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Despite some major technical flaws, the game has sold gangbusters.
Since its release on the Nintendo Switch last week, the newest games in the mainline Pokemon series, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, have been an unsurprisingly hot button topic. While reviews for the games have been extremely mixed, noting that severe technical limitations and glitches detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience, that has not prevented the game from becoming an almost-immediate best seller.
On Thursday, Nintendo announced that, in the first three days following the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on November 18, the game had already sold over 10 million physical and digital copies worldwide. This makes the game one of the most profitable and popular launches in Nintendo’s entire history, and another feather in their cap following the recent blockbuster success of Splatoon 3.
For most of the game industry, this outcome was more or less expected, as Pokemon continues to be the most profitable media franchise in the entire world. Even so, industry insiders were surprised by just how successful the game ended up being.
Serebii Update: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have sold 10 million units in the first 3 days on sale making it the biggest Nintendo launch in history https://t.co/gDbXkHSvkT pic.twitter.com/WzD0GcRS1s
— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) November 23, 2022
“With the new Pokémon, Nintendo achieved a rare feat among all video game companies: scoring two blockbusters in a difficult 2022 for the industry,” Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC.
“Sure, Pokémon is almost always a safe bet, but the new title has exceeded expectations, just like Splatoon 3 did earlier this year.”
