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[remember_spinal]

https://www.denofgeek.com/games/met...en I saw the actual,less than 3 million units

This article puts Metroids sales on Nintendo platforms into perspective. Metroid Dread sold 3 million copies, which definitely is not terrible in the slightest, especially for whats essentially a 6- 8 hour 2d shooter. Whats surprising is the fact that its the BEST selling Metroid game (by almost double) in it’s entire 36 year history as a nintendo franchise. With about 12 games that puts the series lifetime sales at around 20m. Metroid Dread is essentially the GTAV of the series.

Now compared to games like Splatoon 3 which sold 3 million copies in just 3 days, or Luigi’s mansion, Ring Fit Adventure, or even Kirby…Nintendo fans buy games in bulk. All their first party games do huge numbers, while Metroid is still doing Mario Sports spinoff numbers.

With the amount of reverence Metroid gets amongst gaming enthusiast its kind of insane to me that Nintendo fans almost don’t care about the franchise at all till this day.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I think you said it - Metroid is popular with gaming enthusiasts and the vast majority of Nintendo sales are the complete opposite of gaming enthusiast. Given the absolutely massive disparity of first party sales vs third party sales I would guess that a large number of Switch owners see it as a Splatoon or Mario Kart of Animal Crossing handheld and not a video game handheld.

 

[Neff]

I love it.

 

[touchfuzzy]

On the contrary, it's only Nintendo fans / enthusiasts who do care about the franchise. The huge sales numbers of Splatoon and Animal Crossing and Mario are 90% from the casual crowd.

 

[RoboFu]

Dread is still the best game I've played in 10 years

 

[ReBurn]

I think you said it - Metroid is popular with gaming enthusiasts and the vast majority of Nintendo sales are the complete opposite of gaming enthusiast. Given the absolutely massive disparity of first party sales vs third party sales I would guess that a large number of Switch owners see it as a Splatoon or Mario Kart of Animal Crossing handheld and not a video game handheld.

But Splatoon, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing are video games.

 

[Mr Hyde]

I also find it strange. Metroid has pushed boundaries in both the 2D space (Metroid, Super Metroid) and 3D (Metroid Prime) yet it never reaches any of the heights of Mario and Zelda. Even fucking Luigi is doing numbers now that Samus can only dream of. I bet Nintendo had far more hopes about Dreads sales numbers, that the "Switch effect" would propel the game to unprecedented heights, yet it only did 3 million.

And it sucks, honestly, because the low numbers makes it hard being a fan. You can never be sure that Nintendo will greenlight another entry in the same way, you always know there will be a new Mario and Zelda. As a big Metroid-fan I'm grateful though that Nintendo at least are betting big this generation, with the excellent Dread and later on with MP4. If MP 4 bombs and only does 1-3 million I guess the gig is up, at least for a good 10 years.

 

[Punished Miku]

Dread definitely deserved better.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

But Splatoon, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing are video games.

Let me maybe explain another way - if Nintendo sold a handheld gaming system that did nothing but play Animal Crossing or Splatoon, and could not be used for anything else, a significant number of people would still buy one. Like they could literally go back to the Game & Watch days where each device was the entire game and it would still be successful for them.

 

[lh032]

I dont know about other metroid games, but metroid dread is ass. I dont even understand how it got the high reviews.

The game is very repetitive and you dont have alot of weapons to use, lack of enemy varieties and world design is lacking. I fucking hate the chasing mechanic in this stupid game.
Imo, theres no reason to play Metroid when the superior castlevanie games are still around.

 

[_Ex_]

Let me maybe explain another way - if Nintendo sold a handheld gaming system that did nothing but play Animal Crossing or Splatoon, and could not be used for anything else, a significant number of people would still buy one. Like they could literally go back to the Game & Watch days where each device was the entire game and it would still be successful for them.

Nintendo could sell millions of dedicated Pokemon handhelds. They could make one dedicated handheld per Pokemon game (starting from the GB games to Switch), and people would buy them all. Millions of them. They could have have different colored handhelds representative of the variation of that Pokemon game, and sell millions more. You're welcome Furukawa.

 

[Bragr]

For people like us, we hear about Metroid all the time, but they never sold well. Most people have no idea what it is.

Same with F-Zero. It's a goddamn sin is what it is.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Is it? I was always under the impression that it's in the top 10, if not top 5 Nintendo IPs for a lot of people.

I just think Metroid fans have been burned. Dread felt like a rushed hashed together game. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I definitely don't think it was worth the price they were asking for. It's essentially a one and done game. To me, so was Super Metroid, but man, Super Metroid is such a vastly superior game IMO, it's also aged really well.

I know a lot of fans saw the footage of Dread and weren't happy with its appearance. Some bought, some didn't. Dread, to me, almost just felt like a morsel from Nintendo to be like, "Okay, here you go fans, here's what you want" just to shut them up, or attempt to.

 

[calistan]

I can see why it isn’t hugely popular. The setting is generic sci-fi, the artwork has never been great, it has a reputation for being difficult and retro. That’s not a recipe for Animal Crossing sales figures.

I have loads of Nintendo consoles and I’d say I’m a games enthusiast but I’ve never really been bothered about Metroid. It’s in Nintendo’s B- or C-tier for me.

 

[Golgo 13]

Surprisingly low numbers for such an amazing (with a few exceptions) franchise.

Dread was really good, but it was also the first mainline Metroid in 12 years - so that would partially explain why so few get released.

 

[ReBurn]

People are just waiting for a good sale

 

[cireza]

Definitely too demanding for your standard Nintendo player. Dread was fun, but it was the most linear Metroid ever. You are constantly pushed on the right path. So it was a bit disappointing in this regard. It was a great game otherwise, and also a game that performed well on the Switch, with a good/clean picture and good framerate. That's actually unbelievable lol.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

Metroid never sold well.

You can make yearly Pokemon with half the budget and profit 10x more

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

I wouldn't say it's unpopular.....niche is more like it

 

[Pagusas]

Its one of those "Game-y Games" that a lot of people look down on because it looks so stupid, sounds so stupid when you talk about it, and just has an aesthetic that turns a lot of people off.

 

[Alexios]

But Splatoon, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing are video games.

That and the Switch like most Nintendo systems before it has a great attach rate and amazing software sales as volume across all titles. That seems to escape most folks who want to bash them as lesser since the Wii days.

Dunno why it's news Metroid isn't as big as their other series. Zelda isn't anywhere near as big as Mario either, though BOTW also doubled+ the previous best.

Hell, mainline Mario isn't as popular as spin offs like Kart or Smash even though it's the biggest of the IP included in such games.

People gravitate to the big popular stuff on every platform. Wow.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

In Dread, how do you jump with your shine spark activated and not have it waste?

Some videos I’ve seen I’m like what the fuck, how did they do that?

 

[Crayon]

Not surprised. It languishes with the occasional side scroller. If they can come through with prime 4 ok think it would do a little better. A lot better if they could keep it up for a few years.

 

[remember_spinal]

It makes me wonder if them putting so much development time into Prime 4 will be worth it for the min the end. It will be one of their longest games in production only to sell less than like Mario Golf

 

[Pilgrimzero]

Love Metroid.... up until the newest one. Been a fan since the original game released.

Really hated the Seeker Bot thing sections. And the end boss was just so frustrating it sucked up the very tiny last shred of enjoyment I had from the game. I didn't even finish it. Just watched the ending on Youtube. I have better things do (and other games to play) with my time then bang my head on a wall until I finally bust through.

 

[HYDE]

I can see why it isn’t hugely popular. The setting is generic sci-fi, the artwork has never been great, it has a reputation for being difficult and retro. That’s not a recipe for Animal Crossing sales figures.

I have loads of Nintendo consoles and I’d say I’m a games enthusiast but I’ve never really been bothered about Metroid. It’s in Nintendo’s B- or C-tier for me.

You’re in my D and F tier bitch, Lol!

 

[Beer Baelly]

Make Samus transgender.

 

[Gamerdude123]

Still waiting for the 3d metroid game they teased with the logo at E3 like 15 years ago.

 

[Rockondevil]

I started gaming on the NES and to this day I’ve never played a Metroid game.
Can’t really put my finger on why other than it just doesn’t look appealing to me.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Metroid is the anti Mario, what do you expect

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Too mature

 

[Wildebeest]

People who want shooting games would rather have games starring gruff army mens who say things like, "tango bravo boogaloo we've got a situation here at the Medina, requesting fire support, copy doppy."

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

The series features one of the best games of all time. That game spawned an entire genre, one of the most prolific genres today thanks to indies. The formula has been done to death and it’s clearly not that successful commercially, as it requires skills that the most popular games don’t. Button mashing, QTEs, combos, cutscenes galore, non-stop action is the kind of stuff Metroid doesn’t do. Metroid is all about exploration, level design, and gameplay. The game’s basics are always invariably the same, the story is barebones, the games are never about the bells and whistles, and there’s no underlying message.

Doesn’t help that people rave about pure trash like Axiom Verge calling it better than anything Metroid ever did, while saying that a masterfully designed game like Dread is shit.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

While this may have been a problem in the past, I don't think it is as much now. Thus, the reason Dread is the best selling Metroid game ever. Metroid game sales and popularity should only get better and better as games have become far more accessible than ever before. Likewise, social media hype will do more for promoting Metroid games today than game reviews ever did for Metroid games in prior generations. Assuming/hoping Metroid Prime 4 delivers, I believe it will promote a ridiculous number of sales, more in line with other big name franchises.

 

[Astral Dog]

I mean, its like a glass half empty/full kind of thing.

The fact that Metroid commonly breaks 1 million sales at full price despite its niche status is one reason why Nintendo keeps making more and they care alot about the series(Other M was the main reason it took so long to see another one, but most Nintendo consoles have a big Metroid game, with the exception of Wii U and Nintendo 64 for obvious reasons, if there is no Metroid around they were making one behind the scenes)

I've seen alot of core fans 'dissapointed' with Dread's numbers because they think those are too low, but they are in fact great for a 2D Metroid project, selling 3 million copies at full price is no small feat for any game series, less one dormant for a decade. people just see a number and react, As for why it doesn't reach the same numbers as say Pokemon or Mario, well its simply speculation, could be the artstyle, game mechanics, storyline, or main character not appealing to the mass market etc. Regardless, i would argue Metroid is overall a successful series and doubt they ever lost any money on it

With Switch, they sold the highest number of 2D Metroid on record time, the Metroid fanbase is strong, im not worried about its future, some series just grow organically or hit the mass market, others stay on the niche side, but no doubt the Metroid brand is in good shape

Its also a little different to plan, market and develop a new Metroid than say, a Mario or Kirby wich is the tricky part with Nintendo, but they will keep making it and see what they reach

 

[ADiTAR]

There's really nothing like Zelda, Mario, Animal Crossing, or even Pokemon out there. There is a lot of Metroid, the 2D ones, I mean there's a reason why it's basically its own genre.

The problem is that a lot of these are better than Metroid. I thought Dread was mediocre—the art was meh, music non-existent, and that counter mechanic kinda awful. Hollow Knight was so much better, so in todays world 2D Metroid is competing with better games. The fact it did 3m on Switch just shows they can expend the audience there for Prime, if done right.

For Prime, the first one did great. But it had the unfortunate luck of being on the GameCube which didn't sell well, and Halo being a behemoth. While failing on the Wii which found success with casuals and not gamers.

 

[Mister Wolf]

I'm glad Nintendo sees value in their IPs that don't sell gangbusters like Xenoblade and Metroid. Two of my most favorite franchises so they have my gratitude.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Metroid is a third string quarterback for Nintendo.

 

[tygertrip]

nvm

 

[MALpractice311]

Not surprised. It languishes with the occasional side scroller. If they can come through with prime 4 ok think it would do a little better. A lot better if they could keep it up for a few years.

Except that the Prime games didn't sell any better than any other Metroid game.

It's just a niche series. Nintendo makes very kid friendly games that can also appeal mainstream audiences and Metroid is just significantly more complicated to explain and play than Nintendo's typical fare. It will never have Mario, or Zelda, or Pokemon sales numbers. But it's wild that enthusiast gamers love it so much that it inspired a whole genre that flourishes on other platforms.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I mean, its like a glass half empty/full kind of thing.

The fact that Metroid commonly breaks 1 million sales at full price despite its niche status is one reason why Nintendo keeps making more and they care alot about the series(Other M was the main reason it took so long to see another one, but most Nintendo consoles have a big Metroid game, with the exception of Wii U and Nintendo 64 for obvious reasons, if there is no Metroid around they were making one behind the scenes)

I've seen alot of core fans 'dissapointed' with Dread's numbers because they think those are too low, but they are in fact great for a 2D Metroid project, selling 3 million copies at full price is no small feat for any game series, less one dormant for a decade. people just see a number and react, As for why it doesn't reach the same numbers as say Pokemon or Mario, well its simply speculation, could be the artstyle, game mechanics, storyline, or main character not appealing to the mass market etc. Regardless, i would argue Metroid is overall a successful series and doubt they ever lost any money on it

With Switch, they sold the highest number of 2D Metroid on record time, the Metroid fanbase is strong, im not worried about its future, some series just grow organically or hit the mass market, others stay on the niche side, but no doubt the Metroid brand is in good shape

Its also a little different to plan, market and develop a new Metroid than say, a Mario or Kirby wich is the tricky part with Nintendo, but they will keep making it and see what they reach

This is very true. 2D side scrollers do not exactly generate a lot of hype. So I can't wait to see the hype generated by Metroid Prime 4 once it finally nears release. Gonna be massive.

Edit: Is it really a niche franchise though? I don't agree with that assessment at all. I guess we will see if times have changed once Prime 4 releases. If Nintendo markets it properly it should be huge.

 

[Shut0wen]

Its because its catered to the hardcore gamers that have a nintendo system while the rest of games are catered towards everyone, metroid is niche most of nintendos customers which is mostly kids

 

[Neff]

Animal Crossing are video games.

In no shape or form is Animal Crossing a game.

 

[Ozzie666]

The world might be ready for a new 3D Metro Prime with a slightly more adult dark take, a big budget effort (as much as you can on the Switch). That install base might make it the bestselling.

 

[radewagon]

I get it. I like the series, but I've never been really into it. As others have said, it's got a very generic sci-fi look to it. Additionally Samus is a terribly boring and uninteresting character and the stories are equally dull. Even though the gameplay is usually on-point, there just isn't enough to make me want to play the games that often. I just kind of gave up playing the 3DS title and haven't been the least bit interest in Dread. The last game I think I beat was Zero Mission (which, admittedly, was very dope).

 

[shiru]

It's always been kind of a niche franchise. Not every game is able to sell Animal Crossing/Pokemon numbers, nor shouldn't. Of course this thread was started in bad faith anyways. Very transparent.

I think you said it - Metroid is popular with gaming enthusiasts and the vast majority of Nintendo sales are the complete opposite of gaming enthusiast. Given the absolutely massive disparity of first party sales vs third party sales I would guess that a large number of Switch owners see it as a Splatoon or Mario Kart of Animal Crossing handheld and not a video game handheld.

Dumb af take. Not like Metroid would do huge numbers on other platforms.

I can see why it isn’t hugely popular. The setting is generic sci-fi, the artwork has never been great, it has a reputation for being difficult and retro. That’s not a recipe for Animal Crossing sales figures.

I have loads of Nintendo consoles and I’d say I’m a games enthusiast but I’ve never really been bothered about Metroid. It’s in Nintendo’s B- or C-tier for me.

uhh....huh.

 

[FStubbs]

Is it? I was always under the impression that it's in the top 10, if not top 5 Nintendo IPs for a lot of people.

I just think Metroid fans have been burned. Dread felt like a rushed hashed together game. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I definitely don't think it was worth the price they were asking for. It's essentially a one and done game. To me, so was Super Metroid, but man, Super Metroid is such a vastly superior game IMO, it's also aged really well.

I know a lot of fans saw the footage of Dread and weren't happy with its appearance. Some bought, some didn't. Dread, to me, almost just felt like a morsel from Nintendo to be like, "Okay, here you go fans, here's what you want" just to shut them up, or attempt to.

Metroid exists for the same reason Nintendo keeps funding Bayonetta games. To fill out the exclusives catalog to make the hardware more attractive. As long as those games break even and review decently they've done their job.

 

[Imtjnotu]

nintendo doesnt care about metroid. after gamecube its been a dead franchise even tho it was one of the best FPS games of its gen

 

[supernova8]

I'd never played a Metroid game before but I knew about it. I got Dread and it's fucking awesome. Also I haven't got that far yet so maybe I just don't know but I don't understand the people saying it's rushed/hashed together. It looks extremely polished to me. Movement animations etc are extremely slick. 60fps all the time as far as my eyes can tell.

 

[K' Dash]

I was in NYC last month and bought a Bunch of stuff from the Nintendo Store, there was literally NOTHING Metroid there.

What a fucking disappointment.