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'Pokémon Legends Arceus' sells 6.5 million copies worldwide in seven days
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has sold 6.5 million copies after just one week on sale, making it one of the fastest-selling Switch games yet.
The first 'Pokémon Sword' and 'Shield' expansion arrives June 17th
Pokémon Sword and Shield fans won't have to wait much longer to play The Isle of Armor. The new expansion launches on June 17th.
Nintendo had a surprise Direct Mini today, here's what you missed
After several months without a proper Direct, Nintendo at long last debuted a presentation without any prior warning. For some reason, it decided to call it a "Nintendo Direct Mini," which is especially strange given the glut of news it delivered.
Pokémon Home is now available on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android
After a short wait, Pokémon Home is now available to download on iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo-made app allows you to transfer your Pokémon to the franchise's latest entry, Pokémon Sword and Shield, from past Switch and 3DS games like Pokémon X and Y. In the future, it will also work with Pokémon Go.
The Nintendo Switch has passed the SNES in lifetime sales
Nintendo sold 10.81 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing lifetime sales to 52.48 million. That's a 15 percent increase on the 9.41 million units it sold in the same quarter 12 months prior, and the best three-month period since the console launched in 2017. With over 50 million lifetime sales, the Switch has now surpassed the iconic Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The console's next target is the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which managed 61.91 million sales.
Pokémon Home costs three times more than the service it replaces
Ahead of the launch of Pokémon Home sometime next month, Nintendo has shared pricing for the upcoming cross-platform storage and transfer service. A month of the Premium subscription to Pokémon Home will set you back $3 every 30 days. Nintendo also plans to offer quarterly and annual subscription options, in which case you'll need to pay either $5 every three months or $16 per year. That is a significant increase from the cost of Pokémon Bank. The 3DS-exclusive service currently costs $5 annually.
Pokémon Home's cloud transfer service launches next month
Since Pokémon Go debuted back in 2016, it hasn't been possible to keep all the creatures you collected throughout the various Pokémon titles in one place. They were split between your 3DS and phone, and the problem only got worse with the introduction of Pokémon Sword and Shield, which weren't compatible with Pokémon caught in any of the older titles. But relief is on its way next month, when The Pokémon Company finally releases Pokémon Home, a cloud service that will connect all the different games to give your precious fighting pets a single happy place to live between battles.
'Pokémon Sword' and 'Shield' are getting an expansion pass
For the first time in the franchise's history, Game Freak will release an expansion pass for one of its mainline Pokémon games. The studio announced today that it's developing two new downloadable packs for Pokémon Sword and Shield.
‘Pokémon Sword & Shield’ had the best-selling launch of the series
The latest pair of games in Nintendo's Pokémon series, Sword & Shield, debuted for the Switch this past weekend, and as expected, the titles are already successful in terms of sales. Today, Nintendo announced that the company has sold more than six million units between the two versions of the game worldwide. Two million of those copies were purchased in the US during the first two days, making it the highest-grossing Pokémon launch yet.
The best gifts and games for console gamers
This year will mark the end of an era for console gaming. Next-generation consoles are coming in 2020, but it also means both the PS4 and the Xbox One are at the peak of their power and popularity. Not to be outdone, there's also Nintendo's Switch, which has already seen a second-generation hardware twist in the handheld Switch Lite. Our selection for this holiday season runs across all these consoles, as well as including Sega's nostalgia-baiting Genesis Mini. We've focused on tried-and-tested AAA titles like Overwatch on the Switch, and Control available on both Xbox and PlayStation, while also suggesting more under-the-radar hits like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Risk of Rain 2. Naturally, Pokémon Sword and Shield isn't quite out yet, but from our early impressions, we know it will satisfy any Pokémon fans you're shopping for. And, if you need even more recommendations for the gamers in your life, we have a guide for every console.
Gigantamax Pikachu is coming to ‘Pokémon Sword’ and ‘Shield’
We know that Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will feature a new mechanic called Gigantamaxing, which will turn certain creatures into giant forms and give them a special move. Today, Nintendo revealed the Gigantamax forms for some of the most popular Pokémon: Pikachu, Charizard, Eevee, Meowth and Butterfree.
You'll be able to wave at Pokémon on the Pixel 4
After so many photo and video leaks, the daily revelations about the Google Pixel 4 can officially be referred to as a deluge. The latest comes from 9to5Google, in the form of a tech demo for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL's radar-equipped motion sensor. The proof-of-concept app lets users pet, splash and wave at Pokémon characters using vertical and horizontal hand gestures.
Watch the latest Nintendo Direct here at 6PM ET
It seems Nintendo will have plenty to showcase in its latest Nintendo Direct stream. It's set to run for about 40 minutes, around the same length as the previous Direct from E3, with a focus on its Switch slate for the rest of the year.
'Pokémon Sword' and 'Shield' will have version-exclusive gyms
If you've ever complained that the differences between Pokémon game editions were too small, relief might be in sight. When Pokémon Sword and Shield arrive in November, they'll include not just differences in the creature lineup and trainers, but version-exclusive gyms in "certain towns" with unique gym leaders. You'll take on the martial artist Bea in Sword, while the goth Allister will fight you in Shield. This probably won't justify buying the Dual Pack with both variants unless you're a completist. Still, it promises to add some genuine variety to the experience.
Dynamaxing a corgi in ‘Pokémon Sword' and 'Shield’
Pokémon Sword and Shield, the series' first proper outing on the Switch, is shaking up a tried-and-tested formula. There's the dynamic weather system, which affects which Pokémon can spawn; the free camera, which will completely change the feel of exploration; the new "verticality" to Pokémon hunting; the co-operative Raid battles; the fresh setting, inspired by Great Britain; and a Rotom smartphone that replaces the Pokédex. There's a lot, but very little of it is on show at this year's E3. The demo I played through this afternoon was limited to a section of a water gym. It contained a simple switch-based puzzle, where I turned off and on water jets in order to proceed to the gym leader. One interesting thing was the game's use of a more horizontal camera to lay out the puzzle clearly, but honestly it's the type of challenge that'd be at home in any of the series' many games. It was all very familiar, albeit with a heightened level of graphical flair that the transition away from the 3DS allows for.
Some of your Pokémon won't transfer to 'Sword' and 'Shield'
Ever since 2003, you've had the option of importing your Pokémon critters into newer games, including across platforms thanks to Pokémon Home. However, GameFreak is about to end that run. As part of an E3 chat, producer Junichi Masuda revealed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will only accept transfers from creatures that exist in the game's Galar region. That includes some Pokémon from other games, of course, but it means your beloved Meloetta won't be playable. You should still have a central collection in the Home app, you just won't get to use all of it.
Nintendo's E3 will center on Pokémon, Zelda and Luigi's Mansion
We already knew that Nintendo would be focusing on 2019 games at E3 this year (sorry, Metroid Prime fans). Today, the company has gone a step further and revealed the exact games that will be playable on the show floor: Pokémon Sword and Shield, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (the upcoming remake, not the original), Luigi's Mansion 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. Nintendo said there will be "other games on the show floor," and "details about additional upcoming titles for Nintendo Switch" during its now-traditional Direct video on June 11th. That means there's still a chance the new Animal Crossing -- which is tentatively scheduled for 2019 at the moment -- will make an appearance at the show. We could also see Astral Chain, a fantasy-action game from Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames, and Super Mario Maker 2, which comes out just a couple of weeks after the show. Heck, maybe we'll get a release date for Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo's next smartphone game, too.
Watch the 'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Nintendo Direct right here
Switch owners, assemble! Nintendo has a special Direct presentation dedicated to Pokémon Sword and Shield today. If you've been living under a Geodude for the last four months, these are the proper, all-new Switch RPGs that fans have been clamoring for. We've already seen the new starter Pokémon (the grass type, Grookey, is clearly the best) and the clearly UK-inspired Galar region (hopefully it won't morph into a Brexit wasteland), but that's about it. We know little about the story, combat tweaks, mini-games and potential compatibility with other Pokémon software, including Go, the Let's Go titles, and the recently-announced Pokémon Sleep. For all the juicy details, watch the stream here at 6AM PT/9AM ET.