According to Nintendo’s own internal sales estimates, Nintendo Switch is the fastest selling console of all time on American soil! How’s that for a bookend to the big N’s lofty 2017-shaped perch, shotgunned after an absolutely terrific year of hands in wallets? The sales of Switch are so damn good, the little hybrid box-o-joy is even beating the generation behemoth that was the Wii. And I’m sure less grandparents and random uncles and aunties own the Switch.
Apparently 4.8 million Switches were sold in the US since the console’s March debut, which is the highest totalled amount of units shifted in US history. Which is rather impressive! But, still, the numbers sit some way off of PlayStation 4’s 5.3 million worldwide sales racked up as of February 2014, even though the PS4 launched three months prior to its numbers being released. And didn’t have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a launch title (let’s not mention Knack).
Nintendo also revealed that “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.” Which is no lie.
But with all of these facts in mind, bear in mind that 2018 will more than likely prove to be a testy time for the big N. With so many bonafide hits released this year – and the sheer idiosyncrasy of the Switch – Nintendo are surely only going up against themselves in the year 2018. But with new Yoshi, Kirby, Bayonetta, Fire Emblem and (hopefully) Metroid 4 and a new Smash Bros. titles in the works, 2018 could turn out to be quite a magical year for the big N! Quite magical indeed. Now, here’s hoping they can meet demand on some of their biggest IPs, eh?