Just two years into its run, there is already no doubting the impact and success of the Nintendo Switch. At the time of writing, the Switch is closing in on the 40 million mark in terms of lifetime sales. It has sold almost three times as many units as its predecessor, the Wii U, and will soon overtake the Xbox One despite Microsoft's four-year headstart.
All of that being said, the Switch is by no means perfect. The joy-con drift issue many users have been experiencing has tarnished the console somewhat. Clearly, sales are starting to drop off, hence the imminent arrival of the Switch Lite later this year. The Switch's online capabilities aren't exactly stellar either when compared to its rivals, although that's a trait Nintendo has always exhibited.
The Success Of Wii Sports
Nintendo has never been afraid to break the mold when it comes to its consoles. Take the Wii for instance. The Switch might be doing well, but so far its sales are dwarfed by those of the Wii. The Wii racked up more than 100 million units sold before the gaming world was ready to move on, making it the fifth best-selling console of all time. One of the reasons we loved it so much right off the bat? The game it came with.
Gamers usually have to fork out a little extra for a bundle if they want a game with their console. However, this wasn't the case with the Wii. Each and every one of us (unless you bought the console in Japan or South Korea) got a copy of Wii Sports along with the console. It's a simple game that included five different sports, baseball, boxing, bowling, tennis, and golf. Its intention was to exhibit how exactly the Wii's motion sensors worked via simple games and to show that the console was very much intended to be used with family and friends.
Due to the fact Wii Sports was shipped out with almost every Wii, its lifetime sales were pretty incredible. For example, 82.8 million of us had Wii Sports, making it the fourth best-selling game ever. It's also the best-selling console-exclusive of all-time, so take that Spider-Man. This begs the question, why didn't Nintendo repeat this feat with the Switch?
What Switch Sports Could Mean For Nintendo
Now, the Switch hasn't been marketed in the exact same way as the Wii. Its main selling point is obviously the fact that you can play it as a handheld console and at home on your television. However, Nintendo has strongly suggested the Switch is a console for all of the family, which is basically Nintendo's mantra at this point - it creates games and consoles not just for the hardcore gamer, but for people who pick up a controller and play once a week, once a month, or maybe for the first time ever when they're handed a Switch joy-con.
However, the Switch didn't come with Switch Sports. Instead, it has been bundled up with games like Pokémon Let's Go. That's not a title someone who doesn't play video games can dive into or play for an hour or two at a family party, nor does it allow more than two players at a time. A Switch Sports game seems like a no-brainer to us, even if it's released now and sold separately. If it were marketed as being similar to Wii Sports, it would be guaranteed to sell, especially if it was sold at a reasonable price point.
There are party games and even a Wii Sports-like game for the Switch, but it isn't the same. The beauty of Wii Sports was its simplicity. Nintendo may have missed the boat by not creating Switch Sports during the console's launch, but the opportunity hasn't gone altogether. Include improved versions of the original game's five sports, throw in a couple more (and don't overdo it like it did with Wii Sports Resort), and we think Nintendo would be on to a winner.
Sadly, it seems as if we'll be waiting until Nintendo's next console to see the Wii/Wii Sports forced bundle business tactic used again.