2023 has had some big releases come out so far, and that has made various gamers excited because that lets them enjoy some big-name franchises throughout the year instead of having only one around for a while until the next one “finally shows up.” For Nintendo, their biggest game of 2023 was The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. The game had been hyped up for years, ever since the first teaser was shown in 2019. The game had plenty of pressure on its shoulders, and it not only lived up to the hype, but many consider it a frontrunner for Game of the Year.
Then, there are the sales numbers that add to its legend. We already knew the game had sold over 10 million units in its first three days. That’s impressive, no matter what. But now, new NPD data has revealed that in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom is the No.2 game overall in the US. Yet, there’s another twist on this metric, as the rankings are only counting the physical sales of the Nintendo title:
So that means that if the digital sales were included, the game could possibly be No.1! If you’re curious, the current No.1 game based on the NPD numbers is Hogwarts Legacy, which had an equally massive launch back in February.
When you look at these numbers and the games that Link’s newest adventure beat, you can see why Nintendo would be excited about this and how successful the game will continue to be as time goes on. After all, this will be an “evergreen” title that new gamers on the Nintendo Switch will likely get and enjoy for dozens of hours on end.
Plus, there’s potential for DLC for those who already have the game. The previous entry had the first DLC in the franchise’s history, and it was considered a big success. So if Nintendo feels they can pull it off again, they’ll do exactly that.
The real question is how Nintendo will be able to top the success of this game. We don’t simply mean with whatever The Big N has left in 2023, but rather, whenever Link returns, how will he top the adventure he just went on? That’s a big ask, given the scale and scope of this line of titles. Many expect another “reboot” of Hyrule may be on the way as there aren’t any meaningful ways to expand the realm anymore.
Only time will tell.
