Premium titles surpassed live-service games in terms of revenue on the Nintendo Switch last February.
Compared to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, where recurring monetization models tend to generate the most revenue, the Switch stood out with premium new releases accounting for the largest share of February’s revenue.
Also, two new releases triumphed over Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch: Nintendo’s Metroid Prime: Remastered and Octopath Traveler 2 by Square Enix.
Let’s break down the titles that generated the most revenue for the Switch in February and what that means for the games market.
First-party titles generated the most revenue on the Nintendo Switch in February 2023
Nintendo is well-positioned to capitalize on the success of its platform with a strong line-up of older and newer first-party games. This being the case, it’s no surprise that Nintendo received the lion’s share of all revenue generated on its console in February.
Of the 20 top Switch titles by revenue, 14 were published by Nintendo, and 15 include Nintendo IP (Ubisoft published Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope).
By comparison, PlayStation only had two first-party titles in the top 20 revenue charts in February, and Xbox only had one.
Looking at the top games by recurring (in-game) revenue, Nintendo is also capitalizing more on new hybrid monetization methods. In terms of first-party performance, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet generated the most recurring revenues on the Nintendo Switch, followed by Splatoon 3 and Mario Kart 8, the latter benefitting significantly from a booster pack that gives players rolling access to new characters and courses.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo keeps experimenting with new monetization methods on the Nintendo Switch to accompany its traditional business model.
The top 10 games by total revenue in the US and the UK showed a difference in player preferences
When comparing the top-grossing games by revenue in the US and the UK, we found a few notable differences.
First, there are only two overlapping titles across both markets by revenue generated: Metroid Prime: Remastered and Fortnite. It seems that Metroid’s Samus Aran captured players’ attention (and finances) on both sides of the Atlantic.
Beyond this overlap, we spot some key differences between US and UK audiences.
Gamers in the UK spent more on simulation titles like Disney Dreamlight Valley, Animal Crossing, and Subnautica.
FIFA titles also topped the revenue charts in the UK, which isn’t surprising given the national football adoration.
Nintendo IP resonates strongly with US gamers, with eight out of the top 10 titles by total revenue being first-party games. However, only three Nintendo-published titles made it into the UK’s top 10.
Another curious highlight is that US players seemed more interested in Japanese RPGs, including Octopath Traveler 2 and Fire Emblem Engage, than their UK counterparts.
Top Nintendo games by total revenue in February 2023
Here are February’s top 10 games by premium and recurring revenue in the US and UK markets.
US:
Metroid Prime: Remastered
Octopath Traveler 2
Mario Kart 8
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Fortnite
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Fire Emblem Engage
UK:
Metroid Prime: Remastered
Fortnite
Animal Crossing
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
FIFA 23
Minecraft
GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Subnautica
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