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Bayonetta 2 Sales On Switch Below Expectations

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2 was somewhat of a coup for Nintendo. Particularly given that the original game was released on Xbox and PS3 respectively.

When Bayonetta 2 was announced, fans of the series were delighted. It did, however, take a major twist when it was released that the popular sequel was going to be a Wii-U exclusive. Managing to get the exclusive license was no small feat for Nintendo and as such, it wasn’t surprising that they took the decision to re-launch both games for the highly successful Switch console.

So far, however, the plan hasn’t worked as the launch sales figures for the Switch version are significantly less than the Wii-U version.

Why has it not worked as well this time?

It’s a good question. The first interesting point is that the Wii-U was, for all intents and purposes, a flop. Given that in less than a year the Switch has already outsold the Wii-U’s entire lifespan gives you some indication of that.

So why, in a report via Eurogamer, hasn’t Bayonetta 2 sold as many copies as it did on the Wii-U in its launch week? The reviews have largely all been highly positive for it.

Surely it makes sense that it would have sold more copies, given the increase in Switch ownership in comparison.

Ironically, the failure of the Wii-U might have a part to play in this.

Since the Wii-U sold so poorly, that means that even despite decent sales figures, Bayonetta 2 didn’t get as much in-house exposure as it deserved.

Based upon this, would it be unreasonable to suggest that over the intermittent years the popularity of the franchise has had no cause for growth?

On top of this as well you have the argument, why pay twice for essentially the same game. Yes, the Switch might have nicer graphics and some enhancements, but to the core, it’s the exact same game.

The future of the franchise

Bayonetta is a fantastic franchise and while it hasn’t been treated badly, it’s deserved better than Nintendo has given it. As much as I would like to this remain a 3rd party exclusive for them if there is another release I doubt Nintendo would get sole dibs on it.

I want Bayonetta to do well, but I am a little concerned at the current state of affairs.

What do you think? are you a fan of the series? Did you buy Bayonetta 2 for the Switch? If not, why not? – Let us know in the comments!

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