Nintendo Switch Lite Is About To Outsell Wii U
As part of the company's latest earnings report, Nintendo has revealed that the Nintendo Switch Lite is about to outsell the Wii U.
Since its launch in 2019, the smaller, dockless Nintendo Switch Lite has sold 13.53 million units. The figure can be seen in Nintendo's recently released Consolidated Financial Highlights document.
Such volume of sales means the Switch Lite is very close to beating the Wii U's lifetime total unit sales, which are recorded as 13.56 million units on the Nintendo website. The Switch Lite will likely surpass that benchmark in the coming months, if it hasn't already.
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Surpassing Wii U sales is par for the course for the Switch now. Following its launch in 2017, the base Nintendo Switch took less than a year to outsell the preceding console, shifting 14 million units by January 2018.
You can learn more about Nintendo's recent financial news by reading our study of the report, which notes that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has surpassed 31 million copies sold, as of December 31, 2020. Analysts are currently conflicted on the prospect of a new Nintendo Switch Pro in 2021, due to the tremendous popularity of the current model.
In other Wii U news, check out our article about how everything you love about the Nintendo Switch was done by the Wii U first. We reviewed the console upon its launch back in 2012, scoring it a 7.6 and calling it a "mix of awesome new ideas and mediocre execution."
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Nintendo Switch Console Sales Have Passed 3DS With 79.87 Million Units Sold
Nintendo has announced that, as of December 31, 2020, the Nintendo Switch has officially passed the 3DS with 79.87 million console units sold. Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has reached 31.18 million copies sold.
As revealed in Nintendo's latest financial earnings release for the nine month period ending December 31, 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting ever closer to passing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's 33.41 million units sold as the best-selling Nintendo Switch game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the third-best selling Switch game with 22.85 million units sold, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's 21.45 million units, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield's 20.35 million units, and Super Mario Odyssey's 20.23 million units.
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Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield have also become the first Pokemon games to sell over 20 million units since Pokemon Gold and Silver.
During the nine months ending December 31, 2020, titles released in the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2020, saw a ton of success. Super Mario 3D All-Stars sold 8.32 million units, Paper Mario: The Origami King sold 3.05 million units, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity sold 2.84 million units, Pikmin 3 Deluxe sold 1.94 million units, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit sold 1.08 million units.
Games released in previous fiscal years also continued to sell well in these nine months, led by Animal Crossing: New Horizons' 19.41 million units. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 8.64 million units, Ring Fit Adventure sold 5.95 million units, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold 4.04 million units, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold 4.01 million units.
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29 Nintendo Switch titles sold over one million copies, including 9 games from other software publishers.
Nintendo Switch hardware sales reached 24.10 million units in this time period, which is a 35.8% increase year-on-year, and software sales reached 176.10 million units, which is a 43.0% increase year-on-year.
It is also interesting to note that the Nintendo Switch Lite has sold 13.53 million units in its lifetime, meaning it is close to passing the Wii U’s 13.56 million units.
Digital sales also accounted for 40.9% of all software sales, which is a 12.3% increase year-on-year. Digital sales also saw an increase of 104.9% when compared to 2019.
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Mobile and IP related income saw an increase of 13.8% year-on-year.
While we don't know Nintendo's full plan for 2021, we do have Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Monster Hunter Rise, New Pokemon Snap, and Bravely Default 2 to look forward to in the next couple months.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
The GameStop/Reddit Stock Saga Is Already Being Made Into a Movie
Despite the GameStop/Reddit stock situation not being over, the rights to a movie based on these events is already in the works.
As reported by Deadline, MGM has acquired the book proposal The Antisocial Network from New York Times best-selling author Ben Mezrich. This book will look to tell the story of "a ragtag group of amateur investors, gamers, and internet trolls who brought Wall Street to its knees."
Insiders have said that Mezrich and his reps too the book proposal to market last week, and by Friday night MGM had acquired the rights to a film adaptation.
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This project will reunite MGM's Michael DeLuca and Mezrich, who worked together to adapt Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal into what would be known as The Social Network.
Mezrich also wrote the book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas For Millions, which was later adapted into the film 21.
GameStop's share price was hovering around $3 per share in 2020, but following a battle between short-sellers and the subreddit r/WallStreetBets, the stock value has increased over 1,700%. As of this writing, the stock price is at $325 USD.
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AMC and Nokia's stock also saw a big increase, and these developments led to stock trading apps like Robinhood to controversially halt trading of these volatile stocks.
While it is unclear as to how this story ends, Hollywood is already preparing to make their money off one of the biggest stories of the year.
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Amazon Game Studios Report Details ‘Bro Culture’ and Cancelled Projects
A new extensive report from Bloomberg has detailed some of the dysfunction and struggles at Amazon Game Studios, which included cancelled projects, a troublesome game engine, mismanagement, and a "bro culture" that allegedly does not give women the same opportunities as men.
The report begins by discussing how Mike Frazzini was brought in to start Amazon Game Studios eight years ago without ever making a game. Since then, Frazzini and Amazon Game Studios have released only two games, and have seen multiple cancelled projects that were attempting to recreate the financial magic of games like Fortnite and League of Legends.
The Grand Tour Game was the first Amazon Game Studios console release, and within a year it was removed from storefronts. Crucible was the next game released from the studio, and not only did it return to closed beta after its official launch, it was shut down in November 2020.
Two other projects, which were known as Intensity and Nova, never saw the light of day after the teams tried and failed to create games inspired by Fortnite and League of Legends, respectively.
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All of these cancelled and unsuccessful projects at Amazon Game Studios have done so despite Amazon spending nearly $500 million a year operating the game division. It's also important to note that the amount doesn't include Twitch or Amazon Luna - the latter of which is under different management.
Frazzini is an "Amazon lifer" who started his career in the books section of Amazon.com where he "endeared himself to Jeff Bezos as a manager there." He began his role as head of the games division by bringing in some of the best game development talent in the world, including Portal's Kim Swift, Far Cry 2's Clint Hawking, Madden's Richard Hilleman, and Everquest's John Smedley. Today, only Smedley remains.
According to numerous current and former employees of Frazzini's game studios, he continuously ignored much of the advice given by these experienced developers, and despite frequently telling the staff that every Amazon game should be a "billion-dollar franchise," he would then understaff projects.
Furthermore, instead of using industry-leading game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, the studio opted to license technology from Crytek to create a homemade engine known as Lumberyard.
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While Lumberyard was meant to integrate with Amazon Web Services and could have been a cheaper alternative than paying for the other engines, it ended up being known as a "boogeyman around the office." Many cited that it was "painfully slow," and developers would play Halo or watch Amazon Prime Video as they waited for Lumberyard to process art or compile code. One former employee even went so far as to say, "Lumberyard is killing this company."
Another big issue with working at Amazon Game Studios is said to be linked to the "bro culture" that has been cultivated there, in which women were often not given the same opportunities as men. Beyond that, "four female game developers said that their worst experiences of sexism in the industry were at Amazon."
There were stories of them being ignored and undermined by male executives, in some cases being driven out of the company. One source said that not only did a male on the senior leadership team impede her career growth after she disagreed with him, he would then go on to create new management positions above her and hired men to take those positions.
Amazon's game problems also extend to how they incentivize their employees. While most studios pay bonuses based on the critical and commercial response of a game, Amazon's stock plan only rewards employees for how long they have been at the company. This has led to some employees choosing to "prioritize job preservation over anything else, say three former employees."
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Amazon Game Studio's next project is the MMO New World. Originally planned for a 2020 release, it was pushed back to Spring 2021 to improve the quality of the game. Bloomberg's report explains that the project was originally going to be a survival game where players would take on the role of colonists in a fictional version of 1600s America.
The problem, however, was that the enemies players originally were going to face "looked a lot like indigenous people." When developers pointed out to Frazzini's deputy, Patrick Gilmore, that the setting and villains could be considered racist, he "expressed disbelief."
Amazon did eventually hire a tribal consultant who did find that the portrayal was offensive, and the Native American imagery has since been removed.
Our latest preview of New World's high-level PvE zone show a game that may not be for everybody, but one that shows promise and a big improvement, in both PvE content and general polish, from the previous build.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
MLB The Show 21 Cover Leak Seemingly Confirms Xbox Version
The cover has allegedly leaked for MLB The Show 21, but this time for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox One, seemingly confirming that the Sony-exclusive baseball game will make its way to other platforms in 2021.
Known leaker ANerdyDad on Instagram shared the covers, which both feature San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., and the Xbox version even comes complete with the PlayStation Studios logo, as well.
Another potential leak has made its way to Reddit, showing that there may also be a Jackie Robinson special edition version of MLB The Show 21, which is said to be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Unfortunately, there is no mention of PC or Nintendo Switch.
The Jackie Robinson Edition leak also reveals that the game is planned to be released on April 20, 2021, with an Early Access Weekend beginning on April 16.
Following these leaks, it has been announced that the official MLB The Show 2021 cover reveal will take place tomorrow, February 1, on Hot Ones. So, it appears we won't have to wait long to learn the truth.
The Jackie Robinson Edition leak also reveals that the game is planned to be released on April 20, 2021, with an Early Access Weekend beginning on April 16.
Following these leaks, it has been announced that the official MLB The Show 2021 cover reveal will take place tomorrow, February 1, on Hot Ones. So, it appears we won't have to wait long to learn the truth.
In 2019, it was confirmed that MLB The Show would be making its way to other platforms as early as 2021, and it appears this just may be the year these great games will be playable by many more people. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/the-state-of-playstation-studios-2021-update"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.Sponsored by @MLBTheShow
The cover athlete of the next MLB The Show gets unveiled & interviewed tomorrow on #HotOnes #MLBTheShow https://t.co/d8M5aTUovM pic.twitter.com/hTxpOflyFr — Complex (@Complex) January 31, 2021
John Krasinski and Baby Yoda Sang Their Shows’ Theme Songs on SNL
On this weekend's Saturday Night Live, hosted by Office-alum John Krasinski, the show took a fun swipe at Nicole Kidman's song for HBO's The Undoing by creating a parody commercial for a music completion called Now That's What I Call Theme Songs Sung By Stars of the Show -- and as part of it, Krasinski sang the "never before heard" lyrics to The Office theme
Also on deck, SNL'er Kyle Mooney got done up to look like Baby Yoda for an attempt at rhyming over The Mandalorian's theme while other cast members dressed up like TV characters from The Queen's Gambit, The Crown, Frasier, Sex and the City, and more. Here's Krasinski's crooning of The Office...
You can watch the full sketch here. The Office, which was reportedly 2020's most-streamed TV series, recently made the leap from Netflix over to Peacock, where Peacock unveiled a never-before-seen cold open for the show. That's just one of the many unreleased scenes available to watch on Peacock. Currently, Seasons 1 and 2 of The Office are available for free on the streaming service, while Seasons 3 through 9 are locked behind Peacock’s premium tier. Looking for more Dunder Mifflin related items? Here are IGN's Top 10 episodes of The Office as well as the show’s original auditions featuring Seth Rogen and Bob Odenkirk. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-episodes-of-the-office-of-all-time&captions=true"]This was the original @theofficetv theme song. Don't ask questions. pic.twitter.com/GENJfBjGks
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) January 31, 2021
The Mandalorian: Watch Rosario Dawson Transform into Ahsoka Tano
One of the indisputable highlights of The Mandalorian's second season on Disney+ was the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson.
As a way to celebrate Ahsoka Tano Day, which honors the first-ever appearance of the beloved Star Wars character, Dawson shared a time-lapse video on Friday that documented her lengthy transformation process, involving extensive makeup and heavy prosthetics, to become Ahsoka for The Mandalorian episode, "The Jedi." Check it out...
In her message, Dawson thanked Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, executive producer and "The Jedi" director Dave Filoni (who was also EP on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and creator of Star Wars Rebels), makeup artists Brian Sipe and Samantha Ward, and original Ahsoka voicer Ashley Eckstein. If you only know the character of Ahsoka Tano from her Mandalorian episode, dive into Ahsoka's backstory from her iconic animated appearances on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. An Ahsoka Tano spin-off series was officially announced for Disney+ back in December, featuring Dawson in the the title role, along with another series called Rangers of the New Republic. Both series will take place within the post-Return of the Jedi era of The Mandalorian. In "The Jedi," Din Djarin -- aka "Mando" -- brought The Child to Ahsoka Tano in hopes of reuniting it with its fellow Jedi. Ahsoka discovered The Child's name was Grogu but ultimately refused to train the wee tyke because of the emotional bond between Grogu and Mando. It was in "The Jedi" too that we got our first tease of a live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn was a supreme adversary created by author Timothy Zahn as part of the then-Extended Universe (now under the new "Star Wars Legends" banner). Thrawn made the jump from page to screen though when he appeared as a villain in the second half of Star Wars: Rebels. Now, like Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan, it looks like the character is ready to become a fully physical form of the Star Wars Disney+ universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=essential-ahsoka-tano-stories-to-watch-and-read&captions=true"]Happy #AhsokaTanoDay ! Thank you @Ashley_Eckstein for bringing Ashoka to life for us all. It’s one of the greatest honors & privileges of my life to share this remarkable character w/ the world alongside you. #DreamTeam @starwars @dave_filoni @Jon_Favreau #BrianSipe #SamanthaWard pic.twitter.com/9JThoyrm6q
— Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson) January 30, 2021
The Newest Fortnite Outfit Is Based on G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes
Fortnite's latest collaboration not only allows players to purchase an in-game outfit based on G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes, but there will also be a real-life action figure from Hasbro that is based on the character's Fortnite design.
Snake Eyes is available now in Fortnite's Item Shop, and the full set includes the Katana Pickaxe and Katana Back Bling. As for the Fortnite G.I. Joe Collab Snake Eyes: Zero Point Edition action figure, it costs $39.99 and includes Snake Eye's Katana - Morning Light - and a sheath accessory inspired by the G.I. Joe universe.
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This edition also includes such Fortnite items as the "Harpoon Launcher, Boogie Bomb, Grenade, Clinger, Chiller Grenade, as well as the Submachine weapon and Mythic Shockwave Launcher accessories featuring the Weathered Black Wrap deco as seen in-game."
Unfortunately, it appears the Snake Eyes figure will not ship out until around January 15, 2022.
While you may have to wait until 2022 to receive this special edition Snake Eyes action figure, the Snake Eyes film is set to be released in theaters on October 22, 2021. Snake Eyes stars Henry Golding as the iconic character who will train to become a member of the Arashikage Clan.
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Snake Eyes is just the latest example of Fortnite's crossover with pop culture and follows such characters as Sarah Connor, T-800, The Predator, and so much more.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
The Newest Fortnite Outfit Is Based on G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes
Fortnite's latest collaboration not only allows players to purchase an in-game outfit based on G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes, but there will also be a real-life action figure from Hasbro that is based on the character's Fortnite design.
Snake Eyes is available now in Fortnite's Item Shop, and the full set includes the Katana Pickaxe and Katana Back Bling. As for the Fortnite G.I. Joe Collab Snake Eyes: Zero Point Edition action figure, it costs $39.99 and includes Snake Eye's Katana - Morning Light - and a sheath accessory inspired by the G.I. Joe universe.
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This edition also includes such Fortnite items as the "Harpoon Launcher, Boogie Bomb, Grenade, Clinger, Chiller Grenade, as well as the Submachine weapon and Mythic Shockwave Launcher accessories featuring the Weathered Black Wrap deco as seen in-game."
Unfortunately, it appears the Snake Eyes figure will not ship out until around January 15, 2022.
While you may have to wait until 2022 to receive this special edition Snake Eyes action figure, the Snake Eyes film is set to be released in theaters on October 22, 2021. Snake Eyes stars Henry Golding as the iconic character who will train to become a member of the Arashikage Clan.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/fortnite-sarah-connor-and-the-t-800-arrive-through-the-zero-point-trailer"]
Snake Eyes is just the latest example of Fortnite's crossover with pop culture and follows such characters as Sarah Connor, T-800, The Predator, and so much more.
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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Hitman 3’s DLC May Be a ‘Reimagining’ of Existing Locations
While Hitman 3 has officially launched with the aim to end the World of Assassination Trilogy, IO Interactive is planning on developing DLC that reimagines existing locations.
Speaking to TheGamer, Hitman 3 executive producer Forest Swartout Large explained that, even though the studio is developing a new James Bond game, it is "continuously working on Hitman so we are already looking to the future."
IO Interactive has multiple teams, and at least one will continue to support Hitman 3 with post-launch patches and DLC. However, Large warns that it most likely won't include new levels like Hitman 2's New York bank level or Haven Island. Instead, the team is looking to use "existing locations and reimagining them, twisting them."
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"We are definitely going to be doing some DLC, but we haven’t defined what that is," Large said. "I think for now we are not looking at new maps like the bank and the island. We’re more looking at using existing locations and reimagining them, twisting them. And this time around, we can use the whole trilogy. We can look back at Hitman 2016 maps, Hitman 2 maps - we have all the locations."
In our Hitman 3 review, we said "Rich, rewarding, and highly replayable, Hitman 3 is a superb installment of IO’s idiosyncratic but much-loved stealth series. The fundamentals haven’t changed since 2016 but its collection of outstanding maps makes for a refined, reliable, and robust curtain-closer to the current Hitman trilogy."
Hitman 3 has already made back its costs in one week, so its no surprise that IO Interactive will want to continue to support it.
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For more on Hitman 3, check out our look at why this game proves IO Interactive is ready for the 007 license, how to get Hitman and Hitman 2 levels into Hitman 3, and our best tips and tricks to help you become the ultimate assassin.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
