We reported earlier today that Pokemon Sun/Moon had enjoyed an incredibly successful launch in the UK, with the two SKUs combining to become the bestselling game in the UK last week. However, it seems as though their success goes beyond just that- it seems that Pokemon Sun/Moon are far bigger successes than any Nintendo has enjoyed in the UK, ever.
According to Gfk-Tracker, Pokemon Sun/Moon are Nintendo’s most successful UK launch ever– this means they performed better than any Pokemon game previously, yes, but also that they outdid games released on systems at the height of Nintendo-mania, such as the DS and Wii. They handily beat the previous record holder, Wii Fit, selling more copies in one day than Wii Fit did in two.
They are, as a result, the most successful Pokemon launch in the UK, too- sales were double that of 2014’s Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire, which held the franchise’s most successful UK launch record previously.
This, of course, ties into what we have been hearing in general- with 10 million copies already shipped, Pokemon Sun/Moon are the most successful games of this year. I suppose it helps that the games are perhaps the best outings the series has had yet, but their continued success is incredibly impressive given that the 3DS is a far lower selling handheld than any other from Nintendo previously, and given that the 3DS and Nintendo in general have never been big in the UK, a market that has been positively antagonistic towards them. If Nintendo can leverage this kind of momentum going into the Nintendo Switch, they may be able to turn their fortunes around yet.
