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Sales of 3DS games and hardware have jumped by over 100 per cent as the Pokmon Go mobile phenomenon takes over the world.
GfK figures reveal that the combined sales of previous Pokmon 3DS games increased by 145 per cent last week.
Licensing sources have also told MCV that Nintendo has now raised projections for the upcoming 3DS games Pokmon Sun and Moon, which arrive on November 23rd.
Pre-orders have already increased over the weekend – Sun and Moon are currently amongst the Top Ten most pre-ordered games on Amazon. Nintendo has also tried to capitalise on the sudden popularity, by making Sun and Moon Steelbooks available to order.
Elsewhere, apparel licensee BioWorld Europe says it is developing new lines as its current range has been ‘flying out the door’.
Many retailers are requesting special Pokmon products and we’re developing a wider collection to meet that demand,” said product manager Leon van der Made.
The Pokmon Trading Card Game has also enjoyed a sales spike – although this has been happening all year. Card sales are up by 100 per cent, primarily due to the Pokmon 20th anniversary celebrations.
We’ve not seen the same excitement around the brand since the original UK launch in the 1990s,” said Ben Hogg, marketing manager at Pokmon Trading Card supplier Esdevium. TCG sales are up around eight times the level we saw back in 2012 and over 100 per cent year-on-year from 2015.”
We are excited about Pokmon Go and the effect it could have on the TCG. The high profile launch has certainly generated plenty of additional interest in Pokmon from our retailers. It is hard to say if it will lead to some good extra sales or if it will be a catalyst for further huge growth. But we are confident the effect will be positive, just how positive we do not yet know.”
UK stores say they are braced for ‘another Pokmon Christmas’. The last time the franchise dominated the toy, TV and game charts in the UK was Christmas 1999.
Although Pokmon Go will probably tail-off a bit, we do expect the franchise to be one of the most talked about this Christmas,” said the senior buyer of one of the UK’s biggest games outlets.
It will have a positive impact on the 3DS, toys and cards, too.”
Pokmon Go launched last Thursday from Niantic and The Pokmon Company. At one point, the game boasted more active users than Twitter.
TOP SELLING POKMON GAMES FOR WEEK ENDING JULY 16TH (Sales Increase %)
1. Pokmon Alpha Sapphire – 148%
2. Pokmon Omega Ruby – 148%
3. Pokmon X – 238%
4. Pokmon Y – 188%
5. Pokmon Super Mystery Dungeon – 65%
These five games in total –148%
Pokmon Total – 145%
