Media Create Sales: CY 2021 (2021 Jan 04 - 2022 Jan 02) [new+used]

[Chris1964]

Lack of heavy and less heavy hitters from several "big" third parties on Switch remains its biggest problem when it comes to comparisons with PlayStation.

Coming from previous Nintendo systems, the improvement of non first party software sales is result of big increase of released games and the massive improvement of eShop sales through deep discounts that became reality for Nintendo owners too but when you fight against PS4 that has many times lower user base it's easy to understand something goes wrong with the support that exists and the support that should exist.

 

[Blue Monty]

PS5 struggling to outsell Wii U third party sales is something that shouldn't happen ever, how you sell less than a failed console with close to 0 third party support. I understand that with digital it should be a bit higher but still this shouldn’t happen ever

 

[Celine]

Third-Party physical software sales from Media Create's annual Top 1000:

 

[Kenka]

Third-Party physical software sales from Media Create's annual Top 1000:

Do you think the Switch's sales for CY6 will surpass those of the 3DS?

 

[Brandonleemoss]

Lack of heavy and less heavy hitters from several "big" third parties on Switch remains its biggest problem when it comes to comparisons with PlayStation.

Coming from previous Nintendo systems, the improvement of non first party software sales is result of big increase of released games and the massive improvement of eShop sales through deep discounts that became reality for Nintendo owners too but when you fight against PS4 that has many times lower user base it's easy to understand something goes wrong with the support that exists and the support that should exist.

Do you think their next system will have better 3rd party support?

 

[BassForever]

Do you think their next system will have better 3rd party support?

It's impossible to know that for sure. Assuming Nintendo doesn't find a way to WiiU the Switch's successor and does the sensible Switch 2, they'll have on board most of the mid tier and smaller Japanese devs on board. Western support I'm sure will be a mixed bag depending upon how easy it is to downport ps5/xs titles to Switch 2. The usual suspects that support Nintendo will likely still be their in the same great energy that they've been their for Switch.

 

[Blue Monty]

It's impossible to know that for sure. Assuming Nintendo doesn't find a way to WiiU the Switch's successor and does the sensible Switch 2, they'll have on board most of the mid tier and smaller Japanese devs on board. Western support I'm sure will be a mixed bag depending upon how easy it is to downport ps5/xs titles to Switch 2. The usual suspects that support Nintendo will likely still be their in the same great energy that they've been their for Switch.

Some usual suspects will change though , not all of course. We have already seen publishers that didnt support Nintendo hardware at all do it with the Switch in Koei Tecmo, wouldnt be surprised if SE non-exclusive games that dont come to Switch start also coming to the Switch 2 same with Capcom

 

[Joseki]

Do you think their next system will have better 3rd party support?

The devs already on the Switch will continue to be on the Switch, the devs skipping the Switch will continue to skip it and at most port some PS4 titles. I think the status quo will continue next gen.

 

[Oregano]

The devs already on the Switch will continue to be on the Switch, the devs skipping the Switch will continue to skip it and at most port some PS4 titles. I think the status quo will continue next gen.

It at least means the early years of the platform should be better than the early years of Switch. Hard not to beat 2017/2018 Switch.

 

[Blue Monty]

It at least means the early years of the platform should be better than the early years of Switch. Hard not to beat 2017/2018 Switch.

I think you would need to avoid releasing any games on the platform to do worse than most publishers did in 2017:
NSW MC1000 2017
01. Nintendo - 5.921.263 <80,79%>
02. Capcom - 254.167 <3,47%>
03. Square Enix - 238.901 <3,26%>
04. Pokemon Co. - 191.485 <2,61%>
05. Koei Tecmo - 142.795 <1,95%>
06. Konami - 135.496 <1,85%>
07. Bandai Namco Games - 132.941 <1,81%>
08. Sega - 83.363 <1,14%>
09. Electronic Arts - 62.783 <0,86%>
10. Warner Entertainment Japan - 49.944 <0,68%>
00. Other - 115.745 <1,58%>
00. All Publishers - 7.328.882 <100,00%>

 

[BassForever]

Some usual suspects will change though , not all of course we we have already seen publishers that didnt support Nintendo hardware at all do it with the Switch in Koei Tecmo, wouldnt be surprised if SE non-exclusive games that dont come to Switch start also coming to the Switch 2 same with Capcom

Companies like Capcom and Square Enix may not have always supporter Nintendo's main console, but they always supported the handhelds in a solid capcacity. As long as Switch 2 remains the only real player in the game for a dedicated portable gaming device, those companies will continue to support Nintendo like that always have. The question is will Switch 2 do something that makes current gen ports easier or harder to do, and if we'll see more cloud ports as internet speeds get better.

 

[fiendcode]

It at least means the early years of the platform should be better than the early years of Switch. Hard not to beat 2017/2018 Switch.

A stronger earlier commitment will also likely improve support as it'll solidify markets for later. Switch was a slow crawl to pass up PS4 for studios like Gust or Mages, starting out strong for these fanbases can only improve things next go around.

I think hardware spec will be key honestly too. We have to see how much Drake's DLSS/RT might close the performance gap, which is also a gap that should be comparably smaller anyway due to Series S. I wouldn't rule out Drake making some real gains with AAA or AAAA games yet either. Not everything but "status quo only" seems pessimistic based even on what little we know now too.

 

[ILikeFeet]

A stronger earlier commitment will also likely improve support as it'll solidify markets for later. Switch was a slow crawl to pass up PS4 for studios like Gust or Mages, starting out strong for these fanbases can only improve things next go around.

I think hardware spec will be key honestly too. We have to see how much Drake's DLSS/RT might close the performance gap, which is also a gap that should be comparably smaller anyway due to Series S. I wouldn't rule out Drake making some real gains with AAA or AAAA games yet either. Not everything but "status quo only" seems pessimistic based even on what little we know now too.

I think people will be surprised at how much Drake will be cut down from even the Series S versions of games

 

[HK-47]

They should try not to lose the Switch’s biggest boon compared to other Nintendo systems: it’s absurd indie power. Both the amount and it’s ability to make successes of them.

 

[Chris1964]

When we talk for Japan, 90% of games skipping Switch has nothing to do with power. Switch 2 will have strong momentum from the beginning and won't face again the anemic third party support Switch had at its first 2-3 years but that Bandai Namco, Atlus, Square or Capcom will include Switch 2 in multiplatform strategy for their internal games isn't happening.

Capcom will port some PS4/XB1 AAA titles but the general treatment of the system from them will be the same with Switch.

 

[fiendcode]

I think people will be surprised at how much Drake will be cut down from even the Series S versions of games

I doubt that, from what I've seen most are expecting an equal or larger relative gap than One S to Switch.

 

[Blue Monty]

When we talk for Japan, 90% of games skipping Switch has nothing to do with power. Switch 2 will have strong momentum from the beginning and won't face again the anemic third party support Switch had at its first 2-3 years but that Bandai Namco, Atlus, Square or Capcom will include Switch 2 in multiplatform strategy for their internal games isn't happening.

Capcom will port some PS4/XB1 AAA titles but the general treatment of the system from them will be the same with Switch.

We have seen some publishers change their plans around Switch support in the middle of Switch lifespan it can and probably will happen again during Switch 2 lifespan also all these publishers bar Capcom/SE depend still on Japan/Asian sales for most of their games and with the current state of PS5 software they will end up getting their Kuro moment at one point and when it affects finances they will end up being forced to support the platform

 

[brutaka3]

Maybe I'm dumb or too naive, but I still believe Atlus will support Nintendo's next console and SH2 is just a weird "let's have our MHW" moment that will go south. I expect absolutely nothing from Bamco, besides Nintendo contracts. Square-Enix and Capcom already support Nintendo and with a powerful console, that support can only go up.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Do you think the Switch's sales for CY6 will surpass those of the 3DS?

I think this question will be easier to answer after the next Nintendo Direct. Based on what we know now, I think Switch's third party sales will be close to CY6 for 3DS, but the next direct will give us a better idea if it will be a little above or a little below. The biggest problem that Switch will have this year is that there is no single title that will sell anything like MH Rise, so third party sales will definitely be down YoY. On the other hand, the number of third party releases on Switch continues to increase YoY, and that is why I think this years sales will be close to CY6 of the 3DS. So, the next Direct should give us a better idea if there are some more decent selling third party titles coming that haven't been announced yet.

 

[AruanaRiva]

It's impossible to know that for sure. Assuming Nintendo doesn't find a way to WiiU the Switch's successor and does the sensible Switch 2, they'll have on board most of the mid tier and smaller Japanese devs on board. Western support I'm sure will be a mixed bag depending upon how easy it is to downport ps5/xs titles to Switch 2. The usual suspects that support Nintendo will likely still be their in the same great energy that they've been their for Switch.

I would believe that Western Devs would be far more on board on Switch 2 rather than Japan devs there. We have seen Western devs doing miracles in bringing games that many deem impossible to Switch.

They are not going to slow down for Switch 2. Western devs love for money has always been their huge benefit in development.

Japan devs will still ask themselves, how to make the gimmick work, will the game sells, and give some low quality games as "Test" before finally putting bigger effort or just abandoning Switch 2.

 

[storres]

I would believe that Western Devs would be far more on board on Switch 2 rather than Japan devs there. We have seen Western devs doing miracles in bringing games that many deem impossible to Switch.

They are not going to slow down for Switch 2. Western devs love for money has always been their huge benefit in development.

Japan devs will still ask themselves, how to make the gimmick work, will the game sells, and give some low quality games as "Test" before finally putting bigger effort or just abandoning Switch 2.

Yeah, I agree.

 

[Agent42]

I would believe that Western Devs would be far more on board on Switch 2 rather than Japan devs there. We have seen Western devs doing miracles in bringing games that many deem impossible to Switch.

They are not going to slow down for Switch 2. Western devs love for money has always been their huge benefit in development.

Japan devs will still ask themselves, how to make the gimmick work, will the game sells, and give some low quality games as "Test" before finally putting bigger effort or just abandoning Switch 2.

So Japanese developers deny the reality of the market that is in front of their noses

 

[Fiendslayer]

So Japanese developers deny the reality of the market that is in front of their noses

It is not like we dont already have a ton of evidence already of this. Main issue is that they think they can sustain solely by selling in the West on PS/CV/PC, and igniting that NSW is also big in the west, which some of them clearly can.

 

[AruanaRiva]

So Japanese developers deny the reality of the market that is in front of their noses

It is common stuff. Until reality hits and some of the medium devs knows founds that they are not Cacpcom or Bamco that is able to create big hits on the west then they will do a Falcom.

 

[Tokuiten]

Just got finally done with this graph, sorry for taking almost a week, but staring at all these top1000 lists and numbers makes my brain mushy, so I did a little every day >_> Anyway, quick explanation what this graph shows:

As per title, it's the number of new games released in Japan per year. Since some users asked me to do so, I went back and checked both Nintendo- and Sony-systems for doubles aka crossgen releases that aren't really new games each. Originally, I had only planned to do this for PlayStation-systems, because there's naturally a higher amount of overlap between generations, but then I thought if I go through all that trouble, I'll do it right and checked Nintendo-systems, too. There's barely overlap in the past, because not many games released both for 3DS and Wii U or Switch, but some did. Then when both 3DS and Wii U died, there was only a Switch-version on the market, so both columns have the same number of releases in the graph. Anyway, enjoy :>

 

[Lelouch0612]

Just got finally done with this graph, sorry for taking almost a week, but staring at all these top1000 lists and numbers makes my brain mushy, so I did a little every day >_> Anyway, quick explanation what this graph shows:

As per title, it's the number of new games released in Japan per year. Since some users asked me to do so, I went back and checked both Nintendo- and Sony-systems for doubles aka crossgen releases that aren't really new games each. Originally, I had only planned to do this for PlayStation-systems, because there's naturally a higher amount of overlap between generations, but then I thought if I go through all that trouble, I'll do it right and checked Nintendo-systems, too. There's barely overlap in the past, because not many games released both for 3DS and Wii U or Switch, but some did. Then when both 3DS and Wii U died, there was only a Switch-version on the market, so both columns have the same number of releases in the graph. Anyway, enjoy :>

Great work on this, it is imho a key graph to understand how the market shifted over the past 5 years.

 

[UnusMundus]

Just got finally done with this graph, sorry for taking almost a week, but staring at all these top1000 lists and numbers makes my brain mushy, so I did a little every day >_> Anyway, quick explanation what this graph shows:

As per title, it's the number of new games released in Japan per year. Since some users asked me to do so, I went back and checked both Nintendo- and Sony-systems for doubles aka crossgen releases that aren't really new games each. Originally, I had only planned to do this for PlayStation-systems, because there's naturally a higher amount of overlap between generations, but then I thought if I go through all that trouble, I'll do it right and checked Nintendo-systems, too. There's barely overlap in the past, because not many games released both for 3DS and Wii U or Switch, but some did. Then when both 3DS and Wii U died, there was only a Switch-version on the market, so both columns have the same number of releases in the graph. Anyway, enjoy :>

Great work with this! I'm not sure I understand what you're saying about the cross-gen aspect. It sounds like you removed any case (other than the original) where a game was released on multiple platforms from the same manufacturer. But that doesn't look right with these numbers. In 2021, the Nintendo number didn't shift at all from cross-gen (maybe it dropped by one). But offhand, I know there was Mario 3D World, and Fatal Frame V. I think Wonderful 101 might have been 2021 as well. Are you only discounting cross-gen if the release is simultaneous on both platforms? If so, that would create numbers without a lot of meaning. A game released on PS4+PS5 same day would count as one release, while a game released on PS4 with a PS5 release six months later would count as two releases. The results become arbitrary.

 

[Tokuiten]

Great work with this! I'm not sure I understand what you're saying about the cross-gen aspect. It sounds like you removed any case (other than the original) where a game was released on multiple platforms from the same manufacturer. But that doesn't look right with these numbers. In 2021, the Nintendo number didn't shift at all from cross-gen (maybe it dropped by one). But offhand, I know there was Mario 3D World, and Fatal Frame V. I think Wonderful 101 might have been 2021 as well. Are you only discounting cross-gen if the release is simultaneous on both platforms? If so, that would create numbers without a lot of meaning. A game released on PS4+PS5 same day would count as one release, while a game released on PS4 with a PS5 release six months later would count as two releases. The results become arbitrary.

It's about new releases per year. Mario 3D World and Fatal Frame 5 for Switch (and the latter on PS4) are different from the original versions. I only counted as crossgen/double when multiple versions of the same game released in the same year. Your scenario of a PS5-version releasing six months after the PS4-version and in different years is not a common case, if it were common I'd have noticed it while looking through all the Top 1000-lists. You're welcome to list such cases, but it wouldn't amount to any number that would change the qualitative nature of the graph.

If Fatal Frame 5 were the exact same game that it was on Wii U, it'd still be a new release on Switch that year, because the Wii U-version released many years ago. I'm not sure why you want to call the results arbitrary, because the scenarios you created are not based on reality.

 

[UnusMundus]

It's about new releases per year. Mario 3D World and Fatal Frame 5 for Switch (and the latter on PS4) are different from the original versions. I only counted as crossgen/double when multiple versions of the same game released in the same year. Your scenario of a PS5-version releasing six months after the PS4-version and in different years is not a common case, if it were common I'd have noticed it while looking through all the Top 1000-lists. You're welcome to list such cases, but it wouldn't amount to any number that would change the qualitative nature of the graph.

If Fatal Frame 5 were the exact same game that it was on Wii U, it'd still be a new release on Switch that year, because the Wii U-version released many years ago. I'm not sure why you want to call the results arbitrary, because the scenarios you created are not based on reality.

Thanks for explaining!

My reason for saying it's arbitrary is because it puts all of the emphasis on calendar year. If two versions fall under the same calendar year, they count as one. If they are separated by a calendar year, they count as two. The versions could release in January and December of the same year - eleven months apart - which would count as a single release. Alternatively, the versions could release in December of one year and January the next - only one month apart - and that would count as two releases. Logically, an effort to discount multiple releases in proximity should not discount releases that are farther apart than ones which it is counting. Effectively, the same release pattern would be counted in two completely different ways based on whether or not January 1st just so happened to fall between those releases. The importance of January 1st is arbitrary, hence making those results arbitrary.

Personally, I would take a hard-line-in-the-sand approach. Either count all releases, even if it's the same game on multiple systems, or discount any release that was available for a prior gen system of the same brand. But that's me. It sounds like you've found that it ultimately won't make a big difference in the numbers regardless, so it's a moot point.

 

[Agent42]

It is common stuff. Until reality hits and some of the medium devs knows founds that they are not Cacpcom or Bamco that is able to create big hits on the west then they will do a Falcom.

Remember in the early HD days when a medium-size company goes out of the market because of the high cost of production of games of the Seventh Generation? My biggest fear is repeating again now with this subscribe model so widespread.

 

[Tokuiten]

Thanks for explaining!

My reason for saying it's arbitrary is because it puts all of the emphasis on calendar year. If two versions fall under the same calendar year, they count as one. If they are separated by a calendar year, they count as two. The versions could release in January and December of the same year - eleven months apart - which would count as a single release. Alternatively, the versions could release in December of one year and January the next - only one month apart - and that would count as two releases. Logically, an effort to discount multiple releases in proximity should not discount releases that are farther apart than ones which it is counting. Effectively, the same release pattern would be counted in two completely different ways based on whether or not January 1st just so happened to fall between those releases. The importance of January 1st is arbitrary, hence making those results arbitrary.

Personally, I would take a hard-line-in-the-sand approach. Either count all releases, even if it's the same game on multiple systems, or discount any release that was available for a prior gen system of the same brand. But that's me. It sounds like you've found that it ultimately won't make a big difference in the numbers regardless, so it's a moot point.

The ultimate goal of the graph is to show: Where is support for these consoles right now in that year.

Let's say we have that (from what I've seen non-existing) case where a PS4-version released in one year and the PS5-version released half a year later in the next year. That would still be a conscious decision by the publisher to now support the PS5 with that game. I can't think of a good reason why a publisher would intentionally plan to release a PS4- and PS5-version with such a gap, so it comes down to: The publisher had a change of heart and decided to support the PS5 with a version of that game, too, and that makes it a new release.

And there basically are no games that were available on an earlier generation and then released 1:1 on a newer generation console. If you started doing that, you'd get into very muddy (arbitrary!) waters where you'll have to discuss any release individually whether it is "new enough" or not, like all the HD-remaster: Is HD-resolution enough to make it a new game? 60fps? A couple bonus-costumes? An extra-stage? To get into that sort of process would truly invite arbitrary decisions, so I took a hard-line approach and went by new releases in the same year. But again: The scenarios you brought up simply aren't applicable in reality. I'll keep an eye on it for the future, if only because it would be such a curious case

 

[Terrell]

That graph is great @Tokuiten
If there were a single addition I could recommend, because people will try to make the case anyways, maybe add data on how each bar relates to 3rd-party support using a stacked bar graph.

 

[Celine]

Do you think the Switch's sales for CY6 will surpass those of the 3DS?

I prefer thinking in term of third-parties as a whole instead of a subset and in that case I think it will happen.

 

[Tokuiten]

That graph is great @Tokuiten
If there were a single addition I could recommend, because people will try to make the case anyways, maybe add data on how each bar relates to 3rd-party support using a stacked bar graph.

I think I understand what you mean, but that will be the next long-term project then :> I'll have to go through all years again to separate 1st- and 3rd-party. ... Oh well, give me a week, lol.

Btw. just to make sure, I hope the above postings haven't given anyone the impression that I chose arbitary numbers for that graph. It was a lot of work to get there and I didn't do it for the clout here, but because I was personally interested in the result. To be completely transparent, here's my methodology:
- Take all new releases within a year
- take all games that released on Nintendo-systems (from 2019 that was Switch-only, before that Wii U and 3DS existed, too)
-sort these games by name, then remove doubles (so if a game appears twice, it's only counted once. If a game appeared thrice, which happened, too, it also only counts as one new game)
- note down the number of doubles, subtract them from the overall number of new releases for Nintendo-systems => number of new releases without crossgen count
- repeat the same for Sony-systems

In regards to @UnusMundus 's scenario where one version of a game might release in one year and the other version in another year: That'd be the case in the regular graph (that Celine is also showing) without the crossgen games removed, too. So really, this theoretical scenario would exist in either graph, and again, it's such an unlikely scenario that it'd jump into everyone's eyes and even if not, wouldn't have any impact on overall data reading. That's just that. I hope that removes any doubt. Being accurate is important with data, so I wouldn't make up anything.

 

[UnusMundus]

The ultimate goal of the graph is to show: Where is support for these consoles right now in that year.

Let's say we have that (from what I've seen non-existing) case where a PS4-version released in one year and the PS5-version released half a year later in the next year. That would still be a conscious decision by the publisher to now support the PS5 with that game. I can't think of a good reason why a publisher would intentionally plan to release a PS4- and PS5-version with such a gap, so it comes down to: The publisher had a change of heart and decided to support the PS5 with a version of that game, too, and that makes it a new release.

And there basically are no games that were available on an earlier generation and then released 1:1 on a newer generation console. If you started doing that, you'd get into very muddy (arbitrary!) waters where you'll have to discuss any release individually whether it is "new enough" or not, like all the HD-remaster: Is HD-resolution enough to make it a new game? 60fps? A couple bonus-costumes? An extra-stage? To get into that sort of process would truly invite arbitrary decisions, so I took a hard-line approach and went by new releases in the same year. But again: The scenarios you brought up simply aren't applicable in reality. I'll keep an eye on it for the future, if only because it would be such a curious case

Your reasoning makes sense. I see where you're coming from now. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out.

I don't get why you keep saying a game released on one system in one year and a different system the next year is so unlikely. It happens regularly. Kuro no Kiseki is one example that is about to happen.

 

[Tokuiten]

Your reasoning makes sense. I see where you're coming from now. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out.

I don't get why you keep saying a game released on one system in one year and a different system the next year is so unlikely. It happens regularly. Kuro no Kiseki is one example that is about to happen.

But can you actually point out a handful of examples from the past? I'd like to take a closer look at those to further improve the graph if necessary. "It happens regularily" is not what I encountered during going through all the data, but maybe I didn't see the forest because of all the trees

 

[UnusMundus]

But can you actually point out a handful of examples from the past? I'd like to take a closer look at those to further improve the graph if necessary. "It happens regularily" is not what I encountered during going through all the data, but maybe I didn't see the forest because of all the trees

I don't have a list off the top of my head, no. If I have the time to do that, I'll let you know.

 

[Blue Monty]

Your reasoning makes sense. I see where you're coming from now. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out.

I don't get why you keep saying a game released on one system in one year and a different system the next year is so unlikely. It happens regularly. Kuro no Kiseki is one example that is about to happen.

I think this type of releases makes sense to count still because it shows support of the new platform even if you can already play it with BC. The idea behind removing cross-gen games day 1 is that if you don’t do so it would not give a good idea of the difference of releases Switch vs PS4/5 if half of the releases on PS count by two due to having two SKUs.

 

[UnusMundus]

But can you actually point out a handful of examples from the past? I'd like to take a closer look at those to further improve the graph if necessary. "It happens regularily" is not what I encountered during going through all the data, but maybe I didn't see the forest because of all the trees

Alright, I went and gave it a shot. I picked 2014, since that had one of the biggest volume of cross-gen games in your chart, and I remembered GTAV being an example of the scenario I was mentioning. I went through the top 500 for the year. After that point, there were so many 2013 releases, budget re-releases, bundle packs, and obscure games I weren't sure if were ports or originals, that I think it ceased to be worth my time. Also, I only bothered with the Sony systems to save time since you said the volume of cross-gen on Nintendo was low.

New releases in 2014 (in the top 500) for Sony systems that were ports of games released on other Sony systems in 2013:
063. [PS4] Battlefield 4 <ACT> (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 121.054 / 121.054 (24.799 <70,21%>)
066. [PS4] Grand Theft Auto V # <ACT> (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2014.12.11} (¥7.992) - 118.214 / 118.214 (81.659 <66,37%>)
094. [PS4] FIFA 14 # <SPT> (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 87.788 / 87.788 (8.808 <66,97%>)
124. [PS4] Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2014.04.14} (¥3.394) - 67.822 / 67.822 (31.326 <52,96%>)
135. [PS4] The Last of Us Remastered <ADV> (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.08.21} (¥6.372) - 59.638 / 59.638 (30.587 <73,08%>)
139. [PS4] Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition <ADV> (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥4.800) - 56.182 / 56.182 (12.093 <74,39%>)
184. [PS4] Call of Duty: Ghosts - Dubbed Edition <ACT> (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥7.980) - 40.476 / 40.476 (13.701 <49,26%>)
251. [PSV] Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence <SLG> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.05.29} (¥8.424) - 26.786 / 26.786 (5.648 <44,92%>)
285. [PS4] Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence <SLG> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.22} (¥9.240) - 21.038 / 21.038 (4.405 <38,18%>)
301. [PS4] Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.06.26} (¥7.344) - 19.766 / 19.766 (6.768 <29,44%>)
464. [PSV] The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series <ADV> (Square Enix) {2014.09.04} (¥5.378) - 8.457 / 8.457 (3.124 <39,18%>)
481. [PS4] Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed <ADV> (Acquire) {2014.07.03} (¥6.458) - 7.893 / 7.893 (3.602 <41,74%>)

Twelve in total, although I think you would have only counted one of the Nobunaga's, so it would remove 11 from your list. It's definitely a very normal occurrence, but when considering that it's a subset of a list of 200-some games, I'm not sure if it makes a drastic difference to your numbers one way or the other.

I mentioned how this would be counted differently than late ports in the same year. I wasn't looking for that scenario, so this is likely not a full list, but I did happen to notice a couple late ports in the same year while doing this.
224. [PS4] Samurai Warriors 4 <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.09.04} (¥7.776) - 31.988 / 31.988 (11.757 <58,75%>)
308. [PSV] Ar Nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star # <RPG> (Gust) {2014.10.02} (¥6.264) - 18.893 / 18.893 (9.240 <59,33%>)

I also noticed a couple examples of late ports that were two years apart from the original. Again, possibly not a complete list.
229. [PSV] Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk # <RPG> (Gust) {2014.03.27} (¥6.090) - 31.427 / 31.427 (11.663 <60,57%>)
399. [PSV] Robotics;Notes Elite # <ADV> (5pb.) {2014.06.26} (¥7.344) - 10.853 / 10.853 (5.467 <54,07%>)

While doing this, I remembered a couple other examples from that time period, but not from 2014. Ys VIII and Tokyo Xanadu both had their PS4 versions one year after the Vita verisons. Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster was two years after the PS3/Vita releases.


I think you and Blue Monty gave solid reasoning on why your method makes sense, so I'm not really arguing for changing it anymore. But this is definitely a normal occurrence, so feel free to give it any consideration you like.

 

[Tokuiten]

Alright, I went and gave it a shot. I picked 2014, since that had one of the biggest volume of cross-gen games in your chart, and I remembered GTAV being an example of the scenario I was mentioning. I went through the top 500 for the year. After that point, there were so many 2013 releases, budget re-releases, bundle packs, and obscure games I weren't sure if were ports or originals, that I think it ceased to be worth my time. Also, I only bothered with the Sony systems to save time since you said the volume of cross-gen on Nintendo was low.

New releases in 2014 (in the top 500) for Sony systems that were ports of games released on other Sony systems in 2013:
063. [PS4] Battlefield 4 <ACT> (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 121.054 / 121.054 (24.799 <70,21%>)
066. [PS4] Grand Theft Auto V # <ACT> (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2014.12.11} (¥7.992) - 118.214 / 118.214 (81.659 <66,37%>)
094. [PS4] FIFA 14 # <SPT> (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 87.788 / 87.788 (8.808 <66,97%>)
124. [PS4] Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2014.04.14} (¥3.394) - 67.822 / 67.822 (31.326 <52,96%>)
135. [PS4] The Last of Us Remastered <ADV> (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.08.21} (¥6.372) - 59.638 / 59.638 (30.587 <73,08%>)
139. [PS4] Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition <ADV> (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥4.800) - 56.182 / 56.182 (12.093 <74,39%>)
184. [PS4] Call of Duty: Ghosts - Dubbed Edition <ACT> (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥7.980) - 40.476 / 40.476 (13.701 <49,26%>)
251. [PSV] Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence <SLG> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.05.29} (¥8.424) - 26.786 / 26.786 (5.648 <44,92%>)
285. [PS4] Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence <SLG> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.22} (¥9.240) - 21.038 / 21.038 (4.405 <38,18%>)
301. [PS4] Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2014.06.26} (¥7.344) - 19.766 / 19.766 (6.768 <29,44%>)
464. [PSV] The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series <ADV> (Square Enix) {2014.09.04} (¥5.378) - 8.457 / 8.457 (3.124 <39,18%>)
481. [PS4] Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed <ADV> (Acquire) {2014.07.03} (¥6.458) - 7.893 / 7.893 (3.602 <41,74%>)

Do you know why the bolded titles appeared in February 2014? Because that's when the PS4 launched. I'll assume you're arguing in good faith, but to pick that year of all without mentioning the launch of a new PlayStation-console is a little odd. As in: It makes a big difference, wouldn't you say. Maybe you forgot about it while you were focused on checking the huge list, I could understand that ^^ That's at least 5 titles of your list that released later for the specific purpose of being available together with a newly launched console. It's a special case and we could now argue whether these should be removed from the count as doubles or not, because there was a PS3/PSV-version in 2013. My reasoning for not removing them is: It's more than just a couple days since 2013 (already 2 months into 2014) and these titles were released with the firm intention of supporting PS4. So in the context of my graph's question "How much support did Nintendo/Sony receive in terms of yearly releases in a given year", this imo is a conscious decision to support PS4 beyond some automatic "well, let's just throw out another version". I will say again, though: It's a special case due to the launch of a new console that you won't find like that in 2015 or 2016.

I went through the 2020-list to take a look at the PS5's launch and the reason why I did indeed treat these titles as doubles should be instantly obvious if you take a look at the release dates:

[PS4]​	Assassin's Creed: Valhalla #​	​	{20201110}​
[PS5]​	Assassin's Creed: Valhalla #​	​	{20201112}​
[PS4]​	Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War​	​	{20201113}​
[PS5]​	Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War​	​	{20201113}​
[PS4]​	Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle​	​	{20201117}​
[PS5]​	Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle​	​	{20201117}​
[PS5]​	Immortals: Fenyx Rising​	​	{20201203}​
[PS4]​	Immortals: Fenyx Rising #​	​	{20201203}​
[PS4]​	Maneater​	​	{20201217}​
[PS5]​	Maneater​	​	{20201217}​
[PS4]​	Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales​	​	{20201112}​
[PS5]​	Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales​	​	{20201112}​
[PS4]​	NBA 2K21 #​	​	{20200904}​
[PS5]​	NBA 2K21 #​	​	{20201112}​
[PS4]​	Puyo Puyo Tetris 2​	​	{20201210}​
[PS5]​	Puyo Puyo Tetris 2​	​	{20201210}​
[PS5]​	Sackboy: A Big Adventure​	​	{20201112}​
[PS4]​	Sackboy: A Big Adventure #​	​	{20201112}​
[PS4]​	Watch Dogs: Legion #​	​	{20201029}​
[PS5]​	Watch Dogs: Legion #​	​	{20201126}​

With the exception of NBA 2k21, these are pretty much all same-day releases. Unlike with the games at PS4's launch, none of these games we specially postponed or anything for PS5, they're just another version thrown out on the market, because there's one more system that happens to be able to run them. I'm showing this, because PS5 launched at the end of the year as opposed to PS4 which launched in February of its year, so one might argue "well, it's unfair to remove doubles from the PS5 but not from PS4, only because the latter happens to have have a calender year shift in there", but as I explained above, that's not my reasoning. Ultimately, PlayStation-console launches mark special cases with special circumstances, something that doesn't even exist on the Nintendo-side of things, because Nintendo has yet to launch a new console that's so similar to the previous one that we'll see a widespread of crossgen versions. The Switch 2 might be the first Nintendo-system where we will have a PlayStation-like situation, IF it is a "boring" nextgen-Switch. We'll see.

As for your other 2014-titles:
- The Last of Us Remastered is a unique game per title, it doesn't exist for PS3
- Nobunaga's Ambition for PSV and PS4 are obvious doubles, not sure why they're in the list
- the remaining 5 games released so far into the year that I'd absolutely see them as new releases, separate from any version released in earlier years

But for completion's sake, for those who might agree with your argument, here's how the numbers in the graph would change with the changes applied from the games you mentioned:
For 2013, instead of 75 doubles for PlayStation-systems that year, it'd be 63.
For 2020, if I did NOT count the above titles as doubles, it'd be 25 instead of 15.
It would slightly change the quantitative, but not the qualitative nature of the graph.

Hope this helps bring transparency. I agree with others this is an important graph to display the change in the Japanese video game market, so I have all the intention to keep it free from any bias or other inaccuracies. Maybe I'll re-evaluate the situation with games released on newly launched consoles in the future when we have more relevant cases than PS4- and PS5-launch, but either way it's not important for the overall expression of the data.

 

[Artyom]

Level 5 sold less than130k software, I counted that crap. They will never return to making good games and top 10 software

 

[MysticGon]

Level 5 sold less than130k software, I counted that crap. They will never return to making good games and top 10 software

The same was said of Konami but all of a sudden...

I'm sure Hino's head is filled with ideas, he just can't retain the staff in this competitive field and limited talent pool.

 

[Blue Monty]

The same was said of Konami but all of a sudden...

I'm sure Hino's head is filled with ideas, he just can't retain the staff in this competitive field and limited talent pool.

Konami has a lot more resources and money to turn around, and was pushed by Nintendo to revive Momotaro and Bomberman. Level-5 will have it much harder. I don’t think nobody wants to help them like Nintendo did with Konami, but you never know and Hino can still get a hit series randomly.

 

[Nocturnal]

They need to actually release more games to find a hit...

 

[Nocturnal]

M-C Switch Top 50 Third Party Titles (Unofficial Rankings)

1. Momotaro Dentetsu (Konami) - 2.650.704
2. Minecraft (Microsoft) - 2.281.023
3. Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom) - 2.201.544
4. Dragon Quest XI S (Square Enix) - 801.803
5. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! (Bandai Namco) - 783.811
6. Fishing Spirits: Nintendo Switch Version (Bandai Namco) - 686.500
7. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Capcom) - 554.914
8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Sega) - 460.214
9. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Koei Tecmo) - 412.595
10. eBaseball 2020 (Konami) - 398.467
11. Yo-kai Watch 4 (Level 5) - 396.247
12. Super Bomberman R3 (Konami) - 336.869
13. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Square Enix) - 323.878
14. Jikkyou Baseball (Konami) - 276.458
15. Baseball Spirits 2021 (Konami) - 273.619
16. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (Marvelous) - 270.501
17. Octopath Traveller (Square Enix) - 261.115
18. Human: Fall Flat (Teyon Japan) - 233.436
19. Monster Hunter Stories 2 (Capcom) - 222.979
20. Fitness Boxing 2 (Imagineer) - 221.689
21. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Marvelous) - 213.783
22. Disney Tsum Tsum Festival (Bandai Namco) - 208.302
23. Fitness Boxing (Imagineer) - 207.160
24. Crayon Shin-Chan (Neos) - 198.366
25. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 (Bandai Namco) - 195.387
26. Fortine (Epic Games) - 192.955
27. Shin Megami Tensei V (Atlus) - 186.913
28. Minecraft Dungeon (Microsoft) - 185.677
29. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 (Bandai Namco) - 179.565
30. The Battle Cats (Ponos) - 176.617
31. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Marvelous) - 169.899
32. Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel (Konami) - 168.746
33. Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission (Bandai Namco) - 161.886
34. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (Sega) - 157.670
35. Bravely Default II (Square Enix) - 150.875
36. Rune Factory 5 (Marvelous) - 149.997
37. Sumikko Park e Youkoso (Nippon Columbia) - 141.722
    
38. Derby Stallion (Game Addict) - 140.850
    
39. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (Sega) - 136.803
40. Doraemon: Story of Seasons (Bandai Namco) - 136.248
41. Pro Baseball Famista Evolution (Bandai Namco) - 136.156
42. FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts) - 127.875
43. The Snack World: TreJarers Gold (Level 5) - 117.014
44. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix (Sega) - 114.868
45. Dragon Ball FighterZ (Bandai Namco) - 113.937
46. Trials of Mana (Square Enix) - 113.671
47. Super Robot Wars 30 (Bandai Namco) - 110.652
48. Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle (Koei Tecmo) - 109.969
49. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Bandai Namco) - 104.729
50. Little Nightmares 2 (Bandai Namco) – 104.310

TOTAL: 18.760.968

Top 10 Publishers:

1. Konami - 4.104.863 (21.9%)
2. Capcom - 2.979.437 (15.9%)
3. Bandai Namco - 2.921.483 (15.6%)
4. Microsoft - 2.466.700 (13.1%)
5. Square Enix - 1.651.342 (8.8%)
6. Other - 1.398.734 (7.5%)
7. Sega - 869.555 (4.6%)
8. Marvelous - 804.180 (4.3%)
9. Koei Tecmo - 522.564 (2.8%)
10. Level 5 - 513.261 (2.7%)
11. Imagineer - 428.849 (2.3%)

Tried my best to compile the Top 50 Third Party titles on the Switch, a lot of games that are older have several SKUs - so I might be a bit off and it's also likely I missed certain titles.


Konami is by far the publisher that has had the biggest impact on the Switch. Momotaro is set to surpass 3M physical this year

Capcom with Sunbreak is likely going to close the gap with Konami unless the later have something planned for the later part of the year.

Bandai's year will depend on how the new Taiko does but they also have a couple of other games which could be a factor.

Microsoft is going to be around 3M by the end of the year and with Minecraft Legends next year, continue to be a factor in Japan due to a single IP.

Square already had a decent result with Triangle Strategy, the key for them this year is the Dragon Quest IP and which games are actually going to manage to launch on the Switch.

Smaller publishers continue to be big factor on the Switch, so far this year EXNOA & Aniplex are likely to join the fray knocking off a couple of the lower ranked games.

Sega isnt going to see much changes in it's fortune, Sonic isn't a major IP in Japan and it doesn't appear they have much planned for the Switch beyond it.

Marvelous is likely to catch up to Sega even without a new game this year, they had a record year in 2021 with over 500K sales just across the Top 50 titles, which will be difficult to repeat - Loop8 so far doesn't look like it has enough hype to hit 50K.

Koei Tecmo look like they will see a major growth for Fire Emblem Warriors franchise and its likely to be able to reach the Top 50.

Level 5, not even sure if they will maintain their spot in the Top 50, once Snack World is out of the Top 50 they would be easily caught by any small publisher that is able to find a hit that is able to surpass 400K.

Not surprised to see Imagineer sneaking in, very impressive growth for Fitness Boxing IP.

Overall this year will not have as much of an impact as 2020 or 2020 as no title so far dated can match Momotaro or Rise, with the highest selling third party titles likely being Sunbreak and the new Taiko.

 

[MysticGon]

M-C Switch Top 50 Third Party Titles (Unofficial Rankings)

1. Momotaro Dentetsu (Konami) - 2.650.704
2. Minecraft (Microsoft) - 2.281.023
3. Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom) - 2.201.544
4. Dragon Quest XI S (Square Enix) - 801.803
5. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! (Bandai Namco) - 783.811
6. Fishing Spirits: Nintendo Switch Version (Bandai Namco) - 686.500
7. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Capcom) - 554.914
8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Sega) - 460.214
9. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Koei Tecmo) - 412.595
10. eBaseball 2020 (Konami) - 398.467
11. Yo-kai Watch 4 (Level 5) - 396.247
12. Super Bomberman R3 (Konami) - 336.869
13. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Square Enix) - 323.878
14. Jikkyou Baseball (Konami) - 276.458
15. Baseball Spirits 2021 (Konami) - 273.619
16. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (Marvelous) - 270.501
17. Octopath Traveller (Square Enix) - 261.115
18. Human: Fall Flat (Teyon Japan) - 233.436
19. Monster Hunter Stories 2 (Capcom) - 222.979
20. Fitness Boxing 2 (Imagineer) - 221.689
21. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Marvelous) - 213.783
22. Disney Tsum Tsum Festival (Bandai Namco) - 208.302
23. Fitness Boxing (Imagineer) - 207.160
24. Crayon Shin-Chan (Neos) - 198.366
25. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 (Bandai Namco) - 195.387
26. Fortine (Epic Games) - 192.955
27. Shin Megami Tensei V (Atlus) - 186.913
28. Minecraft Dungeon (Microsoft) - 185.677
29. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 (Bandai Namco) - 179.565
30. The Battle Cats (Ponos) - 176.617
31. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Marvelous) - 169.899
32. Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel (Konami) - 168.746
33. Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission (Bandai Namco) - 161.886
34. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (Sega) - 157.670
35. Bravely Default II (Square Enix) - 150.875
36. Rune Factory 5 (Marvelous) - 149.997
37. Sumikko Park e Youkoso (Nippon Columbia) - 141.722
38. Derby Stallion (Game Addict) - 140.850
39. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (Sega) - 136.803
40. Doraemon: Story of Seasons (Bandai Namco) - 136.248
41. Pro Baseball Famista Evolution (Bandai Namco) - 136.156
42. FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts) - 127.875
43. The Snack World: TreJarers Gold (Level 5) - 117.014
44. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva MegaMix (Sega) - 114.868
45. Dragon Ball FighterZ (Bandai Namco) - 113.937
46. Trials of Mana (Square Enix) - 113.671
47. Super Robot Wars 30 (Bandai Namco) - 110.652
48. Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle (Koei Tecmo) - 109.969
49. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Bandai Namco) - 104.729
50. Little Nightmares 2 (Bandai Namco) – 104.310

TOTAL: 18.760.968

Top 10 Publishers:

1. Konami - 4.104.863 (21.9%)
2. Capcom - 2.979.437 (15.9%)
3. Bandai Namco - 2.921.483 (15.6%)
4. Microsoft - 2.466.700 (13.1%)
5. Square Enix - 1.651.342 (8.8%)
6. Other - 1.398.734 (7.5%)
7. Sega - 869.555 (4.6%)
8. Marvelous - 804.180 (4.3%)
9. Koei Tecmo - 522.564 (2.8%)
10. Level 5 - 513.261 (2.7%)
11. Imagineer - 428.849 (2.3%)

Tried my best to compile the Top 50 Third Party titles on the Switch, a lot of games that are older have several SKUs - so I might be a bit off and it's also likely I missed certain titles.


Konami is by far the publisher that has had the biggest impact on the Switch. Momotaro is set to surpass 3M physical this year

Capcom with Sunbreak is likely going to close the gap with Konami unless the later have something planned for the later part of the year.

Bandai's year will depend on how the new Taiko does but they also have a couple of other games which could be a factor.

Microsoft is going to be around 3M by the end of the year and with Minecraft Legends next year, continue to be a factor in Japan due to a single IP.

Square already had a decent result with Triangle Strategy, the key for them this year is the Dragon Quest IP and which games are actually going to manage to launch on the Switch.

Smaller publishers continue to be big factor on the Switch, so far this year EXNOA & Aniplex are likely to join the fray knocking off a couple of the lower ranked games.

Sega isnt going to see much changes in it's fortune, Sonic isn't a major IP in Japan and it doesn't appear they have much planned for the Switch beyond it.

Marvelous is likely to catch up to Sega even without a new game this year, they had a record year in 2021 with over 500K sales just across the Top 50 titles, which will be difficult to repeat - Loop8 so far doesn't look like it has enough hype to hit 50K.

Koei Tecmo look like they will see a major growth for Fire Emblem Warriors franchise and its likely to be able to reach the Top 50.

Level 5, not even sure if they will maintain their spot in the Top 50, once Snack World is out of the Top 50 they would be easily caught by any small publisher that is able to find a hit that is able to surpass 400K.

Not surprised to see Imagineer sneaking in, very impressive growth for Fitness Boxing IP.

Overall this year will not have as much of an impact as 2020 or 2020 as no title so far dated can match Momotaro or Rise, with the highest selling third party titles likely being Sunbreak and the new Taiko.

Dragon Ball franchise is cleaning up on Switch.

 

[Blue Monty]

When Konami is the biggest support Nintendo has had on the Switch (in Japan)...

 

[ILikeFeet]

When Konami is the biggest support Nintendo has had on the Switch (in Japan)...

wonder how many of those Silent Hill projects are coming to the switch. and if there's a Metal Gear project coming as well

 

[Blue Monty]

wonder how many of those Silent Hill projects are coming to the switch. and if there's a Metal Gear project coming as well

Silent Hill probably 0 it seems Sony is involved in someway so I don't think any will release on the Switch , Metal Gear it depends but I'd think it would skip Switch depends on if it is a HD Remaster or Remake, if just HD versions it will probably make it.

 

[ILikeFeet]

Silent Hill probably 0 it seems Sony is involved in someway so I don't think any will release on the Switch , Metal Gear it depends but I'd think it would skip Switch depends on if it is a HD Remaster or Remake, if just HD versions it will probably make it.

there are multiple Silent Hill projects. I think Sony has been hinted at working with Bloober Team for a more higher end experience. there's also said to be a Silent Hill game being made by Konami. if anything, I think that one is slated for Switch

as for Metal Gear, I just remembered that Virtuos is making an MGS3 remake. and they touted how they can port anything to Switch