Nintendo has always released a main series Pokemon game for each of its flagship handheld cons. Meanwhile, an analyst from the NPD group — previously known as the National Purchase Diary Panel, Inc. — says that demand for the Switch could go over the roof if the next Pokemon main series title is to be released in 2018.
Mat Piscatella, a business analyst from research and industry experts NPD Group, took the time to answer some questions on the gaming forum Resetera. The discussion focused on Nintendo consoles in general, but it also briefly touched on how Pokemon could affect Nintendo Switch sales.
The analyst, writing as verified forum user MatPiscatella, stated that a 2018 release for Pokemon could see Wii-like sales for the Nintendo Switch. It should be noted that the Wii sold more than 100 million units worldwide and is widely known to be one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
"If Pokemon comes next year I can easily see Switch outpacing Wii," Piscatella stated. In addition, he also believes that, given the said circumstance, the Switch can take "40+ share" of the hardware market next year.
He added that, Pokemon or not, he already expects the Switch to outpace the Wii by 20 percent in the first 10 months of sale. Piscatella's reasoning hinges on the fact that the Switch is a "core gamer console," as opposed to the Wii catering to a larger, less-specific demographic. The "multi-console ownership" per household, encouraged by the hybrid nature of the Switch, can also contribute to larger sales.
Nintendo continues to pamper the console with constant updates and wider third-party support. In any case, the Switch proves to be a successful console. Given that Pokemon is one of the best-selling gaming franchises Nintendo has ever made, a main series title for the Switch certainly would not hurt its market figures.
