Japan Studio’s enjoyable (but not outstanding) PlayStation 4 launch title Knack landed a heavy blow on the critically acclaimed Super Mario 3D World this week, finishing above the Wii U exclusive in the UK sales charts. Mark Cerny’s throwback platformer punched its way into 13th in the multiformat best-sellers list, while the bruised Italian mascot was forced to sit behind in 14th. It’s not especially surprising, considering Sony’s next generation console already has a larger install base than Nintendo’s device in Britain – despite the latter launching a year ago.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Ghosts topped the charts, while FIFA 14 slipped into second. The soccer sim was strengthened by being bundled with the Xbox One last week, but still enjoyed “strong sales” on the PS4. Elsewhere, Battlefield 4 bombed the third spot, while Killzone: Shadow Fall fired into fourth – a position boosted by bundles featuring the first-person shooter. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Grand Theft Auto V, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Just Dance 2014 rounded out the top-ten, with Batman: Arkham Origins just slipping inside.
As always, you can peruse the full list of movers and shakers through here. Which titles did you pick up alongside your console? Are you surprised that Knack managed to outpace Mario? Did you expect Guerrilla Games’ launch title to chart higher? Soak up the sales in the comments section below.
[source chart-track.co.uk, via nintendolife.com, eurogamer.net]
Comments 20
Is this including the copies sold in the PS4 bundles?
I got a PS4 Knack bundle, only because I had no other option, my choice was either to buy a Knack bundle or I wouldn't get a PS4 before Christmas. About half of the PS4s available in the store where I bought it were Knack bundles, I was 67th in the queue for 83 available units, and all that they had left when I got to the front was the Knack bundle, which indicates that for the people who had the choice at the front of the queue, nobody chose Knack.
I definitely wouldn't have bought Knack separately.
@Mctee Yeah, it does include bundles.
I saw today two guys were playing Knack. Hell, it looked so awesome.
@Gemuarto Yeah it is a suprising game. With it getting such horrid reviews people probably aren't expecting much but have found it to be a decent title when played. It certainly suprised me a couple of months back when I got some hands-on.
"so long , big bowser !"
The only sad story about this is how Tearaway barely got in the charts. T_T
Besides that everything went just as planned for Sony.
Wow... It's so sad that people would rather buy a bad/mediocre game on a new system than a stellar game that has so many positive reviews. I love Nintendo for the games. It's sad what some gamers look to nowadays.
@get2sammyb
7/10 Points taken off because Knack
@Epic Um Tearaway charted 26 last week right? Very certain with ads. Killzone Mercenary for comparison charted at an 8 with barely no ads.
My Point: Over here in the UK Sony are marketing Vita with Injustice, LEGO Marvel super heroes and Tearaway it shows that unlike their US counterpart: laziness doesn't occur. But Knack beating Super Mario 3D World? See below for response.
@zeldagaymer93 Sad isn't a word i would use, surprising is definitely the right word. It highlights an issue with Wii U and Nintendo, which is sad at the moment. In that context i can agree its sad.
@Legendaryboss @zeldagaymer93 I think the bigger issue is that the Wii U has practically zero presence in the UK at the moment. My local GAME store has two massive walls of PlayStation and Xbox, and a bit of 3DS in the middle. The Wii U, meanwhile, has a tiny little section shoved up the corner.
I don't think that this is about people "picking" a mediocre game over a great one, it's more down to the fact that people don't know Super Mario 3D World is even out. And for a game as good as that, that's the real disappointment.
I'm still glad Knack did okay, though, as we need more games like it.
@get2sammyb Thats sounds really similar to my local GAME layout, must be similar throughout.
I mean Nintendo are trying i saw lots of Zelda HD ads and i am currently seeing lots of Super Mario 3D World. But not as much as they are pushing 3DS which in turn increases presence.
As for Knack we need more games within that genre i wouldn't say like it because that has done the reviews no justice.
Daaaaaaaamn. Nintendo need a miracle right now. But I guess... well done Knack?
Hearing about Tearaway's poor performance made me shed a manly tear. That game deserves so much better.
Nintendo was doing a huge push in king of prussia mall this week. Like 10-20 wii u consoles in the middle of a hall in one of the biggest malls in America.
I gave 3D World a try at my local GameStop and it was... not terrible, but highly overrated. I've only seen gameplay of Knack at this point, so I can't judge until I actually play it, though, it's good to see that it beat Mario.
I think the issue here is that many people are getting tired of Mario, because there have been other Mario games with less advertising that have done better, but that's just my opinion.
got my hands on a knack demo at gamestop, it does look and play well. might grab it later this month or the next.
The real risk for the Wii U at this point is that chains may start destocking it. Shelf space is prime real estate. They just got 2 extra consoles that they have to find space for, which will put the squeeze on the console that sells the least.
In Aus Nintendo has already been moved to the back corner of stores, where they used to be at the front with the Wii. The risk is despite all Nintendo's efforts, the situation may be taken out of their hands.
Having said all that, we are not at that point yet, and Wii U sales have improved, especially in the US, so they are trending upward. But the risk is real.
The nintendorks are going ape **** over this news on the sites. While I own and enjoy both Knack and SM3DW, its good to see a platformer doing well that isn't just Mario in this time where western devs/fps are domaining worldwide.
Knack looks great, i hate how reviewers trashed it.
If Nintendo really wanted to think outside the box and do something totally unexpected that would boost sales, this is it: Create a version of Super Mario Bros 3D World for both PS4 AND XBone and release it to the masses. You'd sell about a bazillion copies of the dang thing and the hype would be huge. Then, about 6 weeks later, release the sequel to SMB3D World EXCLUSIVELY for Wii U and make it VERY clear that this title will NOT be coming to the other systems. Because of the hype for the sequel (and the renewed interest in Mario from PS4/XBone owners...and riding high off of the sales of the PS4/XBone port of SMB3D World), everybody would be frothing at the mouth for the sequel, and Nintendo would sell their Wii-U consoles like gangbusters.
The point is this: Love for Mario still exists within PS4 & XBone owners, but if it's not for the machine they own, it's an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" issue. Nintendo has to get their Mario game into as many players' hands as possible so that we're all reminded just how much we love Mario and just how difficult it is to live without him.
Not really surprised. The game was cheaper and had a stronger console to go with it. This will be one of the rare occasions where you will see multiple platformers doing that well...
Happy to see the PS4 doing well in Europe, hopefully it continues because early indications are Xbox One and 360 smashed the PS4 here in NA on Black Friday. It wasn't even close. Wal-Mart and Target, I believe X1 had 31% of the sales, 360 just behind at 30%, PS4 at a pathetic 16% and Wii U at an abysmal 4% (and of course Nintendo of America continues to kick back and not advertise for sh*t, you have the best game and most affordable next-gen console this holiday, dumba$$es, let it be known). I wouldn't care except while I still want to see MS be successful-the more healthy competitors the better- I believe it deserves to take a serious beating for the nonsense policies it initially tried to pull and could easily bring back. Unfortunately, Nintendo of America is clueless and very much on the verge of being irrelevant as far as home consoles (thankfully the 3DS is much healthier and raking in the dough, which should mean we get at least another console and handheld from Nintendo 4-5 years from now regardless of what happens in the upcoming home console generation). Sony is pretty much done in NA. It can't sell the Vita in any region and if in this market if it can't even beat the X1 this holiday with vastly superior hardware and a better price, forget it, no chance in the coming years. This could be a worse beatdown than 360 gave PS3.
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