Star Wars and Pokémon are two of the biggest franchises in existence, so it was interesting to see that Pokémon Sword and Shield managed to beat Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order to the number one spot in the UK last week.
Exact sales figures were not given, although GamesIndustry.biz noted that even without being bundled with Pokémon Shield, Pokémon Sword secured the top spot while having the third biggest physical launch of the year in the UK on its own. Looks like Nintendo and Game Freak have another certified hit on their hands. At this rate, Pokémon Sword will surpass one million copies in no time.
Although it didn’t come first, second place is nothing to scoff at, so EA should be pleased with Jedi Fallen Order’s performance, especially since it had the fourth biggest UK physical launch of the year, with 66% of copies being sold on PS4 and 34% on Xbox One. However, it still sold considerably less than Star Wars: Battlefront 2 did in its UK launch back in 2017, although EA expected this as they believed a story-driven adventure would have less appeal than a multiplayer shooter.
Either way, with the Star Wars name attached, Jedi Fallen Order was still guaranteed to be a hit, and the strong reviews the game has received are also likely to help it accumulate sales. At the very least, it didn’t come in at number thirty-eight like Terminator: Resistance.
Pokémon Sword’s companion game, Pokémon Shield, came in at number three, with Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare holding on at number four. Other games published by Nintendo appearing in the top ten included Luigi’s Mansion 3 at number six, the combined dual edition of Sword & Shield at number seven, and Mario Kart 8 at number nine. The last entry is particularly impressive, seeing as it has been on sale for more than two years. The popularity of Nintendo IPs clearly means their games will have long legs when it comes to sales.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are both out now on the Nintendo Switch.
MORE SWORD AND SHIELD:
– Pokémon Sword and Shield Beginner’s Tips
– How To Level Pokémon Up Quickly
– How To Change Your Hairstyle
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
