It’s not much of a stretch to say that 2017 has been a very good year for Nintendo.
After a rough patch of wilderness years where it felt like they couldn’t do anything right in the console space, they came back with the Switch, and it has paid off massively: according to their internal sales figures, the console/handheld hybrid has sold 10 million units since its launch in March.
Thanks to you, #NintendoSwitch has sold 10 million units worldwide in 9 months! Here’s to an amazing 2018! pic.twitter.com/wTuojUxE5h
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 12, 2017
That’s a pretty successful console. To put it in perspective, that’s more than the Xbox 360 and Xbox One sold in their first 10.5 months of availability – and, obviously, significantly more than the Switch’s predecessor the Wii U.
It’s pretty rarified company for a console, and no doubt assisted by the fact that two of the year’s best-reviewed games – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey – were both exclusive to the console.
Also, and this is anecdotal, but lying in bed hungover playing Mario Kart on the Switch is a transcendent experience heretofore unmatched by anything else on Earth.
Let’s see if Nintendo keeps up the momentum.
