It seems like citizens in the UK have started preparing for the second full lockdown announced by the government to stem the recent coronavirus spike. One of the many things they stocked up on was video games. According to a report by gamesindustry.biz, nearly 260,000 boxed games were sold last week in the UK, a third more than the amount sold during the same week last year.
As the figures reveal, the Nintendo Switch is at the forefront of these sales, with game sales being up by 123% compared to the same time last year. This isn’t really that much of a surprise, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, and Just Dance 2021 taking the top three spots. What is surprising is the next statement made in the report: “Just Dance 2021 is available across all platforms, of course, yet almost 90% of the game's sales so far have been on Nintendo Switch (physical sales only, digital sales are not included).”
Couple that with Ring Fit Adventure rising 12 spots due to a 24% rise in sales, and you could deduce that people are looking for ways to stay fit while being cooped up in their homes. The report further indicates that 15 of the top 40 games sold in the UK this week are Nintendo Switch exclusives.
The report further notes the performances of Switch exclusives, with most of them staying in the top ten despite falling sales numbers. First placed Animal Crossing: New Horizons saw a drop of 47% while Mario Kart 8: Deluxe sales were down by 43%. Just Dance 2021 also saw a drop by 24%. Minecraft and New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe sales dropped by 35% and 32% respectively. And finally, a 42% drop for Super Mario 3D All-Stars saw it slip out of the top ten into 11th place. The only Switch exclusive that saw a rise in sales was Ring Fit Adventure.
Other games like FIFA 21, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War slipped lower down the table; with only Grand Theft Auto 5 going up a spot. The report also mentions that CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 dropped to No. 20, owing to a 59% nosedive in sales.
NEXT: Just Dance 2021 Is Likely To Outsell Watch Dogs: Legion By Next Week