There’s something off about Nintendo’s sales report.
On the surface, everything looks great. Strong launch for the Switch 2, solid quarterly results. Yet when you dig into the actual sales data, the story Nintendo is selling isn’t the same one their numbers tell.
According to Nintendo’s own investor relations report, Donkey Kong Bonanza shipped 3.49 million units. Impressive… except “shipped” isn’t the same as “sold.”
The game’s sell-through (meaning actual sales to customers) was 2.6 million units in its first 12 weeks. That’s a big difference, one that Nintendo acknowledges in the report.
So where did that extra 900,000 go? Probably sitting in warehouses or on store shelves. Maybe they’ll sell later, maybe they won’t. For now, Nintendo’s using that “shipped” number to make its performance look better than it really is.
The Illusion of Strength
To be clear, Donkey Kong Bonanza still sold incredibly well. 2.6 million units is a solid number no matter what. That’s what makes Nintendo’s choice so curious. They didn’t need to exaggerate.
So why focus on the bigger number? Because it paints a picture of stability.
Nintendo has been getting a lot of backlash over the decisions they’ve made this year. Add the very real possibility of losing their lawsuit against Palworld, they’re trying to show that everything is fine. That none of the controversies they’ve had are impacting their ability to sell.
Investors want assurance. Fans want reassurance. Saying Donkey Kong Bonanza sold 3.49 million shipped sounds a lot more convincing than admitting it only sold 2.6 million.
The Media’s Convenient Blind Spot
This isn’t just a Nintendo problem. The media is at fault as well. The information was right there in the company’s report. Yet reporters cherry picked the figures they felt would get people to click.
Why? Because “3.49 million” sounds better. Traditional media will present only a piece of the whole story. One that’s edited based on what they think will connect with their audience or the company they are writing about. Telling the truth tends to go out the window if it doesn’t align with that goal.
What this all shows is how easy it is to manipulate people’s perception. Nintendo gets to look untouchable. News articles get clicks. Readers are left thinking the Switch 2 is outselling everything when the numbers don’t support that narrative.
Transparency shouldn’t be negotiable, especially in an industry that thrives on hype and half-truths. Nintendo’s sales numbers aren’t false, but the company isn’t being honest either. The media’s willingness to echo that number without context is just as troubling.In the end, both sides are telling only part of the truth, but nobody wants to have that conversation.
