Splatoon 3, a software for the Nintendo Switch released on September 9, 2022, has recorded ridiculous sales. According to Nintendo's announcement, in the three days since its release Japan sales in Japan have exceeded 3.45 million units.
Spra 3 was released on the Nintendo Switch platform on September 9, 2022, setting a record sales record. According to Nintendo's announcement, only three days before the release, the number of units sold in Japan exceeded 3.45 million.
This is the highest number of units sold in Japan in the three days after the release of software for the Nintendo Switch. In other words, it is a start that exceeds even the world's best-selling Nintendo Switch software "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" (first-week sales: estimated about 280,000 units / not including DL version) and the blockbuster "Atsume: Animal Crossing Forest" (first-week sales: estimated about 1.88 million units / not including DL version).
This three-day sales record set a record for the Nintendo Switch platform. In other words, Spra 3 has surpassed the world's best-selling Switch game Mario Kart 8 (first week sales: about 280,000 units/excluding DL version) and the phenomenal popularity of the game Collection! Animal Forest Friends Association (first week sales: about 1.88 million units / excluding DL version).
Why did Splatoon 3 suddenly catch fire? In this article, we will explain the reason for this in four elements.
Why is Spra 3 so popular? Next, the author will interpret it for you from the following four points.
Reason 1: Popularization of game hardware
Reason 1: The popularity of game carriers
The first game in the Splatoon series was released on the Wii U, but sales did not fluctuate that much. In about a month after its release, cumulative worldwide sales exceeded 1 million units, and eventually recorded 4.95 million units worldwide.
The first installments of the Spra series were sold on the Wii U, but sales were modest. Within a month or so of its launch, total global sales exceeded 1 million units, eventually 4.95 million units.
The Wii U sold only 13.56 million units worldwide, and no matter how entertaining the game was, it would not explode into fashion.
The cumulative number of WII U units sold worldwide is 13.56 million, so no matter how playable the game is, it is unlikely to become a hit.
The sequel, Splatoon 2, also had issues related to the console. The game was released on July 21, 2017, but at that time it was only about 4 months after the release of Nintendo Switch. Also, since it was in short supply, Nintendo Switch was not yet widely used.
The sequel, Spraj 2, also has problems with consoles. The sequel was released on July 21, 2017, but the Nintendo Switch had only been on the market for about four months. Moreover, it is in a state of short supply and low penetration.
"Splatoon 2" itself ended up being a hit with over 5 million copies sold in Japan and a cumulative total of more than 13.3 million worldwide, but it is undeniable that it was not able to take advantage of the huge excitement immediately after its release.
In the end, "Spra 2" sold 5 million copies in Japan, and the cumulative sales of more than 13.3 million copies worldwide, which can be regarded as a big hit, and it is undeniable that the sequel did not seize the momentum of the big sale and then take advantage of the chase.
Splatoon 3 will be released on September 9, 2022. As of the end of June 2022, Nintendo Switch had exceeded 111.08 million units, and it was indeed ripe.
Spraj 3 was released on September 9, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, the Nintendo Switch has sold more than 111.08 million units, which is the time to say that the time is ripe.
As mentioned above, the "Splatoon" series was steadily gaining popularity with each successive work. On top of that, a new game came out on the Nintendo Switch, which would have been very popular, so the environment was prepared that would lead to an explosive hit.
As mentioned earlier, each of the works in the "Spra Escape" series is steadily rising, and its popularity is steadily rising. The latest work is directly released on the Nintendo Switch platform, which has been widely popularized, and the time and place are favorable, and the explosion of the work is inevitable.
Reason 2: Japan people have become accustomed to "shooters"
Reason 2: The Japanese have begun to accept "shooter games"
The Splatoon series is a competitive action shooter game in which you control squid and octopuses that transform into human forms. This is a genre called "shooter" overseas, and it is a game where you fight each other with a gun, so to speak.
Sprajour is an action shooter in which the player can transform into a human-like squid or octopus. This type of game is called "shooting game" overseas, in other words, a game in which players shoot each other with guns and fight.
However, before the original Splatoon, shooters weren't very familiar with Japan. It's a genre that core gamers play but people who don't usually get into much of the game want to avoid, and Nintendo dared to venture into that genre.
However, before the launch of the original Sprajna, shooters had a small audience in Japan. While there is no shortage of core players, novice gamers will naturally avoid such games, and Nintendo has boldly challenged such games.
Thanks to the original Splatoon, more people became interested in shooters, and later battle royale shooters such as Fortnite and Apex Legends became popular in Japan. It can be said that the era when it is said that "Japan people do not play shooters" is completely over.
Because of the emergence of the original "Spra", more and more players are interested in shooting games, and the follow-up "Fortnite", "Apex Heroes" and other combat shooting games have become popular in Japan. The era when "Japanese people don't play shooters" is a thing of the past.
Under such circumstances, the latest installment of the "Splatoon" series, which has a large presence in Japan Japan, has appeared. It's only natural that people who know the taste of shooters will jump on the game, and it's no wonder that people who are interested in it after seeing it enter the game as new entrants.
It is against this background that the latest work of the "Spra" series, which is very popular in Japan, has been grandly debuted. Players who have experienced the shooting category will inevitably choose this game, and it is only natural that new players will enthusiastically try it.
Reason 3: Actually, the character and world setting are also popular
Reason 3: The setting of the character and world view is also very popular
The "Splatoon" series is also popular as a character. Stuffed animals, lunch boxes and bags for children, water guns appearing in games, bath bombs and clothes are also sold, collaboration foods are sold at 7-Eleven, and in past works, Sanrio characters have collaborated.
The character periphery of the Spraj series is also very popular. Cloth dolls, children's lunch boxes, school bags, water guns, bath bullets and clothes for the game, there are all kinds of peripherals on the market, 7-11 also launched cooperative snacks, and the character of Sanrio has also appeared in the game.
And the world setting of "Splatoon" is quite elaborate, and it's unique. Splatoon 3 is set in a place called "Bankara Street" and features a chaotic streetscape lined with jumbled tall buildings reminiscent of Kowloon Fort. At the "festival" held there, floats roam around the city, and music that seems to be a fusion of Japanese and Latin is played, which is a unique attraction that is not found in other games.
The worldview of Spraj is grand and innovative. Sprajour 3 is set on "Bankara Street", where tall and chaotic buildings and chaotic streets are always reminiscent of Kowloon Walled City. The game also has a "festival" setting, floats parade the streets, and the music that seems to be played by merging Japanese and Latin winds, which is a unique charm that other games do not have.
In fact, in the previous game, Splatoon 2, players were given the right to choose between "chaos" and "order." As a result, the Chaos side was chosen, which was carried over to Splatoon 3 and influenced his style. In other words, there is a sense that users have also worked together to create the world of "Splatoon".
In the previous game, Spraj 2, players can choose between "chaos" and "order" modes. As a result, everyone chose "chaos", and Spra 3 followed this style of play. In other words, users are also involved in the worldview setting of the new work "Spra".
Reason 4: Firmly create the parts that are not matches
Reason 4: In addition to the battle scenes, other details are also well made
The Splatoon series is a competitive action shooter. In 4 vs 4, each player will ink in each other to decide the winner or loser, but in Splatoon 3, there are many other elements other than that match.
The Spraj series is an action-shooter game that plays against each other. Split into teams for a 4v4 game, fighting through ink smearing, and other details of Spra 3 are also quite well made.
There is also a mode "Hero Mode", a part-time job "Salmon Run" where you hunt salmon in cooperation with friends, and customization elements such as decorating sundries in lockers.
Players can choose "hero mode", and they can also cooperate with their teammates to work on "salmon running" to earn salmon eggs, and set up many player-specific elements, such as dress-up lockers.
In fact, it is quite important to enhance non-competitive elements in a competitive game. The act of deciding whether to win or lose can be stressful, so many people avoid it. Therefore, if you enrich other elements that are not a game, you will have a better chance of attracting more players.
In fact, it is quite important to flesh out the elements other than the battle in the battle game. The blind pursuit of victory and defeat will bring pressure to players and then lose players. Therefore, when the non-PvP element is enriched, it is possible to attract more players.
However, it would be a problem if the battle mode became sloppy as a result of enhancing elements other than the battle, but Splatoon 3 makes good use of what has been accumulated in the past games, so there is no problem.
However, this can easily lead to the end of the book, but Spra 3 makes good use of the elements of the previous game, and the final result is excellent.
The "Splatoon" series is overwhelmingly popular especially in Japan
The Spraj series has an overwhelming popularity especially in Japan
The "environment" that Nintendo Switch sells well, the "understanding" of Japan shooters, the "friendliness" of character and world setting, and the "breadth" that enriches modes other than battles are all in place, so "Splatoon 3" is selling explosively.
The popularity of Spra 3 was fueled by four key conditions: the "environment" of the Nintendo Switch, the "understanding" of Japanese acceptance of shooters, the "affinity" of the character and world view, and the "breadth" of the game settings outside of the battle mode.
However, there is one caveat. This time, sales in "Japan Japan" are amazing, not on a global scale. For example, "Atsume: Animal Crossing Forest" has sold about 10 million copies in Japan and about 30 million units overseas, and the ratio is 1:3. On the other hand, "Splatoon 2" has a ratio of 1:1.66, with about 5 million copies in Japan and about 8.3 million overseas. There is no doubt that it is a series that is particularly popular in Japan.
However, one thing is very noteworthy. This time, sales are very explosive "in Japan", not globally. "Assemble! Animal Morikyokai sold about 10 million units in Japan and 30 million units overseas, with a ratio of 1:3. On the other hand, Spra 2 sold 5 million units in Japan and 8.3 million units overseas, with a ratio of 1:1.66. It can be seen that "Spra" has become very popular in Japan.
Therefore, it is delicate whether "Splatoon 3" will surpass the cumulative sales of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and "Atsume Animal Crossing Forest" worldwide, but there is a good possibility that it will surpass the record of "the most sold game in Japan Japan" set by "Atsume Animal Crossing Forest".
Can Spra's cumulative global sales exceed those of Mario Kart 8 and Collect! Animal Forest Friends Association is not yet known, but it is highly likely to break through "Collection! Animal Mori-kai set a record for "Japan's best-selling game".