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3DS

Fire Emblem Fates Shattering US Sales Records

by Donald Theriault - February 24, 2016, 7:56 am EST
Total comments: 34

Both versions doubled up Awakening's opening weekend.

After a single weekend of sales, a shocking number of people have chosen their fate.

Nintendo issued a press release this morning announcing that Fire Emblem Fates has sold more then 300,000 copies in its opening weekend, more than five times the previous record holder Fire Emblem Awakening. The Birthright version was the better selling of the two titles, though Conquest was noted to be "close behind".

The total, as with any Nintendo of America sales figure, includes physical and digital sales, but does not break out how many discounted downloads of the other version were sold, nor the sales for the sold out limited edition which includes all three titles.

Talkback

NinfernoFebruary 24, 2016

Really impressive numbers. Congrats to IS/Nintendo/Treehouse for the achievement. Currently on Conquest chapter 15, really liking it so far. Gameplay wise there are substantial improvements over the Awakening formula; the balance tweaks (classes, leveling up, skills, pair up & dual strikes) deserve high praise. The story is weak and the characters are bland though. Still, overall I like what I'm seeing so far, and it is a competent step-up from Awakening. Here's hoping the next installment (on home console, pretty please?) can move on from the Awakening/Fates engine and rise even higher.

SorenFebruary 24, 2016

Censorship works, people.

kokumakerFebruary 24, 2016

I would've bought the Special Edition, but I never had a chance. Maybe Nintendo will finally take this as a sign that this is a successful series for them, and finally reissue those Robin and Lucina amiibo... 😒

ejamerFebruary 24, 2016

Since it's essentially two games, I think higher sales should be expected.  But even with that caveat, sounds like Fates is selling extremely well - congrats to the dev team on a well made game.

Ian SaneFebruary 24, 2016

A good way to indicate how successful a new feature or change to a series is to observe the sales of the next game.  Tons of people may buy a game because of hype or word of mouth but that doesn't actually indicate if they liked it.  If they didn't like it then they'll probably not buy the follow up.  Obviously the ability to turn off permadeath went over really well not just because Awakening sold well but because clearly enough people liked it that they rushed out to buy the follow up the first weekend it was out.

fred13February 24, 2016

I can attest to the truthfullness of this article.
I wanted the special edition and showed up to Walmart and Best Buy super early...sold out. Then I went and watched and read to try and decide with version to get.
I went to buy Birthright...Sold Out at Best Buy, and Walmart and GameStop
Then the next day I went to buy conquest Sold out at Best Buy and GameStop.
I downloaded the game.

ghosthunter117February 24, 2016

So, splitting the game game into two doubled the sales? Weird how that works.

OedoFebruary 24, 2016

Awesome. There was a lot of criticism aimed at Nintendo when they first revealed this release format (much of it unfair imo), but it seems to have worked out for everyone involved. I'm nearing the end of Birthright and it's nice to know that I've still got a lot more Fire Emblem ahead of me after I finish it.

broodwarsFebruary 24, 2016

Well, it's good to see the franchise succeed, though I didn't buy any of the versions due to disgust over the release format (plus, I've barely touched Awakening and don't like using my 3DS in general). I just wish the final product was better in terms of the localization, as Treehouse seems increasingly incapable of handling serious subject matter. Hopefully, Revelations will be much better in that regard.

Evan_BFebruary 24, 2016

I guess the best way to double sales is to split the game in two. Like those bogus sales figures Nintendo gave about the combined Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS stuff.

Glad to see another Nintendo franchise selling well. Now all they have to do is make Metroid a dating sim with no difficulty...

MythtendoFebruary 24, 2016

I can't believe some people still try to spout the BS that this was 1 game split into 2.  That is not the case. Both games are the same length as a normal Fire Emblem game. So with the bonus 3rd story, it's basically 2 1/2 games.

Evan_BFebruary 24, 2016

Except the first 8 chapters are exactly the same, so it's actually not. Also, reused assets, music, no gameplay differences outside of classes (and no benefit to owning both versions like Pokemon trading).

But yeah, also factoring in the completely optional DLC third path that still costs money is BS too.

CircasurviverFebruary 24, 2016

Quote from: Evan_B

I guess the best way to double sales is to split the game in two. Like those bogus sales figures Nintendo gave about the combined Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS stuff.

Glad to see another Nintendo franchise selling well. Now all they have to do is make Metroid a dating sim with no difficulty...

5 times the sales is more than double...

WahFebruary 24, 2016

No Australia release... :'(

Evan_BFebruary 24, 2016

Quote from: Circasurviver

5 times the sales is more than double...

Why, yes! I am aware that Fire Emblem is now popular! I said I was glad it's doing well, didn't I?

In case anyone's curious:
- Limited editions count as 1 for those who could get it
- Downloaded copies of the other version at a discount aren't included
- People who buy both at retail are at best, a rounding error

Basically, this is counting $40 and up purchases (retail or eShop).

WahFebruary 25, 2016

so buy one get one half price?

Ugh. Perfectly willing to buy the game if I can buy a Special Edition but since I think I missed that train I don't know if I can bring myself to settle for another purchase path. ESPECIALLY if I want to share the game with my brother.

broodwarsFebruary 25, 2016

Yeah, really I'd just like to buy one version, not one version with "oh, despite us giving you a choice here, you can only choose options B or C if you give us $20 each"). If the games were truly separate, I really wouldn't have an issue. That's how the Oracle games were. But the Oracle games didn't start out with you completing the same first dungeon and then asking you to pick an experience and charge you later for the one you didn't pick. The money-hooks bother me, since every time I play the game, the game will remind me that there's content I'm not allowed to play, even if I go with Birthright and Revelation as I had planned.

Evan_BFebruary 25, 2016

I remember when Fire Emblem titles allowed you to choose a certain storyline path without having to pay for it. Those were the days.

And thanks for the clarification, Don.

nickmitchFebruary 25, 2016

You get the other path for $20, right? Half off?  So, even if the two games are more like 1.5 games, aren't you only paying 1.5x the price?  Isn't that still a fair deal?  I'm missing something on this "splitting one game into two" stuff.

fred13February 25, 2016

Quote from: nickmitch

You get the other path for $20, right? Half off?  So, even if the two games are more like 1.5 games, aren't you only paying 1.5x the price?  Isn't that still a fair deal?  I'm missing something on this "splitting one game into two" stuff.

You're not missing anything. These guys just like to whine and complain (although I also wish I could have purchased the special edition I tried for months and failed)

KeyBillyFebruary 25, 2016

I'm glad to see the series doing well.  If the special edition is ever restocked, I plan to get it.

fred13February 25, 2016

Quote from: Evan_B

I remember when Fire Emblem titles allowed you to choose a certain storyline path without having to pay for it. Those were the days.

And thanks for the clarification, Don.

Which game(s) do this? I've only played Awakening and Fates, but I really like both of them and would love to go back and play some of the older ones

broodwarsFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: fred13

Quote from: Evan_B

I remember when Fire Emblem titles allowed you to choose a certain storyline path without having to pay for it. Those were the days.

And thanks for the clarification, Don.

Which game(s) do this? I've only played Awakening and Fates, but I really like both of them and would love to go back and play some of the older ones

I think Sacred Stones on the GBA/Wii U VC lets you do that, but it's the only one that comes to my mind. I don't remember allegiance choices in Radiant Dawn.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterFebruary 25, 2016

Even then it only lasts like 6 chapters before you rejoin the main path.

NinfernoFebruary 25, 2016

Quote from: fred13

Quote from: Evan_B

I remember when Fire Emblem titles allowed you to choose a certain storyline path without having to pay for it. Those were the days.

And thanks for the clarification, Don.

Which game(s) do this? I've only played Awakening and Fates, but I really like both of them and would love to go back and play some of the older ones

Like broodwars has said, The Sacred Stones has branching paths, but that is only a 6-chapter difference. It is nothing like Fates where the branching paths are 23 chapters' long which is the majority of the game. Thracia 776 has branching paths as well, but that is like 3 chapters. New Mystery of the Emblem has you choose your opponents during the first few tutorial chapters, buy those are super short tutorial fights. What I'm trying to say is, the "path splits" situation of Fates has never happened in Fire Emblem games before and comparing previous smaller scale path choices to it serve no purpose other than confusing people that are not as familiar with the franchise.

My very specific concern with the special edition isn't about price, but rather what if I want to share the game with my brother who has his own 3DS? Anything I download won't be shareable right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but only the Special Edition would have allowed me to share the full experience with someone else?

Evan_BFebruary 26, 2016

Quote from: nickmitch

You get the other path for $20, right? Half off?  So, even if the two games are more like 1.5 games, aren't you only paying 1.5x the price?  Isn't that still a fair deal?  I'm missing something on this "splitting one game into two" stuff.

The truth is, they shouldn't be two separate titles, period. It's just a stupid marketing scheme to make people think they're getting MORE for their money when it's nothing like that.

fred13March 03, 2016

.

ejamerMarch 03, 2016

Quote from: Kairon

My very specific concern with the special edition isn't about price, but rather what if I want to share the game with my brother who has his own 3DS? Anything I download won't be shareable right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but only the Special Edition would have allowed me to share the full experience with someone else?

Correct. Also my complaint.  Our family has multiple 3DS consoles, anything downloaded is immediately locked to one console. 


You always could swap entire consoles with your brother. You know, assuming there isn't any other content locked to your console that you might want during that time.  But that seems like a poor solution, when Nintendo making a sufficient number of Special Edition carts available to cover the preorders (which only lasted about 30 minutes once they were open) that were taken.  Instead they chose make it a limited resource. C'est la vie.

fred13March 03, 2016

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: fred13

Quote from: Evan_B

I remember when Fire Emblem titles allowed you to choose a certain storyline path without having to pay for it. Those were the days.

And thanks for the clarification, Don.

Which game(s) do this? I've only played Awakening and Fates, but I really like both of them and would love to go back and play some of the older ones

I think Sacred Stones on the GBA/Wii U VC lets you do that, but it's the only one that comes to my mind. I don't remember allegiance choices in Radiant Dawn.

Thanks, I think I'll download Sacred Stones on my Wii U and check it out.

fred13March 03, 2016

Quote from: Evan_B

Quote from: nickmitch

You get the other path for $20, right? Half off?  So, even if the two games are more like 1.5 games, aren't you only paying 1.5x the price?  Isn't that still a fair deal?  I'm missing something on this "splitting one game into two" stuff.

The truth is, they shouldn't be two separate titles, period. It's just a stupid marketing scheme to make people think they're getting MORE for their money when it's nothing like that.

Who made you the king of determining what's enough content and what isn't? I'd say if you're not happy with the whole thing then just buy 1 of them and treat it like it's not a choice when you get to chapter 6.


Or if you think that that's not enough content to justify $40 then don't buy it, but don't try to tell us that it's not enough. Fates has the same number of chapters as Awakening. (I played through Awakening twice using a harder difficulty the second time and put about 70 hours into it) Awakening more than justified the $70 price tag for me. As for Fates, my daughter wanted to play Birthright and so I bought it and I've been going through it with her (she's only 6), but I wanted to do conquest so I started a new file and when I got to chapter 6 I paid the $20. I feel like I'm getting 2 very different, but related games so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth. However, some people don't want that much Fire Emblem and just 1 version will make more sense for them. Personally, I'd never buy both versions of a Pokemon game because it doesn't make sense for me, but I don't rip on others that do and I don't try and tell Nintendo/Game Freak that they are money hungry scoundrels for making 2 versions of the game to try to sell more copies.

KhushrenadaMarch 03, 2016

Quote from: fred13

.

I think that right there sums up everything in this complicated discussion. That post is pretty much perfect.

If I had to come up with something to somehow tweak or enhance this post in a futile effort to make it better because of a gun-to-my-head type situation the only thing I can think of would maybe be to put some words in front of the period to make a complete sentence of some kind. But I don't think that's necessary. "." is perfect to me.  8)


This is just a joke about the posting error not the poster itself. Any offense taken by any reader is of their own risk and Khushrenada can not be held responsible for it. (Just like every other crime of this century. I'm too smooth.)

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