The Best-Selling Game in March is also the U.S.’s Best-Selling Animal Crossing Game Ever.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons dominated March games sales, according to NPD. In the age of quarantine and social distancing, the charming title seemingly provided a welcome escape and means of social interaction for many players stuck at home.
In its first month of release, it has now not only become the best-selling entry in the Animal Crossing series but achieved the third-highest physical software dollar and unit sales for a launch month in Nintendo history, according to NPD’s Mat Piscatella. It trails only behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
COVID-19 conditions and demand for New Horizons also fueled sales of Nintendo Switch hardware to more than double what the platform sold in units last March and, in the process, broke the previous March sales record set in 2017 (also set by the Switch). This also reaches first quarter hardware unit sales numbers not seen for ten years- last achieved by the Nintendo DS.
Since NPD does not include digital download sales figures for Nintendo titles (as Nintendo does not release them), the title almost certainly has greater sales numbers on its horizon as it continues to craft its mainstream success. It’s anticipated that we will get more specific figures when Nintendo releases its earnings report on May 7th.
