Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has told Japanese publication The Nikkei that he is dumbfounded by the incredible sales set by Animal Crossing: New Leaf in Japan. As we already reported the game has sold over two million copies in Japan, with approximately 1 in every 110 people now owning a copy. Iwata says that a growing number of sales are down to an increase in female and social gamers, with the highest percentage in the first three weeks of sales being 19 to 24-year-old women. Iwata says that it’s “an age range found typically in fewer numbers for Nintendo”.
“These are the sort of numbers that leave me dumbfounded. I’ve never seen anything like it; a game that sells like this on a Nintendo hardware.”
“For a 47 minute video with developers talking casually about a game to have 1.6 million views is almost impossible, like really something unusual, I think.”
I’m probably gonna get it when it’s out in NA.
yeah, me too
what about australia?
next year.
near when europe recieves it….
Ur fans stupity is amazing thats why shitendo sell garbage same old rehase shit and fantards say cheap manufactured plastic is better than sexy xbox u get what u pay for.
Ironic this guy tries^ to call OTHER people stupid.
Population of Japan = 126 Million
Animal Crossing: New Leaf sales = 2 million
That’s 1 in 63, not 1 in 110.
that’s even better, maybe he got the ratio before it had sold the 2 million
How does Japan only have 126 million people 0.o
Don’t confuse Japan with China.
You can tell how pathetic a company is when their president is surprised over high sales. This is very typical for manly games like Call of Duty.The patheticness of Nintendo makes me laugh.
Cool story, Bill.
yea, internationally. not in Japan alone.
also: Shut up, Bill.
http://www.fudzilla.com/games/item/24662-bf3-sells-5-million-globally
“….we also hear whispers that the sales of the PC version are again quite surprising, as they are up and over where EA and DICE thought that they would be at this point in time.” the patheticness of EA and Dice makes me laugh too
He’s just being humble. It’s something most companies should have but they don’t. At least he appreciates it.
Call of duty a manly game lol. More like a propaganda driven sheeple game. Use your logic to decipher how activision has profited of the same repetitive cross-hairs and weapon cycle. Manly means being able to solve a conflict amicably and guns are your last resort. Ever wondered why most FBI agents are highly educated and have beautiful wives?
not either one of the Call of Duty games has sold close to one million in Japan, so this game is already more successful in Jp than CoD. Talk about pathetic.
Funny thing is, I SPECIFICALLY remember you saying COD was a “wannabe manly game”
Compared to Animal Crossing, Call of Duty is Chuck Norris manly.
Animal crossing is bruce lee compares to cod.
i want to suck your weiner
After all the #animalcrossingmemories tweets yesterday, I’m seriously pumped for this!
Was that trending?
OMG! Your name is Oisin!? I know an Oisin!!! It’s pronounced O-sheen right!? Which means you are from Ireland too, like my friend! SOOO COOL! The name must be really popular over there, but it is not very common over here, anyways. Wicked cool! ^.^
I really wonder how good this game will sell in NA and Europe… I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t tend to play this kind of games, but I really loved the Animal Crossing game for DS. It’s so relaxing~
It will sell a quadrillion! Which means 3.15119135e-7 copie(s) per person in the United States!!! ^.^
Who wants my 7 copies?
Let’s see… million, billion, trillion and then quadrillion?
what’s after quadrillion?
Something like cotillion or something like that. Not sure about the spelling.
Quintillion. The prefix quint=5.
I’m not surprised really…the game is absolutely fantastic looking in trailers and I have owned all the Animal Crossing predecessors, so I know first hand that Animal Crossing is top notch. Plus, the game has been in development for SO LONG, which means they really took their time on it to make it the best it could be. I am really looking forward to Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I am a definite buy on day one and I expect a huge turn out in America, just like Japan!
Iwata, you shouldn’t be so surprised! Animal Crossing is an amazing franchise! I only expect sales like these and not just from Japan, but over the whole world too! :D
It pisses me off that Japan is playing this already. They really have a big head start. I wish all regions got it at the same time. If I could import this game I would even though I wouldn’t understand a thing. I just want to try it out but Nintendo with their region locks smh. I’m going to see if I can find my wild world
W!ild World Was My FAVORITE! ^.^
its becos of the translation man…. its jusst like fire emblem…. sooo many words….
I’ve been a fan of the series since the first game on the game cube! looking forward to the NA release! :)
not to be an ass or something, but i really don’t understand why people are playing this game. i tried the series once on the Gamecube i think, and it seemed just boring as hell. I only remember running around some weird animal town with lots of things to do which i really don’t care about, and not seeing a “goal” or anything that would draw me back to the game. Has that changed? Please, enlighten me, and tell me what those cool features are, that you like so much about this game – i want to learn :)
Well the GameCube one got me really excited getting the Nintendo games. I thought that feature alone was worth it and also putting the games on your gameboy advance. Other than that It’s just something you have to experience yourself to see if you like it or don’t. There’s so many different ways to play the game. I guess if you don’t like it you just don’t. I’ve been asked the same things by friends that tried it before that they just can’t get into it and it’s really boring but yet I love it. It’s just really hard to explain
Animal Crossing on the Game Cube was fun WHEN IT FIRST RELEASED! Since then the games have gotten MUCH better. Animal Crossing: Wild World has intense replay value. I literally played that game for years… the Wii one was almost as good as the DS one, it seemed to be lacking a little bit of something, but knowing how much effort they have put into this new Animal Crossing game for the 3DS…..it is going to be a masterpiece… ^.^
Like the Sims, you either get it or you don’t. You have your house, decorate it, expand it, make money by fishing, planting trees and other stuff to buy furniture and expand the house. You find fossils for the museum or to make money, trade furniture with friends, play dress up, redo your haircut, and so on. Its Collectibles: the Game. So I suppose the goal is to collect it all. Special items show up on holidays, like Valentine themed stuff on Feb14. I once had a Mario themed room, and you got the items by shooting a ballon that showed up once in a blue moon. Fireworks show up on midnight on New Years (yeah, I confirmed that).
The new game makes you mayor, so I’m guessing you get to redecorate the town, not just your house. As I said, you either get it or you don’t.
HAHA! Maybe your right, Emma. You just have to “get” it. I like how you compared Animal Crossing to the Sims though. They are very much alike…but A.C is better of course! ^.^
Not only is this game the cutest little thing I have ever seen, it has probably one of the longest replay values of any game out there! It is such a breakaway from a typical game like Mario, Call of Duty, etc. OH! I can’t wait!! ^.^
@nim@l Crossing reminds me of the pe@cefulness of Minecr@ft on Pe@ceful mode. There is @n unlimited @mount of things to do. You just live d@y by d@y doing wh@tever you feel like doing…. SUPER REL@XING! You re@lly c@n’t get enough!
Dude youre post give me a headache :s
You trying to get me dizzy or something?
@__@ <F@ll Under My Spell!)
This is for the female section of our nintendo fanbase. Am hardcore nintendo you all know that, but this should not be played by any boy, teen, young man period.
ORLY?
I thinks he is in conflick with his manlyness.
I pl@y it…
What exactly are you trying to say? That guys shouldn’t play Animal Crossing?
Dude, so not true. I’ve seen a lot of “normal” men over 20 that play this game. I’ve seen just as much males play this as female. (In the us & uk that is)
I had a feeling someone like us would reply to a comment like this xD
I’m gona play this while watching My Little Pony as listening to Hatsune Miku.
UMAD?
Most men are so comfortable with their manliness that playing a game about collecting stuff with cutesy animals isn’t a giant threat to their sexuality. Go get some nachos and turn on another football game, your fraternity is leaking.
If Animal Crossing was a game for females only, there wouldn’t be an option to play as a male.
It’s a humbling thing to know that the president of nintendo is thrilled at entertaining a vast majority of ladies that are gamers too. Now tell Nintendo’s EAD to give us Wrecking crew Mario 3DS.
…. Have you ever talked to a lady before? From your last two posts, it’s really screaming you’ve never talked to one.
Hey sickr some real news go check pokemons twitter there asking how many possible eeveelutions are they. They obviously hinting something.
You @re getting me excited! I h@ve to go check it out now!!!
Theyre adding a new one in a short movie.
The title is made up of the eevee evo types, except one letter isnt a type, yet :p
I hope not!!!^
man this game looks so good
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Amazing sales! Now its really getting me hyped up!
Congrats Animal Crossing. 2M in digital sales in Japan alone in the first couple of months is incredible. It will probably get to 4M+ in Japan eventually , maybe more. And no doubt it will see a couple of mill in the rest of the world when it releases there.
It looks like the ultimate animal crossing game.
I’m dumbfounded by the series myself (never played). However, since so many people keep talking about it, this may be the 1st one I play once it comes to the USA.
I think you should give the wii version or ds version a try to know what your getting yourself into. I personally think they are very fun
Feel free to jump into the fr@nchise whenever you feel. You don’t h@ve to pl@y the origion@ls to enjoy their successors!
It’s pretty addicting.
It’s also a nice break from the usual “kill this, do that” games that we always play xD
It’s relaxing
Not so much wen you are triying to complet your bug and fish collection.
That’s true xD fucking Cicada :|
Thats because Animal Crossing is boss
Wow that’s impressive!
Animal Crossing is a different kind of game. I think some people find it boring because they’re used to adventure or violent games and this one is the opposite. I love it and not because I think I’m playing an epic journey. I play it because it’s relaxing, calm and you can work all your stuff at your own pace.
I kinda find a bit of adventure within the game actually :P
Eh. I won’t be getting this (Monster Hunter and Fire Emblem are all I need) but I’m happy for their success. For me MH3U has all the replay value I need.
I’ll be getting it. I enjoyed the older AC’s and I’m hoping this game will be enough for me to pick up my 3DS again. It hasn’t gotten much of a work out since Kingdom Hearts DDD. It’s more dust than 3DS xD
This is the game I’ve been wanting ever since I first got the 3DS on launch day. It’s just been sitting in my drawer untouched for the most part, because no other games interest me on 3DS (except the upcoming Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon).
Luigi!!!….I’m with you there, so looking forward to Dark Moon!
Oh ya! I am suprised you wouldn’t want to play Paper Mario Sticker Star or Mario 3D Land though. Or Kid Icarus Uprising. Or Mario Kart 7. Or Ocarina of Time. Or Mario Tennis. Or New Super Mario Bros 2. and Fire Emblem is coming out soon… I just feel like you are wasting all of your chances to play great games!
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Sadly, I doubt it will sell as well in the US… i will buy it for sure but I don’t remember Animal Crossing ever being that big of a deal here. Of course, it remains my favorite series. I hope its popularity makes Tom Nook a contender for Smash Bros!
Tom Nook S class tier, just steals all your money and put you on a massive mortgage. 300% damage, baseball bat knock out.
In other words, (non-gaming) female and social gamers are a large reason why the game’s sold so much. That’s the part that troubles me a bit.
In one sense, that’s good. Sales help Nintendo, I’m glad the people are enjoying their games, and I welcome all kinds of gaming. In another sense, it’s kinda motivating Nintendo to make more games that appeal to the type of female and social gamers (NOT that I’m calling Animal Crossing merely a game for female and social gamers–I enjoy the game, too), rather than giving us more of the titles that long-time Nintendo gamers really want. It’s putting the Wii U at risk of becoming another Wii (again, I liked Wii, but it didn’t have nearly as much of the kind of games that I would’ve liked).
I mean, Miyamoto questioned whether they should make a new F-Zero game? Well, YES! Do it! We don’t care if it’s not the most innovative addition to the series, though, given new possibilities made by the GamePad’s mechanics, I don’t see how that’s even possible. But now that’s Animal Crossing’s taken off big with non-gaming female and social gamers, they have more incentive to cater to them now.
I wish to be emphatically clear here: There are plenty of girls who play Zelda and Metroid, and I’m not speaking about those type of gamers. But I hope Nintendo doesn’t start catering to those many more female gamers who don’t consider themselves much as “gamers” and whose idea of gaming is The Sims. Again, I know PLENTY of girls who plays those Zelda and Metroid (or just any kind of game, not placing care about the “type” like any other dedicated gamer), and I myself occasionally enjoy lighter social games sometimes.
I have to stress this, because people don’t have good reading comprehension much anymore. I don’t mean to limit or deride any female or social gamer, or start needlessly confining them to any hard category here. I’m just trying to identify a certain common demographic here. I just hope Nintendo doesn’t start catering to this demographics female gamers (the Sims 3-playing sort) and social gamers again like they largely did with Wii.
Hey, I’m all for catering to those kinds of gamers. We can have both. They help contribute to sales of the gaming system like anyone else and I certainly don’t hate people for their gaming tastes.. But I hope Nintendo doesn’t turn the Wii U down this route again, now that they see most of their sales coming from these kinds of gamers with Animal Crossing here. Today, it’d be Animal Crossing, tomorrow, it’s be weaker titles like Sally’s Cooking Adventure, Everybody Dance, and The Sims Unlimited.
You promised you’d give veteran Nintendo gamers more attention, Nintendo. We made you. Keep that promise..
I’m also aware that it wasn’t just Nintendo who made those sort of weaker titles for the Wii, as third-party developers largely contributed to it. However, Nintendo didn’t exactly discourage this pattern when their producing comparatively more casual titles than “core” titles for Wii. I didn’t care about Wii Fit–I wanted Zelda, and sooner than at the end of Wii’s life cycle.
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Aw hey sweaty Xbox fanboys why don’t you go back to shooting people and stuff yeah bye
Nintendo actually made gaming what it is today, if you don’t own a Nintendo console you must have a very sad, sad life and I feel for you
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