KINGDOM HEARTS III remains the best-selling game of 2019 YTD for the fourth consecutive month
- Details
- Published on May 21, 2019 @ 11:18 pm
- Written by Sign
KINGDOM HEARTS III maintains its position as the best-selling game of 2019 year to date for the fourth consecutive month! This information comes by way of analyst Mat Piscatella and The NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the U.S.
As of April, the 10 best-selling games of 2019 year to date are:
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2^
- Anthem^
- Resident Evil 2 (2019)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice^
- Jump Force
- MLB 19: The Show
* Digital sales not included
^ PC digital sales not included
These latest sales have allowed Kingdom Hearts III to break into the Top 10 sellers of the last 12 months ending in April 2019. The full list is as follows:
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII^
- NBA 2K19
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Madden NFL 19^
- Marvel's Spider-Man
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- FIFA 19^
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Battlefield V^
These aren't the only milestones Kingdom Hearts III has accomplished since its release on January 29th, 2019. Along with it becoming the second biggest launch in Square Enix history (following FINAL FANTASY XV), it's now also the fastest-selling and best-selling game in the entire KINGDOM HEARTS franchise, having surpassed the original KINGDOM HEARTS, which was last reported with 6.3 million units sold.
Regardless of whether or not Kingdom Hearts III will be able to hold on to its position in the following months, it will likely see continued success upon the release of both paid and free DLC later this year.
The paid DLC, tentatively titled "ReMIND", includes an additional scenario, Limit Cut Episode with multiple bosses, Secret Episode and boss, and an English voiceover option for the Japanese version. The free DLC consists of a new Keyblade and Form Change. More information will be released in June.
Follow Kingdom Hearts Insider on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on The World Ends With You, Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross], Kingdom Hearts III and all things Kingdom Hearts!
COMMENTS
Yay! I hope Square Enix uses all that cash to work on the next KH game!
Battlefield V is right below it in the rankings for sales over the last 12 months. The latter game has sold 7.3 million as of a few months ago, so KH3 has sold at least that.
Well deserved for KH3. I hope SE is really pleased with the sales and Disney is begging Nomura to make another one ASAP.
I can’t wait for the DLC, especially since I think it’ll be the thing that actually solidifies my opinion about the game since I can’t really pin down my feelings.
Wonder if the game between KH3 and KH4 will reach the same numbers as its predecessor? Since it likely won't be a handheld and coming off the high of KH3 it could do as well
Well deserved for KH3. I hope SE is really pleased with the sales and Disney is begging Nomura to make another one ASAP.
I can’t wait for the DLC, especially since I think it’ll be the thing that actually solidified my opinion about the game since I can’t really pin down my feelings.
I think I feel the same way, which is not exactly sure how to feel. Critical mode improved my opinion about the gameplay, but the DLC will be their only chance to -at least partially- fix some of the issues with the plot. I hope that in the end our feelings about the game are more on the positive side.
Wonder if the game between KH3 and KH4 will reach the same numbers as its predecessor? Since it likely won't be a handheld and coming off the high of KH3 it could do as well
I think it will have a dip in sales. KH3 was the culmination of 13 years of hype. I suspect we will see about half of the sales of KH3 from the next project. KH4 following it will be marketed on the “Return of Sora” and likely now that they know people want FF characters, they will stuff it with FF7R ones to ride the hype of that + new ones that haven’t been in the series yet. KH4 will also not cross KH3’s sales but it will be in between the new project’s sales and KH3’s.
Wonder if the game between KH3 and KH4 will reach the same numbers as its predecessor? Since it likely won't be a handheld and coming off the high of KH3 it could do as well
The masses don't care about spin-off games at all. It could literally named KH4 & it sells 3-4x more copies than the exact same game but with a different name.
& it's very likely there will be another mobile game, let's not kid ourselves.
Personally, I'm not surprised because I can hardly name a single game that has come out this year aside from KHIII, but I know that could be just me and my limited tastes.
& it's very likely there will be another mobile game, let's not kid ourselves.
I think it is way more likely to be a Switch game.
Mobile game returns are decreasing for SE year-to-year, even with the introduction of new games based on popular IP. Their aggressive monetization model is still profitable, but the market is over-saturated which means shorter lifespans for these games. Eventually the reduced returns won’t justify the operating costs, even if they are making a lot of money initially.
Also with regulators starting to hone in on these types of games, it’s not smart for SE to invest in more mobile games until there is a clear understanding of how these games will be able to monetize themselves in the future.
So, no, that won’t be KH’s next project. UX will probably just get a relaunch with another new name before they go out of their way to make a brand new KH mobile game.
Yeah I suspect DDD volume 2 will be a switch game as well. Makes sense to have a game on that console
I think it will have a dip in sales. KH3 was the culmination of 13 years of hype. I suspect we will see about half of the sales of KH3 from the next project. KH4 following it will be marketed on the “Return of Sora” and likely now that they know people want FF characters, they will stuff it with FF7R ones to ride the hype of that + new ones that haven’t been in the series yet. KH4 will also not cross KH3’s sales but it will be in between the new project’s sales and KH3’s.
I dunno I think KH4 could easily outdo KH3's sales. Especially if they continue to use modern Disney and Pixar films and more FF characters like you mentioned.
I dunno I think KH4 could easily outdo KH3's sales. Especially if they continue to use modern Disney and Pixar films and more FF characters like you mentioned.
Ehhh, I really doubt it. KH3 was very unique because of the monumental amount of hype that was created over the last decade, and it’s hard to recreate that kind of hype in an organic manner. KH3 ended on a cliffhanger (one that has upset casual and long-time fans) and while I’m sure because of that people will be eager to find out what happens, it isn’t an eagerness born of hype but of necessity to see the story through. I’m confident in thinking 7m was the ceiling for the series unless it is called the “final game” or something.
Anything following would require a massive shift in SE and Disney’s marketing strategy to make it reach that level again.
This is good for all involved (fans, creators, publishers, and Disney).
I don't want rushed games, but I hope this pushes SE and Disney to push for a bigger budget and more resources.
I dunno I think KH4 could easily outdo KH3's sales. Especially if they continue to use modern Disney and Pixar films and more FF characters like you mentioned.
That's only if KH4 includes Disney. The secret ending didn't really hint at that.
That's only if KH4 includes Disney. The secret ending didn't really hint at that.
The next game isn’t KH4, though.
That's only if KH4 includes Disney. The secret ending didn't really hint at that.
Don't be ridiculous. Disney wasn't in KH1 or Kh2's secret ending, either.
(also, the next game isn't going to be kh4)
That's only if KH4 includes Disney. The secret ending didn't really hint at that.
I figured Shibuya and Shinjuku are only the hub worlds. Disney worlds should still be a part of Sora's Reaper Game
I think it is way more likely to be a Switch game.
I just can't see a Switch exclusive happening. Any game that can run on Switch can just as well be multiplatform on NS/PS4/XB1 so why not just do that? Even if there was a game that's Switch exclusive, everybody would be counting the days until it inevitably gets ported to Playstation like the handheld games before it.
Well this is excellent news! I absolutely loved Kingdom Hearts III, and it makes me so happy that it sold so well! Now I'm looking forward to the DLC and whatever comes after that. I can now say that regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all.
I just love this. Hopefully this will mean that we will get more KH games and faster. (Of course only if the game does not suffer for that)
I just can't see a Switch exclusive happening. Any game that can run on Switch can just as well be multiplatform on NS/PS4/XB1 so why not just do that? Even if there was a game that's Switch exclusive, everybody would be counting the days until it inevitably gets ported to Playstation like the handheld games before it.
I didn’t say it’d be exclusive.
I just love this. Hopefully this will mean that we will get more KH games and faster. (Of course only if the game does not suffer for that)
Actually, I think that now it’s easier for SE to release a new KH game because they have the new assets from KH3 and don’t need to rebuild everything from the scratch. Also, KH3 looks stunning in UE4. I really hope they use this engine the whole next console generation.
And because of the structure of the PS5, it doesn’t seem that far fetched for SE to use KH3’s assets for new games as the PS5 supports PS4 games and Sony keeps supporting the PS4 the next three years. Cross releases seem very likely. :)
KH3 be like
Ehhh, I really doubt it. KH3 was very unique because of the monumental amount of hype that was created over the last decade, and it’s hard to recreate that kind of hype in an organic manner. KH3 ended on a cliffhanger (one that has upset casual and long-time fans) and while I’m sure because of that people will be eager to find out what happens, it isn’t an eagerness born of hype but of necessity to see the story through. I’m confident in thinking 7m was the ceiling for the series unless it is called the “final game” or something.
Anything following would require a massive shift in SE and Disney’s marketing strategy to make it reach that level again.
While I do agree that the next Kingdom Hearts game probably won’t sell as well as Kingdom Hearts III, I do think there is a possibility it could come close. The reason I say that is because I do believe the amount of people who express their opinions online for Kingdom Hearts doesn’t necessarily represent the majority of people who bought and played the game. Sure, there are some people complaining online, and some people complaining offline too, but that doesn’t mean the majority of people hated the ending so much that they won’t support any future Kingdom Hearts games. I do think the numbers of units sold will drop again, which is very normal for a franchise and doesn’t mean it’s the end of the franchise either, but I do think the next Kingdom Hearts game, whether that be Kingdom Hearts IV or a non-numbered title, can still sell very well and be very successful.
While I do agree that the next Kingdom Hearts game probably won’t sell as well as Kingdom Hearts III, I do think there is a possibility it could come close. The reason I say that is because I do believe the amount of people who express their opinions online for Kingdom Hearts doesn’t necessarily represent the majority of people who bought and played the game. Sure, there are some people complaining online, and some people complaining offline too, but that doesn’t mean the majority of people hated the ending so much that they won’t support any future Kingdom Hearts games. I do think the numbers of units sold will drop again, which is very normal for a franchise and doesn’t mean it’s the end of the franchise either, but I do think the next Kingdom Hearts game, whether that be Kingdom Hearts IV or a non-numbered title, can still sell very well and be very successful.
I think what she meant is that it stifled many fans' long-running passion for the series, and so they comparatively ended up with less investment in the series future than they had before KH3. As for why, some felt the ending lacked the finality and a strong enough conclusion to justify the several years of waiting they had to do for it (and thus would naturally be hesitant about placing that much investment in the future of the series all over again), and others just vocally don't like the route the story's headed based on the overly abundant amount of set up in KH3 (despite Nomura's claims about things being a "blank state", which they're objectively not). In any case, this is only one reason to think the next KH game won't perform as well. In general, for me, it's just hard to picture the team managing to accumulate as much hype as they did for KH3. I guess by that same token you could say "Well they did it once, they can do it again", but that fundamentally depends on how much faith you place in them. And some have more faith than others.
While I do agree that the next Kingdom Hearts game probably won’t sell as well as Kingdom Hearts III, I do think there is a possibility it could come close. The reason I say that is because I do believe the amount of people who express their opinions online for Kingdom Hearts doesn’t necessarily represent the majority of people who bought and played the game. Sure, there are some people complaining online, and some people complaining offline too, but that doesn’t mean the majority of people hated the ending so much that they won’t support any future Kingdom Hearts games. I do think the numbers of units sold will drop again, which is very normal for a franchise and doesn’t mean it’s the end of the franchise either, but I do think the next Kingdom Hearts game, whether that be Kingdom Hearts IV or a non-numbered title, can still sell very well and be very successful.
I’m not saying it will underperform at all or that it will be the end of the franchise. I haven’t implied that at all, only that it won’t reach KH3’s numbers because it was such a unique situation that is near impossible to replicate without either a huge shift in direction for KH that is appealing to the mass audience, a shift in marketing that is known to be effective and appealing to audiences, or a new approach to expanding the series through other forms of media like TV and film. You just can’t replicate 13 years of hype and anticipation and 8 games of storytelling.
I didn’t even say that a majority disliked the ending, only that it is something that has affected both casual and core fan investment in the series. I think it is safer to say that the game is divisive and for as many people who liked it, there are likely as many people who hated it. The sales in the next numbered will reflect this.
Don't be ridiculous. Disney wasn't in KH1 or Kh2's secret ending, either.
Man, you are annoying. That’s not even a fair comparison. Do you even post good content anymore?
The next game isn’t KH4, though.
Point taken.
Man, you are annoying. That’s not even a fair comparison. Do you even post good content anymore?
Seems perfectly fair to me? 'Another Side, Another Story' and 'The Gathering' didn't have a hint of Disney either. 'Yozora' keeping in line with that trend in no way confirms that the next title won't include it.
Maybe the ReMIND DLC will add an extended secret ending with the obligatory Mickey cameo.
A KH without Disney properties is a KH that bombs in sales. It ain't happening, ever.
Amazing trio!
Oracle Spockanort's analysis of the mobile gaming panorama is spot-on. I can really see Nomura pulling one last season out of KHUx with a relaunch, for the sake of utilizing the mobile game and a KINGDOM HEARTS III.5 to build-up towards KHIV.
And no, I also do not think that the bridge game between KH3 and KH4 will reach KH3's sales number, but it could come close. Nor do I think KH4 will reach KH3's numbers, but it'll certainly come closer than the bridge game. Like Spockanort mentioned, the level of organic hype this game had was unbelievable. That is certainly that Square nor Disney could hope to achieve, even if the game is promoted as the end to the Foretellers' saga.
With that said, I do think that Square should be aware of KH4 not reaching KH3's numbers, but investors will just have their expectations high, meaning that Square should up their Marketing game with the KH franchise, and keep working on their business plans. Including the Nintendo Switch on the bridge game's release is certainly a good strategy to mitigate the decline in sales from KH3 to KH3.5. Especially how the Switch is present in a lot of households alongside the PS4, and the fact that it's selling like pancakes.
Seems perfectly fair to me? 'Another Side, Another Story' and 'The Gathering' didn't have a hint of Disney either. 'Yozora' keeping in line with that trend in no way confirms that the next title won't include it.
Maybe the ReMIND DLC will add an extended secret ending with the obligatory Mickey cameo.
Oh shoot that's right. They gotta shoehorn Mickey somehow in the next game as well if he is to appear on the Box art. Only problem is Riku seemed to be by himself in Shinjuku. Guess it could be a quick cameo like 358 2 Days
I’m not saying it will underperform at all or that it will be the end of the franchise. I haven’t implied that at all, only that it won’t reach KH3’s numbers because it was such a unique situation that is near impossible to replicate without either a huge shift in direction for KH that is appealing to the mass audience, a shift in marketing that is known to be effective and appealing to audiences, or a new approach to expanding the series through other forms of media like TV and film. You just can’t replicate 13 years of hype and anticipation and 8 games of storytelling.
I didn’t even say that a majority disliked the ending, only that it is something that has affected both casual and core fan investment in the series. I think it is safer to say that the game is divisive and for as many people who liked it, there are likely as many people who hated it. The sales in the next numbered will reflect this.
I actually didn’t mean to make it sound like that’s what you were saying. I’m sorry that it came across that way. I actually just meant to express why I thought the next Kingdom Hearts game could still be successful, even if it didn’t reach Kingdom Hearts III’s level of success. I’m sorry if it sounded like I was putting words in your mouth. That’s not what I was trying to do. You have very good points too, and I do agree with you that Kingdom Hearts III’s level of hype helped generate its sales.
I also think that porting The Story so Far on the XBOX & Switch would definitely help boosting the sales for further KH games. :)
It is possible the nest one will outsell 3.
3 did have a lot of hype because of the wait. (let's please never do that again...)
But because so many new players came on board with 3, it could mean we'll have a larger install base.
I've worked in a game store since 2 came out, and the launch turnout for 3 surprised me a lot. Some had never even played the game and I've since talked with people who went back and tried 1 & 2 because they liked 3.
If the next one is not 4, then maybe not. Especially if it's a spinoff on just the Switch or something. (I have a Switch and I would prefer it on PS4 or 5.)
Remember when you guys were scared this game was going to sell poorly in favor of RE2?
Man, what funny times.
Do you even post good content anymore?
I save good content for people with good points.
4 month in row dam telling ya if made 12 month in row i going be out in store finding sea salt ice cream lol
Seems perfectly fair to me? 'Another Side, Another Story' and 'The Gathering' didn't have a hint of Disney either. 'Yozora' keeping in line with that trend in no way confirms that the next title won't include it.
Maybe the ReMIND DLC will add an extended secret ending with the obligatory Mickey cameo.
I save good content for people with good points.
4 month in row dam telling ya if made 12 month in row i going be out in store finding sea salt ice cream lol
It ain't beating CoD. CoD will beat it in a single day. It always does.
It ain't beating CoD. CoD will beat it in a single day. It always does.
i belive CoD is not in Role playing Disney Square enix game for game of year each game have their own tag
I'm actually a little surprised KH3 has outsold KH1 considering KH2 never came close to that. The power of Frozen. ?
But, no, really, the likeliest reason is that it was available for two systems at first release, right?
I'm actually a little surprised KH3 has outsold KH1 considering KH2 never came close to that. The power of Frozen. ?
But, no, really, the likeliest reason is that it was available for two systems at first release, right?
It could have been availability on Xbone, but I personally feel that millennials are on a nostalgia high so KH3 is basically the epitome of nostalgia to the people that only played KH1 and 2 (and/or fans of Disney/Pixar films). Also, I think the worlds selected fit a wide range of current kids/teenagers who are nostalgic to films like Tangled/Frozen/Pirates of the Caribbean (like if they saw Frozen when they were 10, they would be 16 now) and whose parents probably played KH1 and 2 and/or own a PS4/Xbone themselves, so it just really spread across a lot of demographics.
Because of that, I've always had this feeling that Nomura made KH3 purposefully more friendly to new players, rather than long-time fans. I don't think new players would care about Leon/Yuffie/Cloud/Aerith and would be all about the Disney. That's why KH3 starts off in Olympus rather than an original world and the overall lack of original worlds (this is all the speculation in my mind).
I save good content for people with good points.
Don't be ridiculous. Your post history is a joke.
That's why KH3 starts off in Olympus rather than an original world and the overall lack of original worlds (this is all the speculation in my mind).
I actually think that this is very interesting considering they were first planning to let KH3 start off with Aqua in the RoD. From a fan’s point of view, I think this would have been great for the experience.
I would not deny that Olympus as the first world was a good choice for new players. But I think for us fans beginning KH3 with Aqua in the RoD would have been more epic. :)
Yeah, there's no way the next KH or KH4 will outsell this game. You just can't replicate the type of hype seen for KH3 again. Once of a lifetime.
That's only if KH4 includes Disney. The secret ending didn't really hint at that.
Disney will be in future titles don't worry about it, The new seven princesses (we've seen 4 we still don't know who the other 3 are) also Pete and Maleficent being in the epilogue clearly indicates that they will play a role in future games.
Battlefield V is right below it in the rankings for sales over the last 12 months. The latter game has sold 7.3 million as of a few months ago, so KH3 has sold at least that.
I really do have to congratulate KH3 for selling so well. If it's correct that it had sold over 7.3 million copies at the end of April then, if it keeps going at this rate, it could become Square Enix's best selling game, surpassing FFXV. Maybe the game can reach the 10 million milestone in the future.
And with KH4, it depends how much hype there will be with some of the chosen properties. Worlds based off The Incredibles, Frozen 2, Zootopia, etc will likely have fans of those films play the game.
I really do have to congratulate KH3 for selling so well. If it's correct that it had sold over 7.3 million copies at the end of April then, if it keeps going at this rate, it could become Square Enix's best selling game, surpassing FFXV. Maybe the game can reach the 10 million milestone in the future.
And with KH4, it depends how much hype there will be with some of the chosen properties. Worlds based off The Incredibles, Frozen 2, Zootopia, etc will likely have fans of those films play the game.
I believe Square's best selling game is still FFVII although that includes all re-releases and ports. It's about 11 million from what I remember and had about 9 million in its original release in 1997.
KH3 prob selling over 7 million is honestly fantastic. Well done!
Twero
May 22, 2019 @ 01:38 amOffline