averaging our global sales numbers, we know that close to 90% of all consumers who purchased Nintendo Switch also purchased this title. Looking at these software sales trends together with Nintendo Switch system sales, we can see that sell-through will continue to grow. This high of an attach rate is more or less unprecedented, and we anticipate that this momentum may lead to a new sell-through record for the entire The Legend of Zelda series.
By listening to what players are saying and looking at the circumstances surrounding their actual play, we are finding that a growing number of consumers who do not usually play dedicated video game systems are purchasing Nintendo Switch to play this title or are taking an interest in doing so. By leveraging this opportunity, we sincerely hope to be able to reach consumers who have never played a game in The Legend of Zelda series before.
This information comes from Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima…
Nintendo Switch launched on March 3 to very strong demand. It continues to be sold out practically worldwide. Our initial plan was to ship two million units by the end of March. But as we announced yesterday, we have already shipped 2.74 million units through the end of March. Overall, sell-through of Nintendo Switch stacks up well, even in comparison to hardware that launched during holiday seasons. Given the timing of its launch and the rate at which the market is buying it up, Nintendo Switch is definitely off to a solid start. To take advantage of Nintendo Switch’s momentum, we will be bolstering our manufacturing and improving our supply situation going into the holiday season.
As we announced the other day, numbers provided by the NPD Group show that sell-through for Nintendo Switch topped 900 thousand by the end of March. This makes it the highest-selling Nintendo hardware in its launch month we have ever had.
Nintendo has just announced the New 2DS XL. The system is set to debut in North America on July 28, with pricing set at $149.99.
Here’s a promo:
Nintendo says that the New 2DS XL “offers pricing and features that fit between the Nintendo 2DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL systems.” Like the 2DS, it won’t have stereoscopic 3D. However, Nintendo is carrying over the New 3DS XL’s large screen and power.
Head past the break for the full announcement.
Last week, Nintendo started the “Squid Sisters Stories” for Splatoon 2. This new initiative intends to tell the tale of Callie and Marie following the final Splatfest.
The Squid Sisters stories introduction and prologue were posted last week. Now Nintendo has made chapter 1 available, which we have in full below.
Nintendo conducted a bit of Super Mario Maker maintenance tonight. That was likely done to pave way for a new update which is out now on both Wii U and 3DS.
On Wii U, Super Mario Maker is at version 1.46. The 3DS version now stands at 1.03. In both cases, Nintendo says: “A number of issues have been fixed to make for a pleasant playing experience.”
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers’s file size has now been revealed. Nintendo updated the eShop with a listing for the game, showing how much it’ll take up as a digital download. You’ll need 2.7GB of free space on Switch’s internal memory or a microSD card.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers launches on May 26. If you prefer, you can avoid going digital and pick up a physical version instead.
Thanks to Jes T for the tip.
This week’s Switch eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap
2. Snipperclips
3. Puyo Puyo Tetris
4. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
5. Mr. Shifty
6. The Jackbox Party 3
7. FAST RMX
8. Has-Been Heroes
9. Graceful Explosion Machine
10. Snake Pass
11. 1-2-Switch
12. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
13. Kamiko
14. ACA NeoGeo Metal Slug 3
15. ACA NeoGeo Samurai Shodown IV
Source: Switch eShop
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was purchased by a ton of series fans. However, the game’s success can also be attributed to entirely new players.
The Wall Street Journal writer Takashi Mochizuki passed along a comment made by Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima. In a brief statement, he said that entirely new players who hadn’t experienced Zelda before gave Breath of the Wild a shot after hearing about its strong reception.
Nintendo CEO: strong Zelda sales supported by longtime fans but also people who never played but heard latest is great. I'm one of them too.
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) April 27, 2017
Pocket Rumble’s launch may not be too far off. The game has received a classification from PEGI, indicating that a release could be just on the horizon.
Originally, Pocket Rumble was supposed to hit the eShop sometime in March. That didn’t happen, and Cardboard Robot Games has yet to share a final date. One of Pocket Rumble’s developers did recently suggest that it will be arriving in the near future.
