Mario Kart 8 witnessed the longest sales cycle in the series, and continued to support updates to the game for 8 years after the Wii U was first released (and 5 years after the Switch version was released). Producer Mitsuyuki Yabuki, speaking about the game in a recent interview with the Nikkei Shimbun, admitted that the team didn't expect sales to be so impressive at first.
The following is an excerpt from the interview:
Did you expect the game to become a hit in history, selling more than 40 million copies?
We didn't expect that, but in hindsight, Mario Kart 8 was a perfect fit for the Switch. This allows you to play the game from anywhere, even splitting the controller in two, making it easy to pick it up and play with siblings or friends and family nearby. Five years after the game's release, this appeal hasn't faded.
What do you think is the popularity of the Mario Kart series?
Generally speaking, in motor racing, players do not try to hinder their opponents. But in Mario Kart races, players throw cannonballs at opponents in an attempt to get them to slip on banana peels, unique tactics that are at the heart of Mario Kart's appeal.
It's a game that's both easy to understand and profound. Some people only play this game on Christmas or New Year's Day, while some people struggle to improve their skills every day. We always pay attention to balancing the experience of the two types of players.
How did you design accessibility features when developing Mario Kart 8: Deluxe Edition?
We wanted this game to be a fun experience for everyone. Losing a match can be frustrating, but a lot happens during a match that makes the player laugh or want to play another round. Players are expected to experience emotions that go beyond the outcome of the match. We designed the game in such a way that unimaginable things like slipping a banana peel in front of the finish line would happen one after another.
As of last November, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe Edition had surpassed Mario Kart Wii as the best-selling title in the series, with the game's total sales exceeding 50 million units.