NPD: some sales data for September 2016 (Dragon Quest VII, Yo-kai Watch 2, Wii U)
As years have gone by, the NPD started sharing less and less data about the video game markets in the United States. While we used to get actual sales data for both Software and Hardware, we now get… nothing at all. Nowadays, it’s almost exclusively thanks to “insiders” that we get any actual data at all, and one of them is AstronautClaire (that you probably know as Aquamarine).
Software
Last week, AstronautClaire shared some precious sales data for September 2016, starting with Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Unfortunately, it’s off to rather mild start, with only ~35 000 units sold. Given how “hard” it was for fans to get this remake localised at all (something Square-Enix didn’t want to do originally), there’s no doubt both Square-Enix and Nintendo are not really happy about those sales.
While it’s clear that Nintendo wanted to fill up their line-up with this game (and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King), there’s no doubt the company was also expecting better sales than this. Of course, data is just for September in the United States, and sales do seem stronger in other countries (like France), but it doesn’t bode very well for the franchise as a whole (especially since this isn’t the first recent Dragon Quest game to underperform).
Next, we have Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits / Fleshy Souls, which has also sold about 35 000 units. It does seem really low given how hard Nintendo has been pushing the franchise (803 airings of the TV Commercials on Nickleodeon and Disney Channel), but since that data is only for 2 days, it may be wiser to give the game the benefit of the doubt.
Besides, Yo-kai Watch is a kids-focused franchise, which should perform better closer to the christmas holidays… if only it wasn’t for Pokémon Sun and Moon releasing in November. Unfortunately, there’s no doubt Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits / Fleshy Souls will be overshadowed by the latest entry in the Pokémon series…
Talking of Pokémon, Pokémon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire was once again Nintendo’s best-selling game at retail in September (thanks, Pokémon GO!). We don’t have actual data, but AstronautClaire does mention it’s “just above” Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Globally, Nintendo Software sales in September are down by 47.8% Year on Year.
Hardware
Here’s the average selling price for consoles in the United States, which shows that the Wii U remains quite pricey compared to the competition:
- PlayStation 4: $306.10
- Xbox One: $299.57
- Wii U: $298.59
- PlayStation 3: $152.50
The price is even more surprising when one look at actual sales data. The Wii U sold 36 300 units in September 2016 (-58.9% Year on Year)… which is less than the PlayStation 3 (40 900 units, +54.3% Year on Year. It’s clearly the end of the line for Nintendo’s home console, and even though sales should slightly improve (mechanically) during the holiday period, there’s definitely nothing more left for it (not even a key holiday title).
On the other hand, the Nintendo 3DS still has some fight left in it (again, thanks Pokémon GO!). While we don’t get concrete data, AstronautClaire specifies Nintendo’s handheld did sell more in September 2016 than it did in September 2015.
Here’s Hardware sales for September 2016:
- Xbox One: 332 800 units / $100 million (+13.8% Year on Year)
- PlayStation 4: 285 300 units / $87 million (-19.3% Year on Year)
- Wii U: 36 300 units (-58.9% Year on Year)
The NPD should share its public data this Thursday.
