Metroid Database.com

We've been wondering how much Other M has sold over the past month, and the results are a little surprising - though sobering. More than a month after its release, Metroid: Other M has yet to break the half-million mark, selling 496,684 copies worldwide (only 354,909 copies in the US). Japanese sales numbers are interesting, with 71,540 units sold, putting it on-par with Japanese sales figures for Metroid Prime and Prime 3. Worldwide figures are less than half the standard for a Metroid title. Comparing this with sales figures from all the other Metroid games places Other M in the number 10 spot, right below Metroid Prime Trilogy (which it should surpass in another 10 weeks), but nowhere near the sales numbers of Metroid Prime 2's 1.29 million units worldwide. Though it is interesting to note that a half-million units is comparable to recent M-rated releases, a half-million copies of a flagship series are nothing short of abysmal (this is not considering the high costs that went into Other M production and advertising). Low review scores, declining Wii market, and the fact that T and M games are not the Wii's core audience all probably contributed, though one of the largest has simply been the backlash this game has felt from some audiences. We still like Other M, but there are a lot of people who skipped purchasing it because of the mix of reviews. In any event, Metroid: Other M can't have recouped development costs, which might alter the types of risks Nintendo will take in the future.

Until next time...
Captain Commando