Everybody 1-2-Switch! hits the top of the Australian sales charts

Historically, there has been much debate around predestiny and free will, and whether we truly are the ones behind the choices we make. Is it the will of a God, or a hivemind of sorts, that guides our every movement? If it is a hivemind, I have to ask: why did it desire Everybody 1-2-Switch! in the final week of July 2024?

Per newly-released sales charts from Games Sales Data and IGEA, Everybody 1-2-Switch! was the top-selling video game in Australia for the week ending 28 July 2024. Typically, a sudden and unexpected rise up the charts can be explained by various factors: a major sale, a marketing campaign, a viral social media moment, or otherwise.

The appearance of Everybody 1-2-Switch! is baffling. While there is a great deal for the game going at retailer The Gamesmen (it’s priced at AUD $26.95), that’s not much of a discount when you consider the game frequently sells on eBay for around the AUD $30 mark anyway – and I’m not sure that a single retailer selling it cheaply would contribute to such a high volume of sales.

Beyond reason, it appears that en masse, Nintendo Switch gamers really, really wanted to play Everybody 1-2-Switch! in July – to the point where the one-year-old game has eclipsed Australian sales for GTA V, NBA 2K24, EA Sports College Football 25, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Elden Ring.

Read: Nintendo reports significant year-on-year financial downturn

Perhaps the hivemind craves instruction by horse, or silly little games about blowing up balloons.

To be fairer, Everybody 1-2-Switch! does contain blasts of light fun for a party atmosphere, and maybe Australian gamers are looking for some ridiculousness in their upcoming celebrations. Whatever the case, the appearance of Everybody 1-2-Switch! at the top of the Australian video game charts for late July 2024 is bizarre and wonderful.

Australian video game charts: The top 10 best-sellers for 22-28 July 2024

Beyond Everybody 1-2-Switch!, here’s the full list of best-selling video game titles in Australia for the week of 22-28 July 2024, per IGEA:

1. Everybody 1-2-Switch!
2. GTA V
3. NBA 2K24
4. EA Sports College Football 25
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
6. Elden Ring
7. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
8. Hogwarts Legacy
9. Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
10. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

You can view the full list, and the accompanying New Zealand chart, on the IGEA website.