Sonyhas shared a chart comparing its brand strength to its two chief competitors, claiming that not only is itahead of both Xbox and Nintendo, but that Nintendo’s brand strength hasn’t changed much since 2018.
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Sony shared a chart, citing its own SIE Global Brand Tracker of Brand Momentum as the source, showing that its brand strength momentum is well ahead of both Nintendo and Xbox. While that may or may not be true, the chart claims that Nintendo’s brand strength has basically stayed the same since 2018. This seems very unlikely. In that timeframe, the Nintendo Switch shipped enough units to comfortably become one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, multiple Nintendo-published games broke sales records, and perhaps most significantly,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsexploded in popularity.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonscame out just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down the world. Not only was it a hit with Nintendo fans, but it became a pop culture phenomenon in its own right, with sales fueled by casual fans who needed something to entertain themselves during the pandemic.Animal Crossing: New Horizonswas a system seller and became one of Nintendo’s best-selling video games of all time, evendethroning the originalPokemongamesin Japan 26 years after they launched. In that same window, PlayStation hadn’t even given the PS5 its big reveal, let alone launched it.
It would also be interesting to see what how far ahead Sony thinks the PlayStation brand is compared to Nintendo right now, hot off the heels of the record-breakingPokemon Scarlet and Violet, the massive box office success ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, and thenear-universal acclaim currently being enjoyed byThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Regardless, fans should take this chart with a grain of salt. While there’s no denying that PlayStation is an industry leader, the idea that Nintendo’s brand strength has remained more or less static since 2018 doesn’t make much sense when held up to scrutiny. Looking ahead, both brands have a lot to be excited about in the near future, with PlayStation hosting a showcase event to show its biggest upcoming games and Nintendo expected to reveal itsSwitch successor consolenext year.
