Despite ongoing controversy, Pokemon Sword and Shield have combined to become the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game ever in the United Kingdom. Even though it's one of the largest franchises on the planet, there were a lot of issues surrounding the new Pokemon games that stemmed from the National Dex being cut from Sword and Shield. This more or less meant that not all of the pocket monsters would be returning in the Switch titles, which eventually led to some major backlash within the community.
This initial issue amongst fans eventually placed the rest of the game under a magnifying glass as gamers began finding minute issues to become upset about. Not all of it was invalid, but Pokemon Sword and Shield never truly got out from under the controversy. Evidently, none of that really mattered because the games have gone on to become monumental successes – at least in the UK.
According to Gamesindustry.biz, Pokemon Sword and Shield have accumulatively become the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch title ever released. The games are now being pointed to as reasons that the Nintendo Switch console sales were also up for the week, amassing more than a whopping 30% increase in Switch sales upon their arrival. This comes hot on the heels of Switch hardware sales that were up 75% from the previous week. It's also interesting to note that the Pokemon-branded Nintendo Switch Lite wasn't a determining factor in this, as the regular Nintendo Switch console was the one receiving notable sales boosts.
This only helps to maintain the Nintendo Switch's place as the best-selling console of 2019 in the UK, which would mark the first time in five years that something has toppled PS4. With a busy holiday season expected, it's possible that PS4 could catch up, but there's no denying the appeal of other Nintendo-made software like Luigi's Mansion 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. At the very least, those should make for a decent sales buffer leading into the holiday.
It's interesting to see Pokemon Sword and Shield thriving in spite of the backlash, as many may have counted them out. Still, it was inevitable that mainstream consumers would remain blissfully unaware of the situation, or even really care that the games don't feature every monster. Heck, even news that Pokemon Sword and Shield messed up Rokus didn't keep the masses away. It would appear that all there is to do is sit back and wait for an official announcement from Nintendo praising the games' sales.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are now available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz