Nintendo mentioned the truth that gross sales of Change 2 {hardware} had been decrease than anticipated exterior of Japan in the direction of the top of 2025.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa admitted to shareholders this week that “abroad gross sales had been barely decrease than our expectations.” This was one thing the corporate did not say publicly, however was beforehand reported by analysts and mentioned with IGN.
Nonetheless, at an investor convention this week after the newest earnings outcomes, Nintendo shareholders repeatedly questioned the corporate concerning the lack of gross sales in Europe and the US, regardless of the Change 2’s overperformance domestically.
“The forecast for world gross sales of {hardware} and software program stays unchanged, however the breakdown by area and product is predicated on totally different assumptions than the revised forecast introduced on the time of the second quarter outcomes announcement,” Furukawa stated through machine translation.
“Moreover, as you already know, home {hardware} gross sales exceeded our expectations, whereas worldwide gross sales had been barely beneath our expectations,” he continued.
U.S. Change 2 gross sales through the vacation interval had been down about 35% in comparison with the Change 1’s first vacation gross sales efficiency in 2017, in line with gross sales figures compiled by The Sport Enterprise final month. An analogous comparability within the UK reveals the Change 2 lagging behind the Change 1 by 16%. Even in Nintendo’s dwelling nation of Japan, the Change 2’s vacation gross sales fell wanting the Change 1’s, with gross sales down 5.5% over the past 9 weeks of the 12 months.
In the meantime, in France, remaining gross sales for the Change 2 in 2025 decreased by “greater than 30%” in comparison with the rise for the Change 1 in 2017.
These numbers could take away a few of the luster from the Change 2’s total profitable first 12 months, but it surely’s not all doom and gloom. The Change 2’s lifetime gross sales in Japan nonetheless exceed the Change 1’s first-year gross sales regardless of its shorter shelf life. And within the UK, the Change 1 continued to promote effectively, offsetting the Change 2’s year-end gross sales deficit.
When requested to elaborate extra on why {hardware} gross sales in Japan had been stronger than anticipated, Furukawa highlighted the discharge of two video games that significantly resonated with Japanese audiences: Pokemon Legends: ZA Nintendo Change 2 Version and Change 2 unique Kirby’s Air Riders.
“The rationale why {hardware} gross sales in Japan exceeded expectations is that whereas the preliminary launch of Change 2 {hardware} continued to realize momentum, new titles comparable to “Pokémon Legend ZA Nintendo Change 2 Version” and “Kirby’s Air Riders,” launched through the year-end gross sales season, [leading] It’s because present Change house owners are comparatively extra prone to change to Change 2 in comparison with abroad. ”
The Pokemon sequence is vastly standard all around the world, but it surely additionally enjoys a particular recognition in Japan. Kirby video games promote significantly effectively in Japan, and have traditionally had combined success abroad as effectively. So principally, Furukawa is suggesting that the Change 2’s stage of success in Japan was pushed by two titles that significantly resonated with Japanese audiences.
It is a assertion that echoes current experiences from nameless Nintendo officers within the West that gross sales of the corporate’s Change 2 abroad have been sluggish, stated to be because of the lack of necessary first-party video games through the vacation season. This remark raised eyebrows on the time as a result of it gave the impression to be disrespectful to Metroid Prime 4: Past (as Metroid Prime has historically been thought of a subseries with extra followers within the West than in Japan). However as we realized this week, Metroid Prime 4 has definitely lagged by way of gross sales, one thing Nintendo appears to have anticipated to some extent.
There was little point out of Metroid Prime 4 in Nintendo’s monetary outcomes this week, and there was no point out of the Change or Change 2 variations within the firm’s record of video games that bought 1 million copies. The Change 2 unique Kirby Air Rider has bought 1.76 million copies since its launch on November twentieth, however there was no point out of how effectively Metroid Prime 4 has carried out since its launch on December 4th.
After the discharge of Metroid Prime 4, Nintendo admitted that it was conscious that the sport’s open-world idea was prone to feeling outdated. Final month, Metroid Prime producer and Nintendo veteran Kensuke Tanabe abruptly introduced that the sport can be his remaining undertaking for the corporate after 40 years of service. When contacted by IGN for additional particulars, Nintendo didn’t remark.
General, the Change 2 was nonetheless Nintendo’s fastest-selling console on the time of its launch, and exploded in recognition due to the current success of the unique Change (which the Change, which adopted the Wii U, did not have). However all eyes are actually on Nintendo beefing up its Change 2 sport lineup for the remainder of 2026, with followers hoping to lastly get their palms on a brand new 3D Mario platformer in time for Christmas.
Upcoming first-party Change 2 video games embrace Mario Tennis Fever (February 12), Pokémon Pokopia (March 5), Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel Nintendo Change 2 Version + Meetup at Verabel Park (March 26), Friendship Life: Dwelling the Dream (April 16), and Yoshi and the Mysterious Ebook, which has a obscure “spring” launch date. Merely listed for 2026 are Fireplace Emblem: Fortune Weave, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Pokémon Champions, however the launch date for Splatoon Raiders is “TBD.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s information editor. You’ll be able to contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him at Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social.
