{"id":47608,"date":"2025-05-01T10:53:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T01:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=47608"},"modified":"2025-05-01T11:06:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T02:06:24","slug":"nintendo-makes-shovelware-less-likely-to-enter-charts-with-revision-of-eshop-ranking-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/nintendo-makes-shovelware-less-likely-to-enter-charts-with-revision-of-eshop-ranking-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Nintendo makes shovelware less likely to enter charts with revision of eShop ranking system\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nintendo appears to have changed the way Nintendo eShop store rankings work \u2013 rather than being ranked based on the total number of downloads, games are now ranked based on total revenue \u2013 as pointed out by X user naruki<\/a>. This revision seems to be addressing the structural issue that allowed low-quality, low-priced games and shovelware to easily enter the rankings and gain attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up until now, the Nintendo eShop\u2019s ranking system is believed to have been based purely on the number of downloads, regardless of a game\u2019s price. While this system is relatively standard, it hasn\u2019t always functioned ideally, as it also enabled cheaper pricing to equal more visibility.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, some publishers would set a high original price for their games, then offer them at deep discounts, like 90% off, which would make it easier to climb the rankings. Even after the \u201csale\u201d ended, a game could linger on the rankings and create the impression that it was a best-seller. Other games simply set an extremely low base price to attract attention. Some publishers likely used both tactics, and it’s fair to say the system was being exploited<\/a>, leading to dissatisfaction about the store\u2019s rankings often displaying \u201ccheap slop.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Japan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, with the release of the Switch 2 approaching, Nintendo has updated the eShop\u2019s ranking system, switching from download count to revenue-based rankings. More specifically, the rankings now appear to be determined by \u201ctotal sales revenue over the past three days.\u201d This has already led to big changes in how the rankings look \u2013 with the Japan eShop currently dominated by comparatively more expensive title like The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy and Lunar Remaster Collection while cheap, heavily discounted shovelware titles are nowhere to be seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This revenue-based system is similar to how Steam\u2019s sales rankings work, where big-budget, pricier titles easily rise to the top. On the flip side, this makes it harder for inexpensive and unique indie games to gain visibility. Steam addresses this by offering various curated categories, like \u201cPopular New Releases, \u201d so that smaller titles can stand a chance too. Perhaps we can expect new curation options from Nintendo too as the Switch 2\u2019s launch approaches.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Nintendo eShop’s revised ranking system bases popularity on total revenue, rather than number of downloads, making it harder for “slop” to enter charts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17,33],"class_list":["post-47608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news","tag-nintendo"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nNintendo makes shovelware less likely to enter charts with revision of eShop ranking system\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Nintendo eShop's revised ranking system bases popularity on total revenue, rather than number of downloads, making it harder for "slop" to enter charts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/nintendo-makes-shovelware-less-likely-to-enter-charts-with-revision-of-eshop-ranking-system\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nintendo makes shovelware less likely to enter charts with revision of eShop ranking system\u00a0 - 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