Japanese video game maker Nintendo (NTDOY) has set a sales record with its latest Pokémon games, news that positions the company for strong holiday sales this year.
The Kyoto, Japan-based company said sales of its Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games for the Nintendo Switch console surpassed 10 million units in the first three days of their global launch. The games were released on November 18.
That’s the highest sales level for any video game released by Nintendo.
Nintendo’s success with Pokémon comes two months after another of its video games, Splatoon 3, hit a domestic sales record in Japan.
Pokémon is one of Nintendo’s longest-running franchises. Nintendo reinvigorated the title by releasing Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield three years ago, followed by Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl last year.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are different as they are open-world games, allowing players to explore the environment without completing missions in a linear story-based format.
The video game industry saw a boom during the pandemic as people were locked down at home. But as economies have reopened, the industry has started to normalize.
Industry analysts say that Nintendo has a strong pipeline of games that includes upcoming titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom slated for release in May 2023.
Nintendo’s stock is up 9% this year at $10.63 U.S. The stock split on a 10-for-1 basis this past September.
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