Nintendo Switch Becomes the Fastest-Selling Video Game System in Nintendo History

More Than 906,000 U.S. Units Sold in March; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Game Also Sets Records

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo Switch, the new home gaming system that people can also take on the go, has sold faster in its launch month than any other video game system in Nintendo history. The Nintendo Switch system sold more than 906,000 units in March, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. That makes Nintendo Switch one of the fastest-selling video game systems of all time. Notably, this sales surge was accomplished in a nontraditional month for a console launch.

The Nintendo Switch system sold more than 906,000 units in March, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game sold over 1.3 million units*. That total includes more than 925,000 units sold for Nintendo Switch and nearly 460,000 units sold for the Wii U console. That means that Nintendo sold more of this game for Nintendo Switch than it sold Nintendo Switch systems, for an attach rate of more than 100 percent. This may be attributed to people who purchased both a limited edition of the game to collect and a second version to play.

This was all enough to make The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild the fastest-selling Nintendo launch game of all time, as well as the fastest-selling game ever in The Legend of Zelda series.

“Nintendo always strives to offer consumers something fun, new and different,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “With its various play modes and the innovative features of the Joy-Con controllers, Nintendo Switch provides unique experiences that people can take with them anywhere and share with anyone.”

While Nintendo Switch sales are off to a record-breaking start, shipments have not yet been able to keep up with such high demand. Nintendo is working to make sure everyone who wants a system is able to buy one, and more systems are continually being shipped. In just over two weeks, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game will launch for Nintendo Switch on April 28 with more content than any other Mario Kart game in series history, including 48 racing tracks, new Battle modes, new characters and other additions. Competition on Nintendo Switch gets even hotter heading into summer, with the release of the ARMS game on June 16 and the Splatoon 2 game on July 21.

A full accounting of worldwide Nintendo Switch sales, as well as other financial information, will be provided on April 27, when Nintendo issues its fiscal-year earnings release. For more information, keep an eye on Nintendo’s investor relations page at https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en.

*Data regarding physical sales of games are from the NPD Group. Data regarding digital downloads of games and combined physical/digital life-to-date numbers are from Nintendo’s internal sales figures. All numbers, unless otherwise stated, are specific to the United States only.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch^™ system and the Nintendo 3DS^™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System^™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 700 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy^™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS^™ family of systems, Super NES^™, Nintendo 64^™, Nintendo GameCube^™, Wii^™ and Wii U^™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at http://press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please register on the site.

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JACKBOX GAMES LAUNCHES THE JACKBOX PARTY PACK 3 ON NINTENDO SWITCH™

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK® Studio Debuts on New Console with Critically Acclaimed Five-game Bundle

CHICAGO – April 13, 2017 – Jackbox Games, the independent developer of hilarious party games like Drawful, Fibbage, Quiplash and YOU DON’T KNOW JACK®, has released The Jackbox Party Pack 3 on Nintendo Switch™, marking the series’ first appearance on a Nintendo console. This latest collection of five multiplayer games uses phones or tablets as controllers. By entering a room code at Jackbox.tv, players anywhere in the world can join the fun, and with Audience Mode, up to 10,000 additional players can help affect the outcome of the game. And for the first time on consoles, the game can be played on the go utilizing the Nintendo Switch’s portability*.

The Jackbox Party Pack 3 features five uproarious games:

• Quiplash 2 is a bigger, better version of the original, with more say-anything prompts and a new final round, The Last Lash. Users can also write their own custom prompts, making it infinitely replayable.
• Trivia Murder Party challenges up to eight contestants to test their knowledge while being held captive by a hilariously unstable serial killer.
• Guesspionage is a game of percentages that asks up to eight players to guess the public’s answers to thought-provoking questions.
• Tee K.O. combines your artistic side with witty wordplay by turning drawings and slogans from up to eight players into hysterical T-shirts. And if you like a design, you can even buy it on a real shirt!
• Fakin’ It tasks up to six players with secret, ridiculous instructions, with the exception of one clueless player who must lie and cheat to avoid being discovered as “The Faker.”

The collection also includes improved audience and streaming features, like the ability to censor unwanted answers from unruly players in real time, and a Family Friendly Filter for managing the sometimes-edgy content of Guesspionage, Fakin’ It and Quiplash 2.

The Jackbox Party Pack 3 is available today as a digital title on the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch for $24.99 and is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB. For the latest from Jackbox Games, please visit www.jackboxgames.com, and follow the studio on Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.

*Nintendo Switch will need to be connected to the internet to play The Jackbox Party Pack 3. Thankfully, if you’re out and about and can’t find Wi-Fi, the Jackbox crew has tested the game using a 4G phone as a hotspot, while still using that same phone as a controller, and everything works great. The game’s bandwidth requirements are small, so players won’t need to worry about their phone data usage skyrocketing.

About Jackbox Games

Jackbox Games, formerly Jellyvision Games, is a developer and publisher of party games on major gaming platforms and home entertainment devices. The studio is best known for comedic party games like YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, Fibbage, Quiplash and Drawful. Jackbox Games “make the world’s best party games” according to Business Insider. YOU DON’T KNOW JACK has been called “the greatest quiz-show game ever made” by The Onion’s A.V. Club. All current-generation Jackbox games feature the innovative use of mobile devices as controllers, allowing anyone with an internet-connected phone, tablet or laptop to join a game without the need for extra game controllers. Players connect to games on their devices by going to http://jackbox.tv/ and entering the custom game code displayed via the system hosting the game. This unique concept also allows for games that involve secret player input. The digital release of The Jackbox Party Pack, a massive collection of five party games, was named “Best Local Multiplayer Game of the Year” by Giant Bomb. The company is located in Chicago, Illinois.

XSEED GAMES SETS SIGHTS ON NINTENDO SWITCH™ VERSION FOR FATE/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star

Ultimate ‘Fate’ Series Showdown Featuring Battlefield-style Action will Make the Nintendo Switch this Summer; 35 Previously-Released Paid DLC Costumes to be Included Plus Exclusive New Character Costume

Torrance, Calif. — April 13, 2017 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, the high-octane action title set within the much-beloved Fate universe, will launch for Nintendo Switch in North America on July 25, 2017, as revealed during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation. Marvelous Europe has also announced that they will be bringing the title to Europe and Australia on July 21, 2017.

Following a successful launch on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, the Nintendo Switch version comes loaded with 35 previously-released paid DLC costumes, along with an exclusive new Unshackled Bride outfit. Featuring playable characters from multiple Fate productions across three distinct narrative perspectives, Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star delivers the series’ most legendary showdown yet. Interested fans can check out the game’s inclusion in yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation at the following URL: https://youtu.be/b0eA0AKk6wY?t=5m16s

About Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star

Developed by Marvelous Inc. and expanding upon the extensive Fate universe with an original story from acclaimed series writer Kinoko Nasu (of Fate/stay night fame), Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star features a diverse cast of 16 playable “Servants” – ancient warriors of legend and imagination, always at the beck and call of their Masters – who survived the Holy Grail War that took place on the Moon. In a future watched over by the all-powerful lunar super computer, “Moon Cell Automaton,” these champions now battle for dominance over this digital realm, known as “SE.RA.PH.” This story takes place after the events described in Fate/EXTRA, and depicts the world as it appears following that previous Holy Grail War.

Players will experience the story of Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star from the independent perspectives of the three factions wrestling for control over SE.RA.PH. and face off against foes from a variety of Fate productions, including characters from Fate/EXTRA, Fate/stay night, Fate/Zero, Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Grand Order, in fast-paced combat. A new form change battle mechanic called Moon Crux debuts in this entry to match its series-first gameplay style, transforming the player-controlled Servants and granting them considerable powers that allow them to devastate enemies and take formidable challenges head-on. The game will contain the original Japanese voices, with the Nintendo Switch version featuring game text in English, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional), and Korean.

Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star is developed by Marvelous Inc. and is published in North America by XSEED Games. In addition to standard retail and digital formats for the Nintendo Switch version, the game is available on the PlayStation®4 and “PSVita” systems in a limited Noble Phantasm Edition bundle, which contains a 7.5” by 6.3” hardcover art book featuring over 100 pages of high-quality artwork and backstory from the Fate/EXTELLA universe, a pack of sixteen collectible 3” by 5” cards depicting each of the game’s Servants, and a 24” by 17” cloth poster, all housed in a custom collectible box. The PlayStation®4 and “PSVita” system versions of this title have been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB, while the Nintendo Switch version has not yet been rated. Further details will be revealed in the coming months.

More information on Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star can be found on the official product website at www.fateextella.com. For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.

Nintendo Download: Hello, BYE-BYE BOXBOY!

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– This week’s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

The Mr. Shifty game follows a teleportation-fueled heist to break into the world’s most secure facility – players will use distraction and trickery, and explore what’s possible when stealth and action become one. (Photo: Business Wire)

• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch
  • Mr. Shifty – Shift through bullets, and master lightning-fast takedowns in a new kind of action game from tinyBuild and Team Shifty. The Mr. Shifty game follows a teleportation-fueled heist to break into the world’s most secure facility – players will use distraction and trickery, and explore what’s possible when stealth and action become one.
  • The Jackbox Party Pack 3 – The threequel to the party-game phenomenon features FIVE new sense-shattering Jackbox games: Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Guesspionage, Tee K.O. and Fakin’ It. It’s a digital box full of actual fun!
  • Puyo Puyo Tetris – Demo Version – Two classic puzzle games face off in Puyo Puyo Tetris. The four-player puzzle mashup game is only a little more than a week away, launching in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch on April 25.* For people that want to try before they buy, a free demo for the game is now available.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • BYE-BYE BOXBOY! – The epic trilogy that has taken the world of geometry by storm comes to its dramatic conclusion with the BYE-BYE BOXBOY! game, from the folks at HAL Laboratory, Inc., creators of the Kirby series. By rescuing new Qbabies, main character Qbby will receive one of four powers – Boxrocket, Bombox, Warpbox and Remotebox – that can help the boxy hero overcome obstacles in a new way. Tapping any of the Kirby series amiibo figures (sold separately) like Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight or Waddle Dee will permanently unlock a new colorful costume for Qbby based on that character. A free demo for all three games in the series is also available in Nintendo eShop.
  • Team Kirby Clash Deluxe – As part of the 25^th anniversary celebration of the adorable Kirby franchise, this free-to-start game features four Kirby characters with different powers: Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, Beam Mage and Doctor Healmore. Grab three friends and see if you can defeat all the giant enemies!**

Nintendo eShop sales:

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
  • Great deals this week! Check out the full list of deals on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games available this week at http://www.nintendo.com/games/sales-and-deals.

Activities:

• National StreetPass Weekend (Easter) – Spring is finally here … and so is National StreetPass Weekend! From April 13 to April 16, collect up to six StreetPass tags from across North America when you stop by a Nintendo Zone location with your Nintendo 3DS family system. While you’re out and about enjoying the warmer weather, be sure to take advantage of the cool StreetPass features in popular games like Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS.

• New My Nintendo Rewards – Yoshi and his faithful pal Poochy have a friendship you’ve gotta love. You can redeem points for up to 30 percent discounts on Yoshi’s debut, Super Mario World (Virtual Console on New Nintendo 3DS), and Poochy’s debut, Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (Virtual Console on Wii U), as well as an “Egg-cellent” Yoshi Springtime Siesta Nintendo 3DS theme. To be eligible for the discounts on Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, points must be redeemed by 11 p.m. PT on July 12; discount valid until 11:59 p.m. PT on Aug. 12. Members can also redeem points for full online access to guides, including the Animal Crossing: New Leaf Prima Official Game Guide and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Prima Official Game Guide. To learn more, visit http://my.nintendo.com.
• Fire Emblem Heroes – Starting April 14, a Summoning event will introduce four other Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia characters: Alm… Clair… Faye… and Lukas. Several new updates to the mobile game are now available, including a new feature called Hero Merit, a new stat that increases every time a hero finishes a battle alive. When their Hero Merit reaches 500 points, players receive 500 Hero Feathers. Another update has raised the maximum stamina for all players from 50 to 99. Stay tuned for more updates.

Also new this week:

• ACA NEOGEO SAMURAI SHODOWN IV (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch)
• Bingo Collection (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Pic-a-pix color (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• FIFTEEN (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Ascent of Kings (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Scoop’n Birds (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Pic-a-pix color (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new games weekly to Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch console, the Wii U console and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service that features a wide variety of content, including new and classic games, applications and demos. Users can add money to their account balances by using a credit card or purchasing a Nintendo eShop Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card. All funds from one card must be loaded in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch, Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but can be used in any Nintendo eShop if the systems are linked to a single Nintendo Network account.

The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points^™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel.

Remember that Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Wii, New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. Nintendo 3DS players who register a Nintendo Network ID gain access to free-to-start games and free game demos from Nintendo eShop, and also get the latest news and information direct from Nintendo. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/switch, http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at http://press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please register on the site.

*Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode; sold separately.
**Additional games and systems required for multiplayer mode; sold separately.

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UBISOFT^® AND HASBRO ANNOUNCE MONOPOLY GAME FOR NINTENDO SWITCH

SYDNEY, Australia — April 13, 2017 — Today, Ubisoft^® and Hasbro announced that a MONOPOLY console video game will be joining the Ubisoft lineup on Nintendo Switch™ in fall 2017.

Ubisoft is bringing the iconic game to Nintendo’s new console for players of all ages to own it all anytime, anywhere, at home on the TV screen or on-the-go in tabletop mode. With Nintendo Switch capabilities, Monopoly fans can feel the roll of the dice with the HD Rumble feature and play with up to  six players online or offline. As they progress, players can also win rewards, unlock new exclusive content and watch the city prosper in front of their eyes!

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch will offer new twists on the classic board game with additional content, more interactions and new rules.

For more information about Monopoly for Nintendo Switch, please visit ubisoft.com

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, Allspark Pictures, are building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Through its commitment to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to make the world a better place for children and their families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2015–16 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,394 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment and are used with permission © 2017 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro to Ubisoft Entertainment. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Games software © 2017 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. © 2017 Nintendo. Nintendo Switch and Joy-Con are trademarks of Nintendo.