It’s time for everybody’s favorite gaming news — market analysis! And the market says “people are still buying video games” — even though overall spending in December was down a titanic 1% compared to the same month in 2020 (think of the poor yachts left unbought!). Hardware sales declined 3% by the same metric, though for all of 2021 they had actually risen a whole 14%. And the crown winner for both month and year was Nintendo:
US NPD HW – Nintendo Switch was December 2021's best-selling hardware platform in units sold, while Switch and PlayStation 5 effectively tied for dollar sales leadership in the month. Nintendo Switch led 2021 hardware in both unit and dollar sales.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 18, 2022
While this mostly only matters to executives at Nintendo and other big game companies, or people who attach a Console Wars mindset to the fickle mind of the consumer, it’s a sign that Nintendo is, in fact, still selling video games at a good rate. Three Switch games cracked the Top 10 bestsellers of the month — recent family and friendship ruiner Mario Party Superstars, perennial sales titan Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and recent flagship release Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl.
US NPD SW – December 2021 Top 20 Sellers pic.twitter.com/kxGa0FSmuO
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 18, 2022
What does this mean for Nintendo going forward? Well, they’re gonna keep selling video games, in all likelihood. January is traditionally a quiet month for releases, but the arrival of Pokémon Legends Arceus on the 28th is likely to give the Big N a good start for the year. Either way, whether the sales go up or down, the masses’ hunger for raw analysis will never end, so tune in again next month where we say basically the same stuff all over again.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
