Nintendo absolutely dominated GameStop’s top E3 2021 pre-orders list, with Switch owners rushing out in droves to put down deposits for games like Metroid Dread and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. However, there were a few PlayStation 5 showcases during the event, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy performed best among physical buyers, climbing to fifth in the US chain’s pre-orders list for last week.
Far Cry 6 and Madden NFL 21 also made the top ten, although the latter was technically revealed outside of the event. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance – out this week – also made the grade. The existence of Game Pass means not a single Microsoft game made the top ten (Halo Infinite was in 11th position), despite the insinuation that the subscription service actually raises game sales – there’s certainly no evidence of that here.
Perhaps the most conspicuous absentee is Battlefield 2042, which had comfortably the biggest trailer of the show. It’s worth keeping in mind that, given the source of the chart, this only accounts for physical pre-orders – and obviously, the DICE developed first-person shooter’s multiplayer focus means that it’s guaranteed to attract large digital appeal. It was also technically announced prior to E3 2021, so it’s possible many may have pre-ordered it ahead of the event.
We’ve included GameStop’s top ten below, as per the organisation’s press release. Clearly it was a good week in terms of enthusiasm for physical copies of Nintendo’s upcoming titles.
GameStop Top Ten E3 2021 Pre-Orders
- Metroid Dread
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shiny Pearl
- Mario Party Superstars
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Far Cry 6
- Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
- Madden NFL 22
- Pokémon Legends Arceus
[source nintendoeverything.com]
Comments 30
A Metroid game, no less a 2D one selling better than just "pretty good but not amazing"
You love to see it
Metroid Dread is no surprise. Though as someone who owns a Switch but not previous Nintendo hardware, I was hoping for a Prime Trilogy remaster.
Great to see Metroid getting the love it deserves.
Can’t wait to see Sony’s upcoming exclusives, hopefully they’ll show some soon. Fingers crossed for god of war gameplay! Surprised breath of the wild 2 isn’t in the top 10 to be fair.
@Philbop People are going for what's in the next few months it seems which is fair. BOTW2 being 2022 probably means a vast majority of preorders won't happen until the date is locked down.
Now that's a poor top 10. Next state of play can't come soon enough
@AdamNovice Dread's a huge surprise to me
Metroid has traditionally never raked in the cash or sales of other big name Nintendo franchises, especially the 2D ones. It was usually stuff like Prime and Other M doing signifcantly better
Hurry up Microsoft and let me get my order in for Psychonauts 2 please. Ta.
@TheFrenchiestFry It's true that Metroid has never been a huge seller but I think with Nintendo's Switch exclusives selling better then ever plus the Metroid franchise being absent for so long has created far bigger demand then ever.
I was expecting from that headline something other than them being 6th and 7th! You can’t really knock Nintendo’s lineup for the foreseeable, it’s looking very very strong.
That top 5 is why I have not used my Switch since Bravely 2nd.
Another $60 2D game, another $60 Wii rehash, another Pokemon (basically has become the yearly COD in the Nintendo world) and a Party Game (rehash N64/Gamecube content). And people say Sony makes the same games over and over?
Out of everything there I only have FarCry 6 on my list.
No Elden Ring, too! Forgot to mention that in the article!
@Agramonte If the other 2D Metroid games are any indication this will be well worth its full price tag. Metroid is one of those series that doesn't have a game that I can straight up call bad or awful
@TheFrenchiestFry Problem is my Switch does not live in a bubble. I have Lost Judgement (PS5) on September 24 and farCry 6 (PC) on October 6.
So already $130 in the hole. Nintendo wants me to go up to $195 on Oct 8, another 2D "Samus Returns" is not moving the needle.
I been sitting on a Metroid 4 pre-order since August, 2018. That is a sure thing. But Metroid Dread goes on my GameFly rental list.
Why even pre-order so far in advance?
Great to see Metroid Dread up there. I gave up hope when the teaser in Prime 3 didn't lead to an actual game but I've been waiting for the 5th game in the main series for so long. Preordered the special edition from Game immediately.
Look at all those single-player games. Wish multiplayer had such variety with its options sigh .
@Octane Why even pre-order at all?
Unless it's a first party game from Nintendo (and to a lesser extent Sony), it will be buggy, incomplete, overpriced at launch.
Not surprising that Nintendo dominates physical preorders. I would bet money that Nintendo has the highest ratio of physical/digital sales. It’s the only system that I buy physical for, anymore.
Not a fan of pre-ordering from Gamestop. I had a pre-order down for Biomutant and couldn't pick it up for 3 weeks because the physical location I put it down on was temporarily closed. I went to another location to try and transfer it and contacted customer service without any luck.
No more Gamestop for me!
@Hypnotoad107 That's interesting because I actually prefer digital for my Switch unless it's a particular game I want physically.
My thought was since it's also a mobile console the user would rather not carry the games with them.
To each their own!
@Octane I preorder the big games that I want through amazon just so its there and I dont need to do anything the money goes out day before and then it arrives. Its true there is no point really but peace of mind I guess.
Nothing worth it in my eyes this year, nothing that was actually an amazing surprise announcement, last game I E3 preordered was Cyberpunk 2077 years ago
of course nintendo dominates since nobody will buy those games digitally unlike ps games 50/50 physical and digital sales, as for xbox since halo is their biggest ip being on top 20 is a big deal
@nessisonett Actually you can when all they've shown is a bit of the same. Nothing different that stands out (like Splatoon or No More Heroes back in the day did).
@Agramonte my thoughts exactly
@huntbearpig Interesting. It’s the only one I buy physical for, because it actually reads off the card. It doesn’t full install the games, so it actually saves space. On my XSX and PS5 it does a full install either way, so I usually just go digital there.
Makes sense! I've never looked at it that way before. Since the Switch is my secondary console, the thought of filling my Micro SD is non existent haha
I don't mean to knock people's tastes, but man this is depressing stuff!
Then again Nintendo boys need their amiibo dollies & will tell themselves any old hat looks good as long as it has Metroid/Pokingman/Link on it.
Mind you the Playstation list is pretty miserable too!
@Ichiban There is nothing depressing there, unless it is your tastes in games that we are talking about. No hard feelings though, it is what it is... right?
Also, that list of games is made of Nintendo exclusives and Multiplatform games. There isn't a PS list, so I'm not sure what the hell are you talking about.... but whatever...
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