It seems that Nintendo is on a roll lately as far as sales figures go. Yesterday, the entertainment company raised their Nintendo Switch sales estimates for 2017 from 10 million to a whopping 14 million. Achieving that target – which is looking more and more likely as the year goes on – would put the Nintendo Switch's first year of console sales ahead of what its predecessor, the Wii U, managed over its entire five-year lifespan.
But that's not enough for Nintendo. Not often one to rest on their laurels, the company's just-released Super Mario Odyssey has already been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and widespread praise for its creativity. Beyond that, the game itself has already sold over two million copies in three days - or about 463 copies per minute.
Naturally, Nintendo has wasted little time in sharing this information with its investors. "While about 7 million units of Nintendo Switch hardware have been delivered into the hands of our consumers around the world, we estimate that the global sell-through of Super Mario Odyssey has already exceeded 2 million units in just its first three days," Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima said during the company's latest financial briefing.
Numbers like that aren't completely unheard of when it comes to the console gaming market but the speed at which Nintendo has achieved them is certainly impressive. With how quickly Odyssey is selling, it's on pace to eclipse Breath of the Wild's initial sales numbers, making it the most financially successful Switch game launch thus far.
Odyssey's success is likely a result of its broad appeal. While the game has plenty of hidden puzzles, collectibles and other deeper gameplay elements for more experienced gamers to dig into, its control scheme and core gameplay mechanics are straightforward enough for just about anyone to understand, regardless of age.