Splatoon 3 has managed to set multiple, impressive sales records in its launch weekend. The squid kids have outdone not just themselves, but every video game ever released in Japan.
Per Nintendo themselves, Splatoon 3 sold 3.45 million copies in its first three days of availability in its home country. While that may not seem record-breaking when thinking on a global scale, this marks both the highest domestic launch sales of any Nintendo Switch game, and the most successful game launch period.
What’s notable here is that this isn’t just a record for the Splatoon franchise in Japan, it’s a record for any game launch in Japan. https://t.co/wUiTq8N06m
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) September 12, 2022
Analyst Daniel Ahmad helps contextualize this, going on to cite the previous Switch record holder (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) and the former top launch of all (Pokémon Black and White, for the Nintendo DS). It’s an achievement made even more notable by Splatoon’s relative freshness, being one of Nintendo’s newer series. That this achievement can be traced back to the Wii U in some respect makes it all the sweeter.
Time will tell if these successful cephalopods have legs, but for now they’re on top of the world.
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Written by Ricky Berg
When he isn’t writing for Nintendo Wire, Ricky’s anticipating the next Kirby, Fire Emblem, or if the stars ever align, Mother 3 to be released. Till then he’ll have the warm comfort of Super Smash Bros. to keep him going.
