Nintendo’s newest console just hit shelves this past weekend, and so far it is boasting an impressive launch. The Nintendo Switch, after just a few days of sales, is now Nintendo’s fastest selling console. It’s not just the console that is breaking records, but its launch title, “The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild,” is also breaking records for the fastest selling launch title.
The last console that Nintendo put out was the Wii in 2006, although there was a more recent iteration of it, the Wii U that came out in 2012. Needless to say, Switch sales have blown the Wii out of the water, according to Nintendo executives at least.
Keep in mind that the Wii also released in time for the holiday season in 2006, while the Switch was released in March, far from any big gift-giving holidays.
Nintendo indicated that in the first eight days of Wii sales (2006), roughly 600,000 units moved. While numbers for Nintendo Switch sales have yet to be released, Nintendo’s American president, Reggie Fils-Aime, commented in a New York Times interview that Friday-Saturday sales exceeded first two-day sales for any system in Nintendo history.
The question remains, what type of metrics will Nintendo use to measure these consoles against each other?
In terms of the games, Breath of the Wild has quickly overtaken the title as the best standalone launch game in Nintendo history, ultimately beating out Super Mario for the N64 — a record held for over 20 years.
Zelda is perhaps one of the most famous and loved series in the history of video games, and there is practically a cult following among fans. According to a consensus across platforms and reviewers, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” is considered the greatest game of all time. So this most recent Zelda title has some solid legs to stand on.
Can this console continue to push forward and keep its sales up in the long-term? This was perhaps the greatest success for the Wii that has solidified it as a popular console — that sales continued long after its launch. Although when the Wii U was released in 2012, the endeavor was catastrophic.
With such a strong launch and more great games on the horizon, the outlook seems good for the Nintendo Switch.
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