The Metroid series has never been one of Nintendo's big sellers. It currently sits 17th among the company's major franchises, behind Wario, Duck Hunt, and Game & Watch — it's no wonder Nintendo's social media efforts were quieter in the lead-up to Metroid Prime 4.
While marketing certainly ramped up, with adverts popping up all over the globe, it seems like Nintendo was chasing a lost cause. In its second week in Japan, Metroid Prime 4 sold only 3,000 physical units, far fewer than the previous Metroid title and fewer than many, many other Switch titles.
Japan has never been Metroid Prime's dominant market. Gamers in the country typically don't favor FPS games, and thus, the Prime series has always struggled there. Metroid Prime 4's sales might be a new low, though.
As spotted by Genki_JPN on Twitter, Metroid Prime 4 sold just 3,381 physical units in Japan in its second week, bringing its two-week total physical sales to 32,382. There's a lot to unpack.
Metroid Dread managed over 86,000 physical sales in Japan in its first week, with a further 22,000 in its second, bringing its two-week total to ~108,000 units. That's three times what Prime...
