According to the newest report by SuperData Research, Nintendo sales of its new console, the Nintendo Switch, will only be of 5 million until the end of the year. The company seems to have better hopes, having decided to ship 2 million units of the gaming console in March alone. The Switch is Nintendo's answer to the lukewarm reception its previous console (the Wii U) got, so it is vital for the company that it succeeds.
History repeats itself
If the console sells poorly, it will join the ranks of the Wii U, which sold a very low amount of only 14 million units since it was launched in 2011, something that the company still hasn't recovered from, be it in terms of raw sales, or consumer trust.
The problem with the Wii U, analysts said, was a lack of strong launch titles, and from what has been seen of the Switch so far, the new console might be following in its predecessor's footsteps.
Lack of titles negatively affects Nintendo sales
Nintendo's sales for the Switch are expected to have great difficulty breaking into the mainstream market, as the console's best hope is to be purchased by Xbox One and PlayStation 4 users as a second device, as those two consoles dominate the current market. Fans of Nintendo will almost certainly purchase the device, however, with several having preordered it already.
The two main issues keeping the Switch from making it big are the price tag and the lack of titles, as the console's steep $300 cost is not competitive with the prices of the considerably more powerful PS4 and Xbox One.
And even though the new Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, has had great reviews so far and might help with Nintendo's sales, it is the only notable launch title of the console.
Indie games to the rescue?
In a mostly unprecedented move, Nintendo has been beefing up its anorectic launch title line-up with third party Indie Games.
Titles like Shovel Knight, The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth +, Stardew Valley, Tumbleseed, World of Goo and Yooka-Laylee may end up saving the console.
However, many of these titles aren't exclusive to the Switch – so there is less incentive to buy the console just for the games, when one can play them in several other systems.
It might be down to the so far acclaimed Breath of the Wild to drive Nintendo's sales numbers.
